Have you had a sandwich recently? They can be one of the finest, healthy meals and the beauty of the sandwich meal is that it is quick and easy to prepare. Although a sandwich meal is very often a solitary affair, it can be a real treat as you can put in it whatever you like. And it can also be very low in calories.
A good home made sandwich has a balance of dryness and moisture. Butter is added partly for taste, but also to insulate the bread from the juices of fruit, such as tomatoes, to prevent it from going soggy. So if you have, for example, a cheese, salad and herbs sandwich, and you are going to eat it within the next few hours, then there is no need to add butter or mayonnaise. Some people pass on the butter and use margarine, but here’s the truth. Margarine is completely man-made and has no nutritional benefits. Butter is natural, contains vitamin E, and has anti-cancer properties. Margarine contains no cholesterol, whilst butter contains 12 grams per tablespoon, so it must be used very sparingly.
Try adding mashed avocado to give your sandwich moisture. It is great for your heart, is packed with vitamin C, and is cholesterol-free. Try mustard or horseradish sauce instead of mayonnaise, or spice it up with salsa instead of butter. When it comes to lettuce, go dark. The darker the leaves, the more vitamins and minerals they contain.
Recipe of the Week
Warm Potato Salad with Italian Dressing
Serves 6
Ingredients
680 g small red potatoes, scrubbed
180 ml light Italian dressing
5 shallots, finely sliced
5g parsley, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 tsp. salt optional, or to taste
Method
Boil whole potatoes in salted water 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse potatoes under cold water until just cool enough to handle. Drain again. Cut potatoes into 1.5-cm pieces and place in a salad bowl. Add remaining ingredients and pepper to taste to potatoes. Toss lightly.
Weight Watch
Don’t Skip Breakfast
Do you think that if you eat breakfast you’ll be tempted to go on a binge the rest of the day? If you eat mostly simple carbohydrates like sweetened cereals, doughnuts, pancakes, and the like, then you might just find yourself getting hungry soon after breakfast. These heavy carbohydrate foods are non-filling and exit your system quickly. However, if you choose foods high in fiber - but also containing some protein or a bit of fat, you
will probably be better satisfied and less likely to be tempted to binge.
Ask Alva
I love to read your SlimLines in Review. I am a 23 year old unmarried girl. My arms are bigger than my body and I have a belly also. I feel very bad about my weight. My height is 5’4” and I weigh 70 kgs. I go walking in the evening for 1 hour. My diet is boiled vegetables, raita, and salad and sometimes fried items. Please advise me what type of diet I should follow and what physical exercise I have to do. I want to lose 20 kgs. Is it possible to do this in 6 months?
From what you tell me, I can see that you could healthily reduce by at least 6 – 8 kilos. It is good that you go walking every evening; this is simple, free, and though the oldest form of exercise, it remains one of the best. 4,000 steps a day at a brisk pace is the minimum you should be taking to have a positive impact on your health. 10,000 steps per day would make you fit and contribute to weight loss. You can measure your steps by buying a pedometer and attaching it to your belt. But bear in mind that when you exercise, your body only goes into fat-burning mode after the first 20 minutes.
You should concentrate on eating three balanced meals each day and if you email me [email protected] I will send you my healthy eating guide. I would suggest that you cut out fried food, and bake, broil or poach instead. Your healthy body weight falls within the range of 55 — 64 kilos and I would suggest that your ultimate aim should be to reduce to around 62 kilos — that would be a good, gradual and healthy weight loss over 6 months. Alva
For all your weight concerns and questions e-mail Alva Carpenter at:
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