Veggie Sandwich: Cuttin’ It Thin

A sandwich like this could be laden with fat, but there are a few things you can do to change that. First, slice the bread thin--though many breads contain no fat, some sun-dried tomato breads are made with olive oil. Then skip any butter and instead make a zesty garlic spread with low-fat mayonnaise. Use only a few slices of avocado, which is high in fat, per sandwich. And make the filling a mix of fresh vegetables for a variety of flavors and textures.

You’ll wind up with a sandwich that’s light and substantial.

It’s fun to experiment with different sandwich breads, because good, fresh bread can make all the difference. I especially like the sun-dried tomato bread made in the bakery of my local Pavilions grocery store.

Fresh Veggie and Tomato Bread Sandwich

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 20 minutes * Vegetarian

1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 clove garlic, minced

Freshly ground pepper

8 thin slices sun-dried tomato bread

1 avocado

2 cups thinly sliced fennel

1 cup shredded carrots

Paper thin slices red onion

16 thin slices cucumber

Salt

Combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper. Lightly spread the garlic mayonnaise on one side of each slice of bread.

Cut the avocado in half. Remove the pit and peel. Cut each half in two lengthwise. Slice one quarter of the avocado onto each of 4 bread slices, using a fork to mash it.

Top the avocado with the fennel, carrots, red onion and cucumber slices, dividing the ingredients evenly among the sandwiches. Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with the remaining bread slices. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve.

4 sandwiches. Each sandwich: 191 calories; 324 mg sodium; 9 mg cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 28 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 5.07 grams fiber.