(10 seconds each to read and are almost that quick to prepare)
By Lisa Messinger
Food and Cooking at Creators Syndicate
Popular national submarine sandwich shops often show off in their ads which subs are lower in fat and calories compared to the more tubby ones they offer. Almost always, this also involves selecting a smaller roll than the longest choice. You can make the same wise decisions at home while replicating the fun of going out.
In addition to choosing moderately sized rolls (preferably whole wheat and multigrain, like the chains bake), you should have lots of appealing vegetables on hand to make the sandwich a fresh produce to protein ratio of three to one. These might include: spinach, bell pepper, olives, sprouts, cucumber, zucchini and herbs, like basil and cilantro. Use low-fat cheese and low-fat mayonnaise, if any at all. Select lower fat proteins, such as turkey and chicken breasts, ham, tofu and tuna. Then top it off with some pizzazz, like they do, with drizzles of olive oil and red wine vinegar and a grinding of black pepper. Your fertile imagination will surely do the trick, but some creative combinations are also included below. The good news: Just like at the restaurants, this is an economical and fun way to fill up your family.
Selections like these prove innovative food preparation can be easy, nutritious, inexpensive, entertaining - and fast. They take just
10 seconds each to read and are almost that quick to prepare. The combinations are delicious evidence that everyone has time for tasty home cooking and, more importantly, the healthy family togetherness that goes along with it! Another benefit: You - and your kidlet helpers - effortlessly become better in the kitchen, since
there are no right or wrong amounts. These are virtually-can't-go-wrong mixtures, so whatever you choose to use can't help but draw "wows."
Consider using moderately sized whole-wheat or multigrain rolls for all of these (or tortillas made with similar ingredients to prepare wraps instead):Spinach Makes This Sandwich StrongerLayer of spinach, layer of turkey breast, layer of sliced fresh zucchini, sprinkling of sunflower seeds, layer of thinly sliced kiwi and thinly sliced sweet apple, like Gala or Fuji, drizzling of light soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce.
Swim Toward This TunaLayer of pepper jack cheese (or Monterey Jack cheese sprinkled lightly with red pepper flakes), layer of cilantro, chunks of tuna, sprinkling of sliced almonds, sliced red bell pepper, splashes of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
"Tofu" and "Terrific" Go TogetherMarinate slices of firm tofu for only a few minutes in fresh lime juice, ponzu sauce (a less salty sauce than soy sauce that's also slightly sweet located in the soy sauce aisle of supermarkets) or light soy sauce, freshly ground black pepper and curry powder. Layer sandwich roll with mixed greens, then tofu, then sliced black olives, pea pods and shavings of fresh ginger.
You May Melt Over This Ham ComboSpread roll with Dijon mustard, then add layer of fresh basil, layer of thinly sliced honey ham, and layer of sliced cucumber and sliced sweet gherkins. Sprinkle with chopped candied pecans. Top with Swiss cheese. Toast just until bread gets slightly crispy and cheese begins to melt.
QUICK TIP OF THE WEEK: Are there any picky kidlet eaters in your household who may think they don't like salads? Since this same crowd often does like fruit, consider salads that combine both fruits and vegetables. Some well-loved combinations (all served on a mixed greens base): tomatoes - yes, officially a fruit, but generally used as and with as many nutrients as a vegetable - and watermelon; apple and celery (a la in tasty Waldorf salads; use low-fat mayonnaise or, better, nonfat plain Greek or regular yogurt); and carrots and raisins, as in those popular slaws that populate many restaurant buffet lines.
Lisa Messinger is a first-place winner in food and nutrition writing from the Association of Food Journalists and the National Council Against Health Fraud and author of seven food books, including the best-selling The Tofu Book: The New American Cuisine with 150 Recipes (Avery/Penguin Putnam) and Turn Your Supermarket into a Health Food Store: The Brand-Name Guide to Shopping for a Better Diet (Pharos/Scripps Howard). She writes two nationally syndicated food and nutrition columns for Creators Syndicate and had been a longtime newspaper food and health section managing editor, as well as managing editor of Gayot/Gault Millau dining review company. Lisa traveled the globe writing about top chefs for Pulitzer Prize-winning Copley News Service and has written about health and nutrition for the Los Angeles Times Syndicate, Reader's Digest, Woman's World and Prevention Magazine Health Books. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com.
