Calories Stack Up Quickly
Simple Changes Keep Sandwiches Tasty and Healthy.
Fresh baked bread, imported meats, house-made spreads...what’s not to love about an artisan sandwich? Well, the calorie count may be an issue to some people. With New Years and resolutions just around the corner it’s not a bad idea to start thinking about ways to cut calories for those diners on a weight-loss mission. Sandwiches provide an easy platform to make simple changes that will lower their fat and calorie contents. Here are some ideas to help get started:
Wrap it Up: Bread is big, it’s delicious, but it is a lot of food, and it ends up contributing a lot of calories to your sandwiches. Try substituting with a low fat whole wheat tortilla to cut back on carbs and calories.
FACT: A Standard Dutch Crunch Sandwich roll has about 285 calories and 51g of carbohydrates. A large whole wheat, low-carb flour tortilla has 80 calories and 15g of carbohydrates.
Top it Off: Another way to cut back on bread calories is to cut out the top slice and replace it with a big piece of crisp lettuce. This way diners are still getting some of the fresh-baked goodness, just not all of it. Replace both slices to make a very low carb/gluten free option.
FACT: A small piece of foccacia bread contains about 180 calories, and 5g of fat. Only using half of that limits the calories from the bread under 100.
Bring on the Veggies: Nothing beats vegetables nutritionally; they are packed with nutrients and fiber and barely contain any calories. Make sure that you make good and generous use of fresh veggies to provide filling, color, and flavor to your sandwiches. Think fresh sprouts, colorful lettuce mixes, bell peppers, heirloom tomatoes…they sky is the limit. And why stop at veggies? Try throwing some apple or pineapple slices in the mix.
FACT: An entire pound of romaine lettuce only contains 77 calories and 15g of carbohydrates.
Spread Litely: Mayo-based spreads are quick way to add tons of extra fat and calories to our favorite sandwiches. Try utilizing low-fat mayonnaise or mix in plain yogurt to supplement your spreads instead of extra-heavy mayo. Use garlic, herbs, hot sauce, and other flavors to give old-fashioned mayo a kick and make your flavors really pop. Also consider using jellies/chutneys layered with a thin spread of light cream cheese to bring a touch of sweet-savory flavoring while limiting fat.
FACT: Just one tablespoon of regular mayonnaise contains 103 calories and 11g of fat. One tablespoon of reduced-calorie mayonnaise contains 48 calories and 5g
of fat.
Empower the People: Build-your-Own is hot in fast-casual dining. From burgers to salads, people want choices. I’m not saying make a Subway-like sublime, but offer nutrition facts for individual breads, meats, and toppings so that diners can make their own choices and create combinations to match their exact tastes and dietary needs.
Melt Sparingly: Let’s face it – we all love melted cheese over a toasted sandwich, but that meltly gooey goodness comes at a caloric cost. To cut back on the amount of cheese used try grating it finely and sprinkling over the sandwich instead of using slices. This will allow you to cover the same area using less cheese.
FACT: One, one-ounce slice of cheese contains 114 calories and 9g of fat. The same surface area can be covered with two tablespoons of melted shredded cheese, cutting the fat and calorie counts by half.
Spice Up Lean Meats: We all love salted pig parts (salami, prosciutto, coppa…etc), but they sure do contribute a lot of fat and calories to specialty sandwiches. You may think that leaner cuts like turkey and chicken are boring, but try spicing them up with your custom spreads and toppings. Also try marinating or dry rubbing these white meats to take them to the artisan level.
FACT: 2 oz of salami has 190 calories and 15g of fat, while 2 oz of roasted turkey breast contains 59 calories and 1g of fat.
These are just a few ways operators can help create healthier artisan sandwiches while still maintaining taste and quality. Health and wellness are on the minds of more diners than ever, and as an industry we are always looking to please. | ALYSON MAR, RD, DIRECTOR OF NUTRITION, FOODCALC