If you are like most of us, you are bombarded with daily images on social media of perfectly presented meals which make a simple sandwich seem very dull. Yes, the sandwich may not have the fancy details to it’s crusts but don’t let this deter you on what can be both a delicious meal as well as pack a nutritious punch for your body.
Here are a few reasons why you should keep or learn to love the sandwich again.
- Bread is a nutrient powerhouse!
The glue keeping a sandwich together gives your body many nutrients which includes carbohydrates, fibre, B vitamins like folate and thiamine, iodine, iron, zinc and magnesium. A serve of bread is 1 slice or ½ bread roll or wrap. This means for a meal you will usually get 2 serves as part of your daily target for this food group. It is important not
- The Range of Fillings are Endless.
Variety of what you eat is just as important as including all your food groups over a day. Great choices are choosing a lean source of protein like boiled egg, roasted beef or chicken breast, leftover taco mix with salad vegetables and the addition of a slice of low fat cheddar cheese. Instead of adding more flavour with salt try using herbs and spices like adding turmeric to the egg or some basil and chilli to the Mexican taco mix.
- It Adds to Your Whole Grain Needs for the Day.
Not all breads are equal and to add to your body’s daily need of whole grains selecting wholegrain bread is the gold standard. Whole grain bread has all three levels of the grain the bran (outer layer), endosperm (middle layer) and germ (inner most layer). When you have refined white bread for example, the outer layers are removed. These are the parts which contain the most nutrition for your body. You deserve more than just the energy from bread which is given from the carbohydrate but the nutrient density of whole grains bread which provides your body with much more fibre, vitamins and minerals your body needs to function optimally.
Take home message: Having a lunch which is both healthy and tastes great is far more important than creating the perfectly presented ‘Instagramable’ lunch. It takes this unnecessary pressure away and enables you to enjoy eating far more, a pleasure you deserve.
