Brits eat 11.5 billion sandwiches a year – if you laid each one end to end, they would go around the world 44 times – but two slices of white bread contains around 200 calories and very little nutrients.
All is not lost, however, because if you’re on a diet and thought your days of tucking into a lunchtime sandwich were behind you, think again; DW Fitness have come up with five ideas to suit the most popular diets.
A Vegan diet means no animal products at all, including butter, eggs and dairy.
Bread is normally vegan, except products like brioche which may contain eggs.
If you’re on a vegan diet, you may struggle to get enough Vitamin B12 which is only found naturally in animal products.
A Vitamin B12 deficiency can result in anaemia and even depression.
To supplement your Vitamin B12 intake, Marmite is a great choice, topped with bananas, which are full of Vitamin B6 that helps with brain development and function.
The Dopamine Diet, popularised by celebrity chef Tom Kerridge, focuses on stress-busting ingredients to put a smile on your face.
Wholewheat bread is rich in tryptophan, an amino acid that converts to serotonin in the brain.
Fill with Tuna, as its high Omega 3 content also helps to trigger the production of serotonin.
The Paleo, or ‘Caveman’ diet, consists of a high-protein, low-carb mix, mimicking the natural diet our ancestors had.
If you can’t hunt or gather it, you can’t eat it. That means no pasta, cereal or bread.
You’ll have to be creative with this one, so swap bread for sweet potato buns:
Fill with scrambled egg, spinach and bacon for a protein-packed lunch.
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye.
Going gluten-free is recommended for treatment of coeliac disease.
There are now many gluten-free breads on the market but, for a more interesting alternative, try using grilled portobello mushrooms as your slices.
Fill with melted cheese and chicken for a hunger-busting lunch.
The raw food diet is based on the principle that heating food destroys the essential nutrients and enzymes that aid digestion.
Anything processed can’t be eaten, so bread is most definitely out.
Make your own wraps using rice paper rolls, fill with lettuce, avocado and red cabbage for a colourful and super healthy raw food wrap.
What about spreads?
While the obvious choice would be to opt for one of the many popular low-fat spreads on the market, they may not be as healthy as you first thought.
Although low-fat alternatives to butter can help to lower cholesterol, studies have shown that using butter is no worse when it comes to combating heart disease and strokes.
Carly Yue, personal trainer and nutritionist at DW Fitness Clubs says: “We ultimately use spreads to add moisture – so why not try homemade guacamole, hummus or Greek yoghurt instead? All much healthier options.”