"Healthy foods" are great in theory, but they're not always the most satisfying options.This is partly due to the fact that people automatically have set ideas of what "healthy" looks like. If you associate healthy foods with salads and veggie trays, you're not alone. But the truth is that there are so many more foods available to us that are incredibly filling and that will still provide many nutrients, healthy fats and, carbs. Case in point: these healthy sandwich recipes. Packed with colorful veggies, filling proteins, and fiber-rich bread, these sandwiches will keep you energized throughout the day.
#SpoonTip: To up the nutrition of these healthy bread recipes, go for multigrain, whole wheat, or seeded breads to get the most fiber as possible into your meal. And when creating your own sandwiches, avoid condiments high in saturated fats (like mayo) and try using mashed avocado, hummus, or homemade pesto instead.
1. Hummus and Tahini Egg Salad Sandwich
Paired with thinly sliced rye bread, micro greens, carrots, and red onions, this is a lighter sandwich fit for any meal. The sandwich itself is also super easy to make, as long as you know how to hard boil eggs.
2. Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad Sandwich
Greek yogurt...in a sandwich? With almost 17 grams of protein, Greek yogurt is an awesome substitute for mayonnaise. Yogurt has a thick and creamy consistency perfect for holding the chicken, apples, almonds, and cranberries together. Finished with some crisp lettuce and sandwiched between two slices of multigrain bread, this healthy sandwich recipe is a definite winner.
3. Tomato, Cheddar, and Asparagus Melt
With almost 25 grams of protein, this sandwich will keep you full for a long time. Between the cherry tomatoes, kidney beans, and asparagus, there are lots of brightly colored, nutrient-packed veggies in this dish. Add a bit of cheddar cheese to finish it off, and you've made an A+ melt.
4. Egg White Breakfast Sandwich
The only thing I love more than sandwiches is breakfast sandwiches. Breakfast sandwiches often use croissants, bagels, and rolls for their base, but I'd suggest using something a little heartier, like a whole grain bagel or your favorite sprouted grain bread.
5. Vegan Chickpea Salad Sandwich
The colors in this sandwich are unbelievable, automatically making it appealing to the eyes and stomach. Chickpeas are high in so many nutrients, versatile in a variety of dishes, and guess what? They're inexpensive, so you really don't have an excuse at this point. This specific chickpea salad utilizes such a unique mix of ingredients, including agave, lemon juice, coriander, basil, and Dijon mustard, and they all complement one another so well in the most unexpected way.
6. Spicy Falafel and Roasted Vegetable Naan-Wich
These roasted vegetables and falafel balls are a total yes as far as visual appeal and fullness meter goes. This sandwich also features a sun-dried tomato spread and the author's Magic Green Sauce. You'd never guess that this sandwich is so healthy because there are so many flavors going on.
7. 5-Minute Vegan Sandwich
A colorful plate is a happy plate, and this sandwich definitely holds that to be true. Stuffed with vegetables, this sandwich looks as though it came straight from a garden. You can manipulate this healthy sandwich recipe in so many different ways depending on which veggies are your favorite. One ingredient that I would definitely recommend keeping is hummus, as it's the key protein of the dish.
8.Smoky Tempeh Sandwich with Sundried Tomato Pesto
The flavors in this sandwich are just WOW. Tempeh is a plant-based protein similar to tofu in that it's made from soybeans. It can be very bland, but it can also be super yummy if cooked correctly. In this dish, the Tempeh is smoky with the usage of ingredients such as paprika, tamari, and maple syrup. The filling tempeh and rich sun dried tomato pesto are balanced nicely with the addition of arugula and avocado.
9. Blackberry Almond Butter Sandwich
Almond butter is one of my top foods ever and it's high in protein and "good fats" as well. This dish, if you couldn't tell, is a classic play on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and I'm all for it. The blackberry chia seed jam in this recipe is much lower in sugar than a normal store-bought jelly, and has a better texture as well.
10. Chipotle White Bean Salad Sandwich
White beans are another great example of a plant-based protein source and can be utilized a number of ways. This recipe features a white bean salad made by combining beans with soaked cashews in order to create a creamy texture. The sandwich is then layered with peppers, corn, avocado, vegan cheese, and arugula to create that rainbow effect.
11. Vegetarian Curry 'Chicken' Salad Sandwich
This recipe transform tofu into something you'd swear is actual chicken. The combination of Greek yogurt, curry powder, and raisins makes the tofu super flavorful. If you have any leftover sandwich filling, save the curried tofu and put it on a bed of greens for a hearty salad.
#SpoonTip If pita is not available to you for use, give some sprouted whole grainbread a try.
12.Egg, Avocado, and Pesto Bagel Sandwich
Just because this sandwich is on a bagel and includes eggs in it doesn't mean it's solely a breakfast dish. Eggs are a great source of protein for any meal, especially lunch. The layers of basil pesto, arugula, and avocado add a pop of color to the dish that most egg sandwiches traditionally lack.
13. Roasted Sweet Potato Sandwich
Sweet potato, apple, kale, pesto, blue cheese, and hearty bread come together perfectly in this recipe. Not only does this sandwich taste great, have vibrant colors, and varied texture, but it also fills you up and energizes you.
14. Cobb Salad Sandwich
This recipe has all of the traditional flavors of a Cobb salad, but sandwiched between two pieces of bread. There are still some ingredients such as mayonnaise, bacon, and white sourdough bread present, but those can easily be substituted or taken out altogether if preferred. Overall, the utilizationof turkey and hard-boiled eggs makes for a well rounded, protein-packed sandwich.
15. Greek Cucumber Subs
These cucumber "sub" sandwiches are absolutely adorable. The cucumbers look large here, but in reality, they're pretty small; it's what you sandwich between them that determines how much they'll fill you up! Utilizing hummus and turkey in this recipe is a great way of satisfying that needed protein for the day. It's so unique and inventive to reinvent the classic sandwich in this way. Everyone should definitely give the cucumber "sub" a try before saying no to veggies.
Sandwiches aren't your enemy. There are so many different protein-packed ingredients that can be paired with natural fats, whole grain breads, and bright vegetables in order to create a healthy sandwich that will increase satiety and will taste insanely good.
