Most shop-bought sandwiches are high in fatty calories. Make your own healthy F2 versions, using fibre rich wholemeal bread. If you lunch at home, or can heat soup at the office (or take a flask), one sandwich with a bowl of ready-made F2 soup would make an ideal midday meal. Follow it with a piece of fruit from our high-fiselection on article 90 and your good bacteria will feast all afternoon.
Here are some simple ideas for sandwich fillings. We've cut back on the usual lavish quantities of mayonnaise, used only the light lower-calorie type and suggested spreads other than butter or margarine. In some cases the sandwiches will be best if you pack filling and bread separately and assemble them at lunchtime. These days many offices have fridges in which fillings could be stored. Quantities are given for filling one sandwich made from your daily two large slices of wholemeal bread.
NOTE OF CAUTION
All spoon measurements are level and proper measuring spoons are essential particularly for mayonnaise. Use the light (reduced-fat) mayonnaise, 1 ½ fat units per tbsp, rather than regular full-fat mayonnaise at a whopping 4 fat units per tbsp. All units below have been calculated using light mayonnaise. To further reduce fat you could opt for extra-light mayonnaise at only 1 ½ fat unit per tbsp.
Houmous and tomato or roasted pepper. Spread bread with up to 50g/20z (3 tbsp) reduced-fat houmous. Fill sandwich with sliced tomato or a sliced roasted red pepper and a handful of rocket leaves. You can buy roasted red peppers packed in vinegar in jars or from a deli counter. Drain them thoroughly.
Spicy prawn. Stir 1 tsp of mango chutney and ½ tsp mild curry paste into 2 tbsp light, reduced-fat mayonnaise. Spread a little of this mixture on each slice of bread. Squeeze just a little lemon juice on 2-3 oz prawns and stir in the remaining mayonnaise. Fill sandwich with prawn mayonnaise, crunchy lettuce leaves and cucumber.
Tuna and sweetcorn. Blend 2 tbsp light mayonnaise with 50g/20z drained tuna (canned in brine or spring water), 1 tbsp sweetcorn and a few capers. Spread between slices of bread and pack out with shredded lettuce. No spread needed on the bread.
Tuna and bean. Combine 2 tbsp light mayonnaise with l tsp tomato puree or ketchup. Spread a little of this mixture on each slice of bread. Stir 50g/20z drained tuna (canned in brine or spring water), 1 tbsp drained, canned red kidney beans and some finely chopped red onion into the remaining mayonnaise. Spread between the bread.
Peanut butter and banana. Spread each slice of bread with I tsp smooth or crunchy peanut butter (2 tsp in total). Fill sandwich with mashed or sliced banana.
Peanut butter with crunchy salad. Spread each slice of bread with 1 tsp crunchy peanut butter (2 tsp in total). Fill with sliced cucumber and a handful of raw bean sprouts. Sprinkle with a little sweet chilli sauce for a spicy Thai-style flavor, if you like.
Mashed banana with walnuts. Mash 1 large banana with 1-2 tsp honey and 15g/ ½ 0Z chopped walnuts. Spread between slices of bread. No spread is needed on the bread.
Cottage cheese and Marmite. Spread 1 slice of bread with l tsp low-fat spread and the other slice thinly with Marmite. Fill sandwich with 50g/20z plain cottage cheese, drained, sliced cucumber and shredded lettuce.
Turkey and cranberry. Spread bread with 1 tbsp cranberry sauce, then fill sandwich with 50g/20z thinly sliced, skinless, free-range or organic roast turkey or chicken breast.
Smoked salmon and soft cheese. Spread bread with 50g/20z (3 tbsp) half-fat soft cheese, flavored with snipped chives or a few chopped capers if liked. Fill with 25g/ 10z thinly sliced organic smoked salmon, sprinkled with black pepper and a little lemon juice. Pack out with baby spinach leaves or watercress.
Canned salmon and watercress. Blend 2 tbsp light mayonnaise with the grated zest of ½ lemon and l tsp lemon juice. Spread a little of the mayonnaise on the bread. Stir 50g/20z drained canned pink salmon (wild Pacific) into the remaining mayonnaise for the filling and pack out with trimmed watercress.
Egg, watercress and tomato. Mash one medium hard-boiled egg (free-range, Omega 3) with 1 tbsp light mayonnaise and some chopped watercress. Scoop the seeds out of one largish tomato, dice the remaining flesh and add to the egg. Season and spread between the slices of bread. No spread is needed on the bread.
Cheese, carrot and sultana. Mature cheddar cheese more flavor for your calories makes the best F2 cheese choice and this sandwich filling makes a little go a long way. Grate 25g/10z and combine with a small grated carrot, l tbsp sultanas and l tsp light mayonnaise. Blend together an additional teaspoon of light mayonnaise with one of wholegrain mustard and spread on the bread. Fill the sandwich with the cheese and carrot mixture.
Crab with sweetcorn. Mix 100g/3 ½ oz drained white canned crabmeat with 2tbsp sweetcorn,2 tbsp light mayonnaise and l tsp tomato ketchup. Spice with a dash of Tabasco sauce. Sandwich between slices of bread. No spread is needed on the bread.
Chicken with pineapple and almonds. Mix 50g/20z diced cooked organic chicken with 2 tbsp light mayonnaise. Stir in a chopped ring of canned pineapple, drained of juice, of a green pepper, diced, and 5g (about 10 flakes) of toasted almonds. Don't be tempted to add extra almonds as they are high in fat, but, toasted, they add a lovely flavor to this filling. Sandwich between bread no spread is needed. You could reduce the fat unit count by 2 units by using extra- light mayonnaise.
