USE YOUR LOAF
It’s come a long way since the crustless cheese-filled triangles of your childhood, with gourmet sandwich shops opening their doors faster than you can say spelt and rye. Consider this your nutrient-packed guide to the best thing since sliced bread
There’s just something special about biting into a fully loaded sandwich. With its ever-so-slightly toasted bread cradling a smorgasbord of fillings, a sandwich can deliver all the components of a nutritionally balanced meal. But for all its filling, run-fuelling and five-a-day supporting benefits, it lacks the healthy-eating halo of some of its lunchtime counterparts. It’s time we started giving credit where it’s due, says Jaclyn London, dietitian, author of Dressing On The Side (And Other Diet Myths Debunked) and podcast host for The Business Of Wellness. ‘I’d even go so far as to call sandwiches the ultimate “power lunch” order,’ she says, adding that the nutrient profile of your sandwich begins with the bread and ends with what goes between it. She recommends using the bread as an opportunity to get more 100% whole grains into your day and then adding plenty of vegetables. ‘More is more on the produce front,’ she adds. ‘Piling it on provides more of the nutrients you need – blood pressure-regulating minerals such as potassium, magnesium and calcium – to help balance out higher-sodium ingredients.’ It’s time to get creative, and we’re here to help.
01 SPREAD YOUR WINGS
Get more fruit and veg into the equation by blitzing, blending or chopping them into salsas and dips. ‘This way, you’re automatically including more of those nutrient-dense vegetables without feeling like you’re eating a pile of grass between sliced bread,’ says London
ROTISSERIE ROCK STAR
Here’s a case for making rotisserie chicken your main protein option: the cooking method renders it elite, health-wise, compared with most cold meats. ‘The beauty is that there’s no preservation process that requires salting and curing, which you’ll see with even “reduced sodium” cold meats,’ says London. Eggs, nut butter and tinned fish also work, as will last night’s leftover protein or anything that can easily be added to your meal prep queue (think: grilled salmon, prawns or a lean cut of beef).
FRESH SALSA
In a large bowl, toss 1 jalapeño chilli and ¼ small white onion (both finely chopped) with 1 tbsp lime juice, ¼ tsp salt and ⅛ tsp pepper; let it sit for 10 mins.
Toss with 225g plum tomatoes (halved, seeded and chopped), then fold in 2 tsp ch
