Slimmer Sandwiches Take A Slice Of Fat Out Of Your Sandwiches With A Few Substitutions
Did we really need a scientific study to convince us that sandwiches piled high with pastrami, cheese and mayonnaise are fattening and probably not good for us? Judging from the newspaper headlines and TV air time that the recent report by the Center for Science in the Public Interest got, apparently so.
Many Americans, it seems, have been laboring under the notion that foods they normally wouldn’t allow to pass their lips are somehow not so awful when eaten between two slices of bread.
Now that the shocking truth is out, the question is: what to do about it? Will it take another scientific study to convince Americans that they have to change the way they think about food - including sandwiches - if they’re trying to lighten up? Probably so, says Pat Kenyon, owner of the Nature’s Mercantile health food store.
“People say, ‘I want to lower my fat intake, but I don’t want anything to taste any differently.’ The first thing I say to people is, ‘Get ready. It’s going to taste different.”’ But different, says Kenyon, doesn’t have to mean bad. When it comes to sandwiches, fat-watchers have a cornucopia of healthful yet flavorful ways to liven up this favorite lunchtime companion.
The ubiquitous turkey on wheat almost seems fresh again when slathered with chutney, blanketed with fresh basil or smeared with herbed cream cheese.
Did someone say cheese? In this case, we mean nonfat cream cheese.
In fact, food specialists say, real cheese - the stuff that carries 10 grams of fat per ounce - probably should be crossed off the grocery shopping list of anyone interested in making low-fat sandwiches.
Not to mention the mayo. A tablespoon of mayonnaise has 11 grams of fat; at 100 calories a tablespoon, it is 100 percent fat. Reduced-fat and nonfat cheeses, mayonnaise and sandwich spreads are available.
The experts also recommend staying away from butter, highly processed meats such as bacon, avocados (30 grams of fat in a medium one) and even some breads that are especially oily.
One way to determine whether a bread is oily is to place it on a paper napkin or piece of paper. If there are oily spots when you pick it up, it could be hiding fat grams you can do without. Breads made without oil are available at some supermarkets and health food stores.
If fat-watchers have the sinking feeling that they’ll never be able to eat anything that tastes good again, that’s not true. Fresh herbs, balsamic vinegar and nonfat yogurt all add to taste without adding fat grams.
Kenyon’s advice is to “get a little sense of adventure.”
“Go for color,” she says. “Go for texture. If your food looks interesting and has some decent taste to it as far as herbs and spices, you’re going to forget that you’re on a restricted-fat diet.”
Here are some ideas for low-fat sandwiches: Tuna salad or chicken salad made with low-fat or nonfat mayonnaise and a generous sprinkling of lemon juice or pineapple juice, to help improve flavor and moistness.
Whole-wheat tortillas stuffed with herbed cream cheese and crisp raw vegetables such as bell peppers, onions, carrots and zucchini.
Pita bread with hummus made with yogurt instead of oil. Dress it up with a little fat-free salad dressing.
A vegetarian sandwich made with cucumber slices, sprouts, mock cream cheese and a splash of balsamic vinegar and nonfat yogurt all add to taste without adding fat grams. Kenyon’s advice is to “get a little sense of adventure.”
“Go for color,” she says. “Go for texture. If your food looks interesting and has some decent taste to it as far as herbs and spices, you’re going to forget that you’re on a restricted-fat diet.”
Here are some ideas for low-fat sandwiches:
Tuna salad or chicken salad made with low-fat or nonfat mayonnaise and a generous sprinkling of lemon juice or pineapple juice, to help improve flavor and moistness.
Whole-wheat tortillas stuffed with herbed cream cheese and crisp raw vegetables such as bell peppers, onions, carrots and zucchini.
Pita bread with hummus made with yogurt instead of oil. Dress it up with a little fat-free salad dressing.
A vegetarian sandwich made with cucumber slices, sprouts, mock cream cheese and a splash of balsamic vinegar.
Tofu egg salad made without eggs. Or make egg salad using fewer hard-cooked egg yolks and more whites, with fat-reduced mayonnaise. Try adding vegetables such as sprouts, tomatoes, cucumbers or bell peppers. This will bulk up your sandwich, add fiber and cut down on the amount of egg used.
Mashed cooked black beans or pinto beans wrapped in tortillas and dressed with cilantro, sprouts, salsa and a little low-fat cheese. Try dried bean flakes, which can be found at natural foods stores and need only to be rehydrated with water, instead of making the paste from whole beans.
Turkey breast with cranberry sauce or honey mustard.
Chicken breast with caramelized onions or roasted red peppers, drizzled with a little oil and vinegar or a low-fat dressing.
Thinly shaved roast beef, dressed with fresh basil and horseradish or chutney.
Grilled cheese, made with a mixture of fat-free cheese and a small amount of a strong-flavored, full-fat cheese such as sharp cheddar. Try toasting the bread by itself, then adding the cheese and zapping the whole thing in a microwave to melt the cheese and soften the bread.
All of this talk about low-fat or nofat sandwiches comes with one big caveat: No one should eliminate fat from their diets. As with everything, striving for a low-fat way of eating can be taken to an unhealthful extreme.
Fat, after all, is not a forbidden substance. It’s just a controlled one.
