Simple, Healthy Snacks and Sandwiches

(Family Features) Quick and easy meals can be hard to come by, especially ones that don’t sacrifice flavor. You don’t have to eat bland foods to provide your family a healthy and hearty, nutrient-filled diet. During National Nutrition Month, it’s the perfect time to refresh your routine with some creative and convenient options that can serve as the starting point for an on-the-go snack or a full-blown meal.

Sandwiches, like this recipe for a BALCMT Sandwich, can be one of the easiest ways to incorporate grains, which deliver shortfall nutrients like dietary fiber, iron and folate into your diet. Research from the Grain Foods Foundation shows about 95 percent of Americans do not meet dietary fiber intake recommendations. Whole grain foods, like bread, buns, rolls, pita and tortillas, can help supply your dietary fiber needs and aid in maintaining a healthy weight and lower cholesterol.

Additionally, enriched grains can play a key role in metabolism by helping the body release energy from protein, fat and carbohydrates, and are also essential for a healthy nervous system, productivity and cognitive development. The vitamins and minerals in enriched grains like folic acid are also critical for reducing the incidence of some birth defects while also promoting cell function and tissue growth.

Some healthier ways to build a snack include using leaner meats and lower sodium cheeses for a sandwich or adding more vegetables to your overall snacking habits. Another nutritious option, Baked Pita Crisps accompanied by Southwest Bean Dip, can help you curb hunger without blowing past your daily calorie count.

Find more recipes and tips for quick and flavorful meals at grainfoodsfoundation.org.

BALCMT Sandwich

Servings 1

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

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Ingredients

  

• Chipotle-Mayonnaise Sauce:
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 tablespoon adobo sauce
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• salt to taste
• fresh ground pepper to taste
• 2 slices bread toasted
• 1-2 leaves lettuce
• 4 slices tomato
• 1/2 avocado thickly sliced
• 4 slices maple bacon fried

Instructions

 

• To make Chipotle-Mayonnaise Sauce: In small bowl, mix mayonnaise, adobo sauce and lime juice. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• Add layer of sauce to slice of bread and top with lettuce, tomato, avocado, bacon and second slice of bread.

Notes

Recipe courtesy of Franz Bakery on behalf of the Grain Foods Foundation

Keyword: healthy

Source: Grain Foods Foundation