Delicious Sandwiches Without the Guilt

ByABC News via logo
June 11, 2002, 5:57 PM

— -- Sandwiches like the Reuben, the Dagwood and the Philly cheesesteak are staples of a guy diet. After all, what goes better with a cold beer and the baseball game?

But these machismo-laden meals don't come cheap. Consider those sandwich favorites to be are pit stops on the road to a beer belly or worse, obesity.

Even single-decker sandwiches can pack as much as 25 grams of fat, accounting for 50 percent of their total calories. It's not the cold cuts that make a sandwich fatty. It's the cheeses, sauces, and bacon strips that often get added to these lean meats.

As Good Morning America continues its Summer Weight Loss Challenge through a partnership with Men's Health magazine we took a look at how to make classic sandwiches healthy by adding flavorful, and healthy, ingredients.

Many of the recipes call for reduced-fat cheeses, fat-free mayonnaise or mustard, and whole-grain bread. To help meet about 20 percent to 25 percent of your daily fiber requirement, you should choose bread that contains 3 to 5 grams of fiber per serving and lists "whole wheat flour" as the first ingredient.

Spicy Philly Cheesesteak

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, sliced 1 small red bell pepper, sliced 1 small green bell pepper, sliced 2/3 cup medium or hot salsa 4 multi-grain hoagie buns 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Cook the onion and bell peppers in a nonstick skillet until tender.

2. Add the salsa and heat until warm.

3. Construct the sandwiches with the buns, roast beef, onion, peppers and cheese, then warm them in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes on high, or until the cheese starts to melt.

Makes 4 sandwiches(Per sandwich, 353 calories, 26 grams protein, 44 grams carbohydrates, 7 g total fat, 3 grams fiber.)

Turkey BLT Wrap

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. fat-free mayonnaise 1 flour tortilla 3 slices turkey bacon, cooked 3 ounces roast turkey breast, diced 2 slices tomato 2 leaves lettuce