When today’s special is a sandwich

In these times of working from home, today’s lunch often becomes a sandwich. It may sound meager to some ears, but the fact is that a well-composed sandwich is not just easy to make. It can also be just as good, full, nutritious, and healthy as any meal. A good lunch should not only satisfy the hunger for the moment. It also gives you a moment of pleasant recovery, enjoyment for the taste buds, and new energy to last all afternoon. But can you really get all that from a sandwich? The answer depends on what we put into the concept. A few toasted slices of white bread with jam or an equally white bun with a dutiful salad leaf and a piece of cheese will raise your blood sugar for the moment. But after just an hour, you will probably be even more tired than just before lunch. That’s when the sugar cravings come. And if you are close to the refrigerator, the bad habit can quickly be established. No, in my world, a perfect lunch sandwich can – and should – be composed in a completely different way. Here are some tips based on many years of research on foods that can keep blood sugar levels steady and help us stay healthy. 

The starting point is bread with lots of whole grains—preferably a real sourdough bread (recognizable by a distinctive sour taste). On the sandwich, you can then combine cuts based on five different groups. 

1. Antioxidant- and fiber-rich vegetables – for example, tomatoes, grated red cabbage and fennel, grated roots, kale, pomegranate, sliced ​​onions, and sprouts. 

2. Snacks with healthy fats – mackerel, sardines, salmon, and fish rum with a high content of omega-3. Mashed avocado, homemade nut butter, sunflower-,  pumpkin-, chia- and other seeds provide excellent doses of good vegetable fats. 

3. Acidic products slow down digestion. Try sauerkraut, pickled vegetables, and why not a potato salad with a sour dressing. 

4. Skip the sweetened drinks. Drink plenty of water with your food. Instead of juice – eat the whole fruit. Then you get in you all the benefits of the fruit and a much lower concentration of sugar. 

Of course, not every sandwich can carry all of these ingredients. But if you see the list as a starting point and combine, say, two of the groups each time, then your sandwich will be an excellent alternative to any lunch in town. Good luck – and bon appetit!