Happy National Sandwich Day!

I have a confession.  I’m wasn’t a fan of sandwiches.  not like most people I think.  But I think in part that’s because I have had a dislike for bread.  Weird huh?  But then I figured it out.  It’s not bread I don’t like… it’s boring bread.

As a kid, my mom never bought white bread (THANK YOU!!!) but the wheat bread available … well, was so dense and boring that you probably could have built houses with it… As a kid, I obviously didn’t know that white bread wasn’t healthy for you, I just wanted that fluffy, soft bread that ALL my friends had.  (see, you really can blame almost anything on your mother if you try).

As I grew up and was able to buy my own groceries, I’ll admit that I did go out and buy a loaf of white bread… and… well, like most things we idolize in childhood, it did NOT live up to the hype.  So I went through a whole anti bread phase where I decided that I didn’t like bread.  Then I discovered that my choices were NOT limited to only wall-paper paste white bread and dense and boring wheat bread and a whole new world opened up for me.

 

One of the first breads I tried and love to this day is the Oroweat Health Nut bread.  First of all, it is soft and airy like I used to think “white bread” was but more than that, it has ACTUAL nuts baked right in. That’s right – Sunflower seeds and walnuts and GET THIS – NO HFCS!  yum-tastic…

Recently, in honor of National Sandwich day, I was given a loaf of one of the new Health-full breads that Arnold and Oroweat Breads offer – the Flax & Fiber and again I am hooked.  I’ve been hearing about the benefits of Flax seeds for a while now but have a hard time incorporating them into my diet.  Here’s an easy way!  I’m excited to try the other varieties of the Health-full line too – especially the Nutty Grain one.

I’ve also gotten a bit more… adventurous in the kinds of sandwiches I make.  Did you know you can actually eat a sandwich for every meal if you so choose???  Don’t believe me?

Breakfast

My all time favorite breakfast is a PB & Banana Sandwich with a glass of milk – simple, fast, and portable – everything I need in a breakfast

Looking for more substance?  How about an ham and egg sandwich with an over hard egg and some Canadian bacon? you could even add a bit of baby spinach and really balance out your breakfast.

How about a steak and egg sandwich? – thinly sliced steak leftovers topped with scrambled/fried egg and a bit of cheese…nom nom nom

Lunch

Ok, Lunch is kind of a gimme, right?  I mean people EXPECT you to take a sandwich if you are brown bagging it… but there is no reason at all to be boring or predictable.

Egg Salad – I love love LOVE egg salad first of all.  In fact, when I was pregnant with my youngest, that’s all I wanted to eat – Eggs… which may explain his love for them.  But egg salad doesn’t have to be boring either – add sprouts and avocado to your sandwhich and you have a plethora of textures and flavors.  Here’s another thought – instead of using mayo to make your egg salad, use that avocado that’s soft and ripe.  Use soft boiled eggs so the yolks are still a bit runny and I’d bet you don’t even miss the mayo.  (occassionally, if it’s still too dry, I’ll add a touch of mustard even)

Caprese sandwich? – Yes please – take the bread of your choice and add sliced tomatoes, mozarella cheese, FRESH basil leaves and for added substance, I include spinach.  YUM-tastic I say.

Leftovers also make great sandwiches – The other day, I went out to dinner with a friend because we were both in the mood for a steak.  Ordering a 12 oz steak means I have enough steak for 2 more meals.  A great way to re-purpose the leftovers into a new meal was to saute up some mushrooms and onions, add thinly sliced steak and mozerella and sandwich between two slices of bread.  hot or cold this sandwich is DELISH!  The same is true of many leftovers – think for example about:

  • turkey with cranberry
  • meatloaf sandwiches
  • Pork Roast with sliced apple
  • Barbecue chicken salad

Dinner

In a house with boys, I struggle sometimes to make sure that my growing guys are satisfied with their dinner.  Me, I’m perfectly content with a small salad most nights but the boys – not so much.  So to say we are having “sandwiches” for dinner… well, they better be substantial or I ‘d better plan on making a lot of them.
Pulled pork sandwiches – This is a favorite in our house because you can let the pork shoulder cook all day long in the crock-pot with onions and then put on bread with a side of cooked apples.
Grilled Ham and Cheese sandwiches are the perfect accompaniment to soup on a cold day.  Our favorite pairing is tomato soup yum!
Tuna Melt with fresh tomatoes and melted cheese don’t have to be greasy diner food – easy on the mayo with a dash of hot sauce takes an old favorite to a new level
So there you have it – a few old stand bys and a few new to try the next time you are in a rush to get dinner on the table.  Sandwiches can be a healthy, filling, quick and easy dinner and most of the time, are easy on the budget as well!
So what sandwiches are you going to enjoy on National Sandwich day?  Looking for more fantastic sandwich ideas?  Check out Arnold and Oroweat Bread on Facebook to see how others are celebrating!
disclaimer – As I mentioned, I was given a free loaf of Oroweat bread to celebrate NAtional Sandwich day but the opinions and thoughts are 100% my own.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Comments

  1. I love bread, and I will definitely love this bread because of the cute packaginhG!

  2. Jen@FoodFamilyFitness says

    I love bread, probably a little too much!!! I haven’t tried this brand, but the flax & fiber has my name all over it 🙂

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