How healthy are your favourite sandwich fillings? (2024)

Whether it’s tuna sweetcorn, a BLT or a Ploughman’s, the humble sandwich is a lunchtime staple. Yet, they’re not all created equal when it comes to nutrition. Find out more about your favourite fillings before you decide what to put between the slices of bread.

Red meat

Red meat provides us with essential amino acids, protein and micronutrients like zinc, iron and B12. However, it contains a lot of saturated fat which is linked to a rise in non-HDL (‘bad’) cholesterol – a risk factor for heart and circulatory disease. Red meat is often processed with salt and preservatives added to it.

Too much salt is linked to raised blood pressure and too much red and processed meat is linked to a higher risk of bowel cancer as well. That’s why it’s recommended that we eat no more than 70g of red meat per day.

This doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a bacon bap or sausage sandwich on occasion but there are some ways you can make it healthier. You can cut any extra fat off your meat before cooking it, grill instead of fry (so more fat runs off), use less oil when cooking and eat less processed red meats like sausages and beef burgers.

You should also think about your sauce selection. Although ketchup and brown sauce are popular choices, they can be high in sugar and salt. Own-brand versions tend to be lower but if you prefer a branded version, go for the reduced or no added sugar and salt version of these sauces.

If you want a meat-free meal that feels a bit like breakfast, try egg and tomato wraps or some grilled tomato and mushrooms on wholemeal toast.

White meat

White meat is lower in fat than red meat, especially the breast. So, there's no recommended limit on how much you can eat, as long as it’s part of a balanced diet overall. Turkey is a leaner option than chicken and both are packed with protein. Protein is important because it breaks down into amino acids that help your body grow and repair.

Be wary of chicken’s favourite companion condiment: mayonnaise. Did you know a tablespoon (15g) serving of mayonnaise can contain around 100 calories and 11g of fat? However, mayonnaise is lower in saturated fat than butter because its main ingredient is unsaturated oils, such as rapeseed, sunflower or olive oil.

Switching to a light version of mayo can help lower the calories it adds to your foods. You can also use reduced fat or homemade hummus as an alternative which will also be lower in calories as well as adding some fibre and protein.

A chicken salad sandwich is a popular choice you can go for, especially if you add a lot of tomato, cucumber, lettuce and other vegetables you like. You could branch out and make Thai sweet chilli chicken wraps or swap out the bread for southern chicken with grilled pepper mayo or jerk chicken sweetcorn salsa salad.

Fish

Both white and oily fish are a great source of protein and contain lots of different vitamins and minerals. Oily fish (like salmon, trout and sardines) are a source of omega-3, which can help keep your heart healthy. That’s why it’s recommended you eat two portions of fish a week, one of which should be oily.

Whenever you're making a sandwich at home, opt for wholegrain bread and add salad on the side

If you fancy a sandwich with white fish that isn't oily (like cod, plaice and tuna), you could try tuna which pairs well with sweetcorn, as well as onion and celery for an extra hit of veg. For a healthier twist on a classic, make our jumbo fish finger wrap. Or, if you want an oily fish and even healthier option, go for a salmon and honey-roast beetroot salad.

Whenever you’re making a sandwich at home, try wholegrain bread (look for the one that is lowest in salt per 100g) and have some extra salad on the side. Wraps are sometimes claimed as a healthier choice than other breads but unless they’re wholegrain, there’s little difference.

Meat-free alternatives

Meat-free diets continue to grow in popularity and so do the choices for your lunch. Even if you don’t want to stop eating meat, we’re all encouraged to sometimes swap animal proteins for plant proteins like chickpeas, beans and pulses. These plant proteins are high in protein, fibre and iron.

Although meat-replacements based on plant proteins can look like a healthier alternative to meat, they’re often highly processed and come with added saturated fat and salt. Just like you would with any meat, check the labels before buying as a healthy alternative.

A popular choice for a meat-free lunchtime is falafel and hummus. Eaten as part of a salad or stuffed into a wrap, this combination is packed with plant-based protein and fibre. A higher intake of fibre is linked with a lower risk of heart and circulatory disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. Make this cucumber and yoghurt dip, and swap out the beef koftas forfalafel,or pair the falafel withbulgur wheat salad and broccoli.

Eggs

Eggs are a good source of protein and contain a range of vitamins. You might be wary about egg sandwiches if you have raised cholesterol but the cholesterol in egg yolks isn't really the problem. The issue is more to do with the amount of saturated fat we eat, so there isn’t a restriction on how many eggs we should eat as part of a balanced diet.

When it comes to lowering your cholesterol, it's more important to lower and switch saturated fats for unsaturated fats. So, take care with what else you add to your egg sandwich. Use an unsaturated spread instead of butter and limit the amount of mayonnaise you add.

The egg and cress sandwich is a favourite but you won’t get much nutrition from such a small amount of cress. If you make this classic sandwich, add some salad, cherry tomatoes or vegetable sticks on the side, like in this egg and tomato wrap.

Poaching or boiling are the healthiest ways of cooking eggs because they avoid frying in oil. Instead of bread, why not try baking eggs with mushrooms or making Spanish-style lentils with eggs?

Cheese

There’s hardly a more famous ingredient than cheese when it comes to a sandwich, is there? However, the popular cheddar cheese is high in saturated fat and salt. Eating too much saturated fat is linked to high cholesterol and too much salt can lead to high blood pressure, both of which increase your risk of heart and circulatory disease.

That said, cheese is a nutritious source of protein and calcium, so you don’t need to exclude it. Just be mindful about how often you eat it and the size of your portion. Around three portions of dairy foods each day should be enough for us to get enough calcium in your diet. As well as low fat milk and yoghurt, you can include cheese.

As a rough guide, a portion should be about 30g (the size of a small matchbox). Calcium can also be found in other, non-dairy foods including calcium-fortified soya milk and tinned fish where you eat the bones such as sardines and pilchards.

If you love a cheese sandwich, make it heart-healthier by choosing reduced-fat cheddar or a healthier cheese that is lower in saturated fat and salt. If you want cheese as part of a hot lunch, try making a healthy macaroni cheese or cauliflower cheese.

Your favourite sandwiches can always be made healthier at home because you get to decide on the portion size, ingredients and limit the extras like sauce. You also get to add plenty of salad in and on the side of the sandwich.

If you get the time to make your lunch today, why not try our recipe finder? From soup to salad, pasta and pitta pockets, we’ve got delicious and heart healthy food for you to enjoy.

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Published July 2023