Running for takeout isn’t usually a healthy way to eat lunch. Home lunches can be better, but sometimes they aren’t.
A sandwich of white bread and fatty, high-sodium cold cuts isn’t the best from a nutritional standpoint. Look for ways to combine lean protein, fresh vegetables and whole grains in tasty ways instead, like with this low-calorie, low-fat pita sandwich.
Start to Finish: 15 minutes • Servings: 1 • Difficulty Level: Easy
Ingredients
- 2 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, baked or grilled
- 2 tablespoons non-fat plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cumin, ground (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- ½ whole wheat pita, 6- or 6 ½-inch
- 3 tablespoons hummus
- 1 leaf Boston or Bibb lettuce
- 2 slices tomato
- 3 slices cucumber
Directions
- Dice the chicken breast and mix it with the plain yogurt, seasonings and chopped parsley.
- Open the half-pita, making a pocket, and spread the inside with hummus.
- Press the lettuce leaf into the hummus on one side. Top it with two slices of tomato and three slices of cucumber, then spoon in the chicken salad.
- Wrap the pita sandwich in wax paper or seal it in an airtight reusable container.
- Keep your lunch food safe — put it in the break-room refrigerator as soon as you get to work. If you don’t have access to a fridge, use an insulated lunch bag for your “brown bag” with a frozen gel pack tucked inside.
Rounding Out the Picture
Even the best sandwiches can leave you unsatisfied if that’s all you’re eating. Round out your sandwich with a few healthy extras. Try a small salad of quinoa or bulgur wheat with fresh herbs and vegetables. Finish with a piece of fruit and a handful of unsalted almonds or walnuts in place of salty snacks or sugary desserts.
Some Variations
You can tweak your basic sandwich to meet your personal tastes. It’s just as good with dill, cilantro or chopped chives in place of the parsley. Try roasted red peppers or grilled zucchini in place of the tomatoes and cucumbers, or turkey or fish in place of the chicken. Each gives the sandwich a slightly different character.
Nutritional Data
- Calories: 188
- Total Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 47 mg
- Sodium: 920 mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Dietary Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 20 g
By Fred Decker
Fred Decker is a trained chef and certified food-safety trainer. Decker wrote for the Saint John, New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal, and has been published in Canada’s Hospitality and Foodservice magazine. He’s held positions selling computers, insurance and mutual funds, and was educated at Memorial University of Newfoundland and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.
Source:
U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service: Keeping ‘Bag’ Lunches Safe
Photo Credit:
Pamela Follett/Demand Media
Reviewed by:
Amy Magill, MA, RD, LDN on June 12, 2015.
