Sandwiches that you get in the supermarket are not exactly the healthiest choices.
There are around 600 calories in some Pret-a-Manger baguettes – and many lunchtime favorites are also packed with additives and preservatives that can have a disastrous effect on the gut.
In the age of wellness influencers, it’s no surprise that more and more Brits are ditching the supermarket sandwich and instead opting to make their own.
Recent polling shows that around two-thirds of British adults are making a conscious effort to eat out less as a result of the rise cost of living.
Around half of all working Brits take a packed lunch to work and according to surveys the sandwich remains the most popular choice.
But making your own sandwich is not necessarily the healthier option. As a nutritionist, I often see clients who don’t know A heavy dose of butter and mayonnaise adds an extra 200 calories, and the two lettuce leaves they added for a dose of ‘vegetables’ are pretty much pointless.
A serving of vegetables must weigh at least 80 grams to count towards your five-a-day.
So, what should you put on your sandwich? Here, me compare seven of Britain’s favorite fillings and reveal the best – and worst – of the bunch.
About six in ten Brits say they prepare food at home more often than a year ago
Cheese and pickle
Per filling, excluding bread and extra spreads: 198 calories, 8.7 g saturated fat, 6.4 g sugars, 10.3 g protein, 0.4 g fiber and 1 g salt.
The great British favorite has an impressively high protein content for such simple ingredients.
One sandwich provides at least a third of your daily needs to feel full and keep your muscles strong.
You also get about 300 mg of calcium; More than 40 percent of the 700 mg adults need healthy bones and teeth every day.
However, the cons almost outweigh the positives. First, there are almost 9 grams of saturated fat, which is close to half of a woman’s recommended daily maximum.
Meanwhile, a dollop of pickle adds a teaspoon and a half of sugar, as well as a fifth of your daily salt limit of 6 grams. By the time you’ve added two slices of bread, you’ll have eaten almost a quarter.
Bread also adds about 200-250 calories and about 3-7 grams of fiber, depending on the type. You get virtually no extra fiber from the filling here, which is bad news for digestion.
Verdict: 2/5
Tuna, sweetcorn and mayonnaise
Per filling with half a can of tuna, 1 tbsp full-fat mayonnaise and heaped tablespoon of sweet corn: 197 calories, 1.3 g saturated fat, 2.4 g sugar, 15.9 g protein, 0.9 g fiber and 0.62 g salt.
There is quite a bit more filling protein here than the cheese sandwich and minimal sugar and saturated fat, but again very little fiber.
The sweet corn doesn’t count toward your five a day unless you use two and a half heaped tablespoons, which could make for a very heavy sweet corn sandwich.
It’s also worth keeping in mind that tuna is not a good source of omega-3 – the fatty acids that promote brain and heart health.
Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Marks and Spencer are now selling ‘deluxe’ sandwiches for over £4, but the supermarket options often contain more fat, calories and salt than the DIY versions
As of 2018, neither canned nor fresh tuna is classified as oily fish in Britain. A reanalysis of the fatty acid profile showed that tuna is actually much closer to white fish than salmon or mackerel.
Swapping half the mayonnaise for Greek yogurt would increase the protein content and reduce about 40 calories.
Verdict: 4/5
Ham and mustard
Per filling including three slices of ham and 1 tsp English mustard: 64 calories, 0.4 g saturated fat, 1.2 g sugars, 10.9 g protein, 0.2 g fiber and 1.16 g salt.
With only 64 calories, this is by far the lightest in our range. So for those who are on a weight loss diet or have suppressed appetite due to weight loss injections, this can be a good choice.
Although it contains virtually no saturated fat or sugar, the salt content is high – slightly more than in the cheese and pickle sandwich.
There’s also almost half the protein in the chicken sandwich, which means it might not be the most satisfying.
Although ham is classified as a processed meat – which we should limit to 70 grams per day – studies suggest it has a much lower risk of cancer than other processed meats, such as bacon, because it is cooked rather than fried.
