Choosing healthy low fat range sandwiches
Fat - The Basics
“A sandwich is a popular choice for a meal, especially for lunch, but what looks healthy in the window / packet can actually be very high in fat”, says Todd, head nutritionist with GetFit Nutrition.
“If you’re buying pre-packaged from a supermarket, aim to make it a habit to choose from the healthy range. Not only will it be lower in fat – it will help when choosing what to have”.
“Many retailers of fresh sandwiches use high fat dressings such as mayonnaise to make the product more enjoyable to eat. So things like egg / tuna mayo can contain huge amounts of at – even though the main filling itself is relatively low in fat”, warns Todd.
Common Fat Myths and Misconceptions
- “Bread is fattening” – Not if you are sparing with the spreading fat you use on it. An average slice of bread contains around 80 calories. The average amount of butter spread on a slice of bread is 70 calories – cut down the spreading and you knock down the calories.
- “A sandwich is not a proper meal” – Yes it is. A chicken salad sandwich using wholemeal bread has all the components of a balanced meal: starch from the Cereal & starch food group, protein from the Meat & alternatives group and salad from the Fruit & vegetables group.
Fat -Tips and Tricks
- Try to choose sandwiches that do not include mayonnaise. Is there a sandwich bar nearby that can make your sandwich to order? Perhaps you could ask for a smaller amount of mayonnaise in sandwiches.
- Does the made-to-order sandwich shop use low fat dressing? If not, ask them if they could get some in. You could also ask them to cut down the amount of fat they spread on the bread – helps cut their stock too. And, do you really need both sides of the bread buttered?”
- Why not make a sandwich at home that you can take into work on some days? Use canned fish in tomato sauce or water, rather than oil or mayonnaise.
- Use a spread lower in fat than butter if possible – low fat spreads e.g. Flora Light, St Ivel Gold, Vitalite Light contain half the fat of butter. If you dislike a sandwich without mayonnaise, why not leave out the spreading fat? Whatever you use, try to spread it thinly (scrape off any excess spread or mayonnaise).
- Look for lower fat fillings without mayonnaise such as ham, tuna, chicken, turkey, cottage cheese, and low fat cheese spread to ensure a low fat sandwich.