Heart-Healthful Turkey Reuben
Adapted from “Quick and Easy Cookbook” by the American Heart Association (Times Books).
1 tablespoon nonfat Thousand Island dressing
2 slices dark rye or Pumpernickel bread
2 ounces thinly sliced, lean cooked turkey or chicken
2 tablespoons sauerkraut, rinsed well
1 slice low-fat Swiss cheese
Vegetable oil spray
Spread salad dressing on one side of one slice of bread. Top the other slice with turkey, sauerkraut and cheese. Top with first bread slice, dressing side down.
Spray a skillet with vegetable oil. Cook sandwich over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes until bread toasts and cheese melts, turning once.
Yield: 1 sandwich.
Nutrition information per sandwich: 273 calories, 5 grams fat (16 percent fat calories), 24 grams protein, 31 grams carbohydrate, 48 milligrams cholesterol, 780 milligrams sodium.
Double-Bean Lunch Burritos
Adapted from “Quick and Easy Cookbook” by the American Heart Association (Times Books).
1 cup nonfat refried beans
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chili peppers, drained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 to 8 lettuce leaves
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
Commercial salsa
In medium bowl, stir together beans, chiles and cumin. Arrange lettuce over tortillas. Spoon about cup bean mixture near one edge of each tortilla. Top with salsa, if desired. Roll tortilla around filling. Serve immediately for a refreshing cold lunch. Or, if you want to serve warm, place one or more burritos on a microwave-safe plate. Cook, uncovered, on high power (100 percent) for 35 to 40 seconds for one burrito, 1 to 1 minutes for two, 1 to 2 minutes for three, or 2 to 2 minutes for four burritos.
Yield: 4 tortillas.
Nutrition information per sandwich: 269 calories, 4 grams fat (13 percent fat calories), 12 grams protein, 50 grams carbohydrate, 3 milligrams cholesterol, 565 milligrams sodium.
No-Cholesterol Egg Salad Sandwiches
Adapted from “Quick and Easy Cookbook” by the American Heart Association (Times Books).
6 eggs
Water
1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise or salad dressing
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions or shallots
2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
6 slices whole-grain bread
3 lettuce leaves
Place eggs in a large saucepan; cover with cold water. Cover pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse eggs with cold water. Peel eggs and remove and discard yolks. Chop egg whites. In a small bowl, combine egg whites, mayonnaise, green onion, bell pepper, mustard, turmeric, paprika and black pepper. Serve immediately or cover and chill until serving time. To serve, spread egg mixture on 3 slices of bread. Top with lettuce and remaining bread slices.
Yield: 3 sandwiches.
Nutrition information per sandwich: 197 calories, 2 grams fat (9 percent fat calories), 14 grams protein, 33 grams carbohydrate, 2 milligrams cholesterol, 730 milligrams sodium.
Shrimp Spread
Adapted from “The Low-fat Good Food Cookbook” by Martin and Terri Katahn (W.W. Norton & Co.).
1/2 pound cooked, peeled shrimp
1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1 ounce Neufchatel cheese or cream cheese
1/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Mince shrimp. Put cottage cheese and Neufchatel or cream cheese in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Pour into mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients, mixing well. Chill and serve.
Yield: 2 cups.
Nutrition information per -cup serving: 53 calories, 1 gram fat (17 percent fat calories), 59 milligrams cholesterol, 159 milligrams sodium.
Herbed Cream Cheese
Adapted from “High-Flavor, Low-Fat Vegetarian Cooking” by Steven Raichlen (Viking)
.
3 ounces low-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as tarragon, basil, parsley, chives, chervil or dill (try to use at least 3 different herbs)
A few drops fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Place cream cheese, cottage cheese
and garlic in food processor and puree until smooth. Scrape down sides of processor bowl with spatula as needed. Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in herbs, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Chill until ready to use.
Yield: 1 cup.
Nutrition information per -cup serving: 60 calories, 4 grams fat (60 percent fat calories), 13 milligrams cholesterol, 1 gram carbohydrate, 4 grams protein, 146 milligrams sodium.
Turkey Sandwiches with Berry Cream Cheese
Adapted from Cooking Light magazine.
1/4 cup non-fat cream cheese
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
1 tablespoon chopped walnuts, toasted
8 slices whole-wheat bread
4 curly leaf lettuce leaves
1/2 pound thinly sliced cooked turkey breast
Combine cream cheese, jam and walnuts in small bowl; stir well. Spread 2 tablespoons cream cheese mixture over each of 4 slices of bread. Top each with 1 lettuce leaf, 2 ounces turkey and remaining bread slices.
Yield: 4 sandwiches.
Nutrition information per sandwich: 270 calories, 4 grams fat (13 percent fat calories), 24 grams protein, 35 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fiber, 43 milligrams cholesterol, 345 milligrams sodium.
Mock Cream Cheese Spread
16 ounces nonfat ricotta cheese
8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
1 tablespoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
1 teaspoon cracked pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Combine all ingredients and blend in food processor or blender until smooth.
Variations: Try adding fresh herbs such as basil or dill.
Nutrition information per tablespoon: 55 calories, 0.8 gram fat (13 percent fat calories).
ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo