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Anatomy of a Sandwich Review

* previously published * Believe it or not, the calories in a sandwich can add up to quite a lot if you are not careful of the amount and type of ingredients you add. So lets look at the anatomy of a sandwich and how to keep it healthy.

The Bread: So many choices these days, but let's stay away from "white, bleached, enriched" and go for something with "whole grains" (different from whole wheat flour). Try Sara Lee Heart Healthy 100% Multi-Grain Bread. There's 100 calories in each slice of bread (on average), so you've already got 200 calories.

The Veggies: You want to bulk up on the veggies because it will make your sandwich thicker, and it doesn't add as many calories as meat. For lettuce, go for Romaine over Iceberg to get a little better nutritional value [check the comparison]. You've probably only added 20 calories maximum here.

Another staple should be slices of tomatoes. You want to make sure that you have firm tomatoes. There's nothing worse than tomatoes juice just oozing from a "too old tomato." Again, you are probably adding another 20 calories here.

Want to get fancy with the vegetables - add more. I like strips of bell peppers and slices of cucumbers cucumbers. Another 30 calories from both. What are some of the vegetables you put in your sandwich?

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Cheese: If you want to save some extra calories, then this is one of the places to do it. Try eliminating or cutting down on the amount of cheese you use. I do have a weakness for sharp cheddar, but I don't include it in all my sandwiches. One slice of cheddar cheese averages about 110 calories, so again, if you are trying to cut calories ... leave it out!

Meat: Not an issue for vegetarians, but it certainly is a requirement in the sandwiches of us 'omnivores.' You have to change your thinking though. Think of the veggies as the 'guts of your sandwich' and meat as 'taste enhancer' - just a little something extra to add to the flavor. I am partial to using deli ham or turkey because they have fewer calories. One slice of the reduced fat kind, like Healthy Choice Honey Ham] is 60 calories.

So the calorie count on the sandwich I made pictured above: 220 calories for the bread, 50 calories for the lettuce and tomatoes, 1 slice of cheese at 110 calories and 2 slices of ham, 120 calories = 500! It would have been 390 calories without the cheese, and 330 if I had only used one slice of ham.