Senior Health

12/27/2021 | By Heidi McIndoo, MS, RD, LDN

In writing for Environmental Nutrition, dietitian Heidi McIndoo looks at sandwich builders, those all-important holders for the fillings. Specifically, she suggests the best breads for sandwiches – what to look for in ensuring a healthy and nutritious sandwich.

Sandwiches make delicious and nutritious lunches and even on-the-go breakfasts and simple suppers. What you fill them with has a lot to do with how healthy the meal becomes, but the building blocks, or the outsides of your sandwich, impact that as well.

Sandwiches used to be some filling slapped between a couple of slices of white bread. Fortunately, the options have expanded greatly. Multiple choices of whole grain breads are available; gluten-free options are easier to find as well. In addition to a selection of buns to choose from, the shelves are also full of wraps, sandwich thins, and a variety of sizes and shapes of rolls.

No matter what type of sandwich outers you select, they’re similar enough to make comparing them quite easy. The most beneficial nutrient most breads can offer is fiber. Ideally, look for breads containing at least two grams of fiber per slice and rolls providing at least three grams per roll. The fiber found in breads is the soluble type. One of its nutritional benefits is binding with cholesterol and helping to remove it from the body, therefore lowering one’s risk of heart disease. That’s a pretty great benefit from just a simple sandwich.

Helpful hints for finding the best breads for sandwiches

Make it whole

To boost the nutrient quotient, look for breads listing whole grains at the beginning of the ingredients list.

Related: Light and lean pimento cheese recipe

Times two

Keep in mind when scanning the nutrition facts panel that most breads list information based on one slice. If you’re having a sandwich, you’ll need to double those quantities – or simply make half a sandwich.

Check the salt

One variable in breads can be sodium content. If you’re trying to limit sodium intake, be sure to check that when choosing the best rolls and breads for sandwiches.

Environmental Nutrition is the award-winning independent newsletter written by nutrition experts dedicated to providing readers up-to-date, accurate information about health and nutrition in clear, concise English. For more information, visit www.environmentalnutrition.com.

© 2021 Belvoir Media Group, LLC. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Heidi McIndoo, MS, RD, LDN

Food and nutrition expert Heidi McIndoo, MS, RD, LDN is an award-winning, registered dietitian. She has written for and been quoted in hundreds of publications and media outlets, including Environmental Nutrition. She began her love of food and cooking as a girl. Her early food allergies gave her an understanding of how challenging eating can be for some. In deciding to become a registered dietitian, she combined these two parts of her life to help others eat healthfully and manage personal eating issues while enjoying the food they ate.