The sandwich is a staple of the American diet. With its convenience and many different ingredient possibilities, the sandwich’s popularity is well justified. However, for those people who are gluten intolerant, including people with celiac disease, eating a sandwich can cause difficulties. Gluten-free bread is very costly and usually has many more calories than regular bread. There are some just as convenient and flavor flexible sandwich options for those who can either not tolerate gluten or want some variety in their lunch.
Sandwich Rolls Cut Calories
While many bread substitute options contain gluten, corn tortillas do not. Corn tortillas are great for those looking to save money. They often come in large packs of either 30 or 50 and are very cost efficient, usually costing less than one loaf of bread. With so many corn tortillas for the same cost as a loaf of bread, a sandwich roll would cost about half of a regular sandwich.
Corn tortillas are also fewer calories, so they’re great for those looking to cut out extra calories. Two corn tortillas can be anywhere from 130 to 150 calories, while two regular slices of bread are around 200 and two gluten-free slices are around 300 calories.
To make a sandwich roll with a corn tortilla, just add the sandwich ingredients between two corn tortillas. To further cut calories, add high calorie items like cheese and mayonnaise in one vertical strip instead of around the whole sandwich. When it’s rolled, some of that ingredient will still be in every bite. Store the rolled sandwich in wrapped foil help it retain its shape or store it flat and roll right before eating.
Gluten-Free Sandwich Salad
Expand the sandwich flavor into a salad. Making a sandwich into a salad can cut out the most troublesome ingredient, bread, altogether.
To make a sandwich salad, roll any sandwich meat with some cheese and cut cross sections to form spirals. Add this to lettuce, spinach, or a combination of each. Sprinkle any other ingredients that would typically be in a sandwich like bell peppers, onions, or tomato. Then add a sandwich-inspired dressing like honey mustard, tomato vinaigrette, or a simple dab of reduced fat or fat free mayonnaise.
Sandwich Skewers Make Lunch Fun
A sandwich is convenient mainly because it can be eaten by hand. A sandwich skewer maintains that convenience while also eliminating the need for bread. This option is great for replacing the leftovers sandwich. Cut the meat into cubes and put them on the skewer along with cheese cubes and vegetable pieces. It can even be topped off with sandwich condiments. This option works well for lunch boxes because it’s hands-free and children can play with their food!
Sometimes people who are gluten-free have to be a bit extra careful and creative with their meals, but with these sandwich substitutes, a person can remain healthy while adding variety to lunchtime.
Amy Schumaker - Amy is a young musician based out of Philadelphia. A native of northeast Ohio, she went to Capital University Conservatory of Music, where ...
