The new hot lunch: these sandwiches get their flavor from tasty waistline-friendly ingredients
Few foods meet the demands of a busy lifestyle like a sandwich–it’s easy to make and transport, and it fills you up fast. But while turkey and lowfat cheese on whole wheat is a convenient and healthy choice, eating it every day can get, well, boring. The secret to bringing some excitement back to your lunch? Just add heat. “Melting different flavors together really makes a sandwich come alive,” says Jason Denton, co-author of Simple Italian Sandwiches: Recipes From America’s Favorite Panini Bar. For a truly satisfying option, he suggests using tasty, high-quality ingredients to ensure you get the same flavor balance in every bite. Sure, grilling a sandwich takes more time but one bite of these three mouthwatering combos, and you’ll be surprised something so delicious doesn’t require hours in the kitchen.
OPEN-FACED SANDWICH WITH ITALIAN TUNA, FENNEL, AND PICKLED RED ONIONS
Italian canned tuna is more expensive than the standard supermarket brand, but its flavor is worth the price.
Serves 1
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 2 minutes (to toast)
1/2 medium fennel bulb
4 ounces canned Italian or Spanish
tuna packed in olive oil
Drizzle of olive oil
2 slices multigrain Pullman bread
or Arnold Brick Oven White Bread
(available in supermarkets)
3 rings of Pickled Red Onions
(see recipe in box at right) or
jarred pickled onions
Salt and pepper to taste
Remove the tough outer layer of the fennel bulb and slice in half through the stem end, then remove the core. With the flat side facedown on a cutting board, thinly slice bulb.
Flake the tuna in a medium bowl with a fork. Add the fennel slices and a drizzle of olive oil. Combine.
Toast the bread. Spread the tuna-fennel mixture over each slice and top with the pickled onion rings. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Nutrition score per serving
373 calories, 11 g fat (25% of calories), <1 g saturated fat, 37 g carbs, 38 g protein, 12 g fiber, 263 mg calcium, 4 mg iron, 873 mg sodium
PANINI WITH TURKEY, SPICY RELISH, AND PARMESAN
This tasty sandwich supplies nearly half your daily calcium needs.
Serves 1
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 3 minutes
3 ounces roasted turkey breast,
sliced thinly, or 3 ounces low-sodium
deli turkey
1 whole-wheat English muffin
1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese,
thinly sliced
1-2 tablespoons Spicy Relish (see recipe
on previous page) or a store-bought
red-cherry-pepper relish
Preheat a panini grill. (If you don’t have a panini grill, use an outdoor grill or frying pan. Then wrap a brick in foil and use it as a weight for pressing the sandwiches.)
Place the turkey on the bottom half of the English muffin, then cover with the sliced cheese. Spread the top half of the muffin with the spicy relish.
Grill until the English muffin is golden brown and sandwich is heated through, 2 to 3 minutes, and serve.
Nutrition score per serving
434 calories, 18 g fat (37% of calories), 8 g saturated fat, 28 g carbs, 40 g protein, 5 g fiber, 492 mg calcium, 3 mg iron, 857 mg sodium
PORTOBELLO PANINI WITH HERBED GOAT CHEESE
Slicing the top off the ciabatta roll helps the ingredients meld better when they’re heated.
Serves 1
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 3 minutes
1 medium ciabatta
roll (an oval-shaped,
dome-topped roll)
or whole-wheat English muffin
2 tablespoons mild-flavored
fresh goat cheese
2 tablespoons nonfat milk
2 tablespoons finely chopped
mixed fresh herbs, such as basil,
fennel fronds, and oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
Freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 lemon
1 handful arugula (about 2 ounces)
1 medium portobello mushroom cap,
cleaned and sliced into 1/8-inch pieces
2 teaspoons olive oil
Preheat a panini grill. (If you don’t have a panini grill, use an outdoor grill, toaster oven, or frying pan. Then wrap a brick in foil and use it as a weight for pressing the sandwiches.)
Using a serrated knife, remove the domed top of the ciabatta roll. The roll should now be about 1 1/2 inches thick. Slice the roll horizontally. (If using an English muffin, skip this step.)
Combine the goat cheese, nonfat milk, and herbs in a small bowl. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Use a fork to blend thoroughly. Pour the lemon juice over the arugula and use your hands to toss.
Season mushroom slices with the same herbs you used to flavor the goat cheese, and saute in olive oil for about 5 minutes. Lay the mushroom slices across the bottom half of the roll, and cover with arugula. Thinly spread the goat cheese on the top half of the roll.
Grill the sandwich until the bread is golden brown and the cheese begins to melt, 2 to 3 minutes, and serve.
Nutrition score per serving
341 calories, 15 g fat (39% of calories), 4 g saturated fat, 40 g carbs, 13 g protein, 3 g fiber, 168 mg calcium, 3 mg iron, 480 mg sodium
DIET STRATEGY
Satisfying lunches keep midday hunger at bay.