Salad in a Sandwich

I've been bringing my lunch to work nearly every day since roughly October 2007. It's helped to save money - first and foremost - but it's also helped me control what I'm eating during the day.

In the months since I started seeing M, (my RD - who I now see 2x a month) on average I bring salad 2-3x a week.

I am not a salad person. At all. Quite the opposite. Before I started to see her the most lettuce I'd get would be on my burger.

Now there really are times I crave something green.

But c'mon. Not as many times as I crave a burger.

Today's lunch was sort of a compromise. I wanted to get some veggies in - but didn't want a salad.

Sandwiches are easy to make - but many times we just grab some bread, get some cold cuts, smear some mustard and go. It doesn't have to be that way. One of the best ways I've heard it explained was in Gourmet Magazine re: Tom Colicchio's 'wichcraft Cookbook (which I also own).

"Ask yourself,” Colicchio writes. “Why is a sandwich made from Thanksgiving leftovers so good? Because everything in it was originally crafted for a great meal. The turkey is roasted for the table …. The gravy, the cranberries—it’s all made from real food, and nothing is ‘filler.’

This is exactly how I've been trying to make my own sandwiches lately. I haven't gotten around to baking my own bread yet - but I roast my own tomatoes (I like them much better than raw) and roast chicken every week to add to salads or sandwiches.

I've found it really makes a huge difference.

I thought today's lunch was perfect. All the crunch of a salad in a sandwich.

Today's ingredients:

1 Whole Grain White Arnold Sandwich Thin
3 oz roasted chicken breast
1 wedge Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb
1 half small red bell pepper
4 leaves of spinach
3 or 4 oven roasted grape tomatoes*

on the side: Baked Lays & a Diet Coke. (I know. It's bad for me - but it's the bane of my existence.)

I don't count calories but I do try to closely watch portion size. I'm estimating the calories here though in case you do. :)

Approx calories: 575

*slice grape tomatoes in half, drizzle w/olive oil, salt & pepper on a parchment lined baking sheet. Add 2-3 cloves of garlic (in skin) and bake for 2-3 hours at 200 degrees. Store in fridge in an airtight container.