multiple sandwiches with ham and cheese and veg filling

It’s probably already in your diary, but 12-18 May is National Sandwich week.  The humble sandwich is a British lunch institution – we eat over 11.5 billion every year and around half of these are made at home, according to the British Sandwich Association in 2013.

Jamie is a big fan of a good sandwich and has written many recipes in his cookery books – just search for sandwiches on jamieoliver.com and there are lots of lovely ideas and some inspiration for weekdays and weekends.  Jamie has even developed a range of sandwiches for Boots called Jamie Does Lunch, and one of his favourites is the curried egg sandwich!

So there’s lots to celebrate about filled bread during National Sandwich Week, and it can be a healthy lunch choice. If you make your own from scratch and choose your fillings wisely, you can include ingredients from all of the food groups: carbohydrates, fruit/vegetables, dairy and protein. Your lunchtime sandwich can be a good way of getting one of your five a day in there as well – try vegetable fillings such as grilled peppers, watercress, slices of cucumber or lovely ripe tomatoes.  Eggs, fish and lean chicken are also types of protein that make good sandwich fillers.

If your lunchtime choice is always a sandwich, mix it up each day to keep it interesting.  Try out different breads, bagels, baps or rolls – going for whole-wheat can be a great way to get extra fibre in your diet too – and mixing up the fillings means you’ll be closer to a balanced diet and getting the nutrients your body needs.

The same tips apply if you’re buying your sandwich – where possible make sure it’s got something from every food group in it, and it’s wise to read the food label to understand what goes into your beloved sandwich so you can make a healthier choice. A lot of work has been done in recent years to reduce the salt content of packaged sandwiches and the food industry has been under pressure to reduce the salt content of foods we eat on a regular basis because, as a nation, we have too much salt in our diet – but the amount is always on the label.

So put down your crisp butty and get some inspiration for your next sarnie from JO.com, or (and apologies for the cheeky plug!) pop out to your nearest Boots store in major cities and airports.


About the author

Laura Matthews

Laura is head of nutrition at Jamie Oliver. Her passion for food comes from having cooking lessons at a local college from the age of 10, and the nutrition side from a fascination for how the right foods can fuel the body.

Laura Matthews