Verdict: 2.5/5
Chicken salad
Per filling, based on 60 g cooked skinless chicken breast, lettuce and tomato: 93 calories, 0.4 g saturated fat, 0.7 g sugars, 19.5 g protein, 0.4 g fiber and 0.09 g salt.
Provided you use leftover roast meat or plain cooked brisket instead of processed deli meat, chicken makes a healthy, protein-rich filling.
Here you get almost 20 grams of protein for less than 100 calories, with very little saturated fat and no added salt. It also contains useful B vitamins.
However, the usual handful of salad added to your chicken sandwich contains only about half a gram of fiber.
Most people will want to add mayonnaise. And you can, but I would limit it to a teaspoon or less (and preferably a low-fat variety) to keep the calories from piling up.
A chicken salad sandwich is one of the nutritionally sound choices, says nutritionist
Alternatively, mAsh about a third of an avocado directly on the bread to keep the chicken moist and eliminate the need for butter or mayonnaise. Then place a slightly more generous handful of lettuce and tomato on top.
Together, the avocado and salad well exceed the 80 gram threshold to count as a full serving of 5 per day, while adding extra fiber.
Verdict: 4/5
Hummus and grated carrot
Per filling, including 3 tablespoons hummus and 30 g carrot: 147 calories, 1 g saturated fat, 1.9 g sugar, 4.3 g protein, 3.8 g fiber and 0.45 g salt.
This vegetable filling provides the highest fiber content in our range.
Between two slices of whole wheat bread you get almost 10 grams of fiber – about a third of your daily target value of 30 grams. This high fiber content, combined with chickpeas’ slow-release carbohydrates, nourishes a healthy gut microbiome and provides gradual energy release for more stable blood sugar levels.
The combined hummus and carrot also easily count as one of your five a day, with the carrot providing beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A, to support normal immune function and healthy skin.
The fat in hummus consists almost exclusively of heart-healthy unsaturated fat. The only drawback is the proteins: at 4.3 grams, a hummus-carrot filling is not the protein powerhouse that chicken or tuna is.
To make it more filling, stir a tablespoon of pumpkin seeds into the hummus. They add crunch, minerals like iron and zinc, and increase the protein by about 3 to 4 grams.
Verdict: 4/5
Egg mayonnaise and cress
Per filling including one large boiled egg, 1 tbsp full-fat mayonnaise and handful of watercress: 188 calories, 2.4 g saturated fat, 0.3 g sugars, 8.1 g protein, 0.2 g fiber and 0.40 g salt.
When served on whole-wheat bread, an egg-mayo sandwich provides about 17.5 grams of protein.
That’s not as much as the chicken or tuna options, but e.gggs are also one of the few natural dietary sources of vitamin D, with this filling providing approximately 1.8 mcg.
It is low in fat, which is a plus, but the lack of fiber is a disadvantage. If calories are your main concern, swap it for a reduced-fat version.
Verdict: 3.5/5
Smoked salmon and cream cheese
Per filling including approximately three slices of smoked salmon and two tablespoons of full-fat soft cheese: 161 calories, 5.1 g saturated fat, 1.3 g sugar, 13.4 g protein, 0.0 g fiber and 2.1 g salt.
The most important detail to note is the whopping large serving of salt: a third of your daily limit before adding bread. Although the salt content in smoked salmon can vary greatly from brand to brand, it’s worth checking the label.
Soft cheese contributes most of the 5.1 grams of saturated fat – the second highest fat content of all sandwiches analyzed, and without the high calcium content you get from cheddar.
But there’s a decent amount of high-quality protein in there, in addition to more than your daily recommendation of long-chain omega-3 fats, which are vital for heart, brain and eye health.
You can replace the soft cheese with tzatziki to reduce the saturated fat by about half and cut off about 30 calories.
Verdict: 2/5
