Vegan sandwich ideas - #Easy #PlantBased

Adopting a plant-based lifestyle has its ups and downs in the kitchen.  I always notice this every time we embark on a Fast. As a homeschooling mom, I still have to worry about the little things like my kids' lunches. I'm more of a cereal-for-breakfast and sandwiches-for-lunch kind of person😃. Sandwiches can be an elusive subject when transitioning to a plant-based diet. Under "normal" circumstances, it's always eggs, bacon, burgers and other processed meats that one uses as fillers.

I'll show you a few variations of vegan sandwich ideas that I have tried.  My advice is to avoid simple grain bread and use complex grain e.g rye and wholewheat bread. These will keep you full for longer and are packed with nutrients.

ALWAYS stock beans and chickpeas.  They are chock-full of Protein (keeps you full). You will find that they are versatile, and can be thrown in into most of the plant-based sandwiches below.

Avo and vegetable sandwich

This modest-looking sandwich came together by surprise. I had veggie-stir-fry leftovers from the previous night. I gathered that avocado would give it a vibrant taste,  and so this sandwich came about.  It is quite tasty and satiating.  I used rye bread because I try to minimize the wheat in my diet.

In a nutshell, you need:

• Pre-cooked vegetable stir-fry
• Diced avocado

Mix the above together and lay on rye bread.  Season to your taste.

Roast pumpkin and spinach sandwiches 

I learned this trick of using spinach in sandwiches when I ordered one at a restaurant.  What a great way to boost one's iron intake! This particular sandwich is also packed with beta carotene, all thanks to the pumpkin (great for eye health). Choose your own bread for the sandwich. You can make the roast pumpkin and spinach for your dinner, and use the leftovers for the sandwich.  In case you want to make everything from scratch, here are the directions: 

Ingredients: 

• 850g pumpkin (peeled and deseeded) 

• 60g baby spinach leaves 

• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 8 slices  bread (rye, whole-wheat, etc)

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C

2. Line a baking tray with baking paper

3. Cut pumpkin into small cubes (2-3cm square) and place on a tray

4. Splash pumpkin liberally with 2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

5. Season pumpkin with salt and pepper

6. Roast pumpkin until golden brown and tender (approximately 30 minutes) and then allow to cool

7. Add pumpkin and baby spinach to a bowl

8. Whisk vinegar, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper together and then pour over the pumpkin and baby spinach. Gently toss. 

9. Divide pumpkin mixture between 4 slices of bread. Add sandwich tops with remaining slices. Cut sandwiches in half and serve.

Avocado and tomato sandwich

The avocado and tomato is an oldie, but a goodie! Simply slice your avocado and tomato and arrange them on whole-wheat or rye bread.

Banana and peanut butter sandwich

While in the spirit of keeping it real (lol) - I tried this banana and peanut butter sandwich as a test case for my daughter (yes, let's stick with that). If you want your kids to transition to complex grains instead of store-bought white bread, you may need to try this trick! The peanut butter and banana combination works, hands down. Peanut butter is packed with protein, so you will be satiated. 

This has just become one of my favorite vegan sandwich ideas.

Grilled mushroom sandwich

Something easy to prepare on the go is the grilled mushroom sandwich. Mushrooms are hearty, very low in calories but still filling. They contain essential antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber and are considered one of the world’s healthiest foods. Mushrooms provide potassium, vitamin B1, vitamin B6, and folate. They also provide key nutrients at risk for deficiency in vegetarian and vegan diets, including zinc, choline, protein, and vitamin B12.

Simply grill mushrooms in a pan with either a little olive oil or vegan butter, add fresh garlic (straight from the clove so you get the heart-healthy benefits of anthocyanins) sprinkle a little salt and cook until tender. 

Pile cooked mushrooms over a hot French or whole-grain roll (the whole grain is better). Sprinkle some green onion or mixed herbs to garnish.

Vegan burgers

I love making my own burgers (given that most of the times I buy the ready-made vegan stuff). Last week I made my own vegan burger patties.  I do believe that they are healthier, and they use a few ingredients. Once you make your own patties, you can use them as fillings for a vegan sandwich, or make your own burgers.  I always have vegan mayonnaise at hand to enjoy little pleasures like these vegan burgers.

Find the recipe here.

Chickpea  sandwich

I tried this a while ago and it is good. For 2 open sandwiches, you need:

3/4 - 1 cup of tinned chickpeas (drained)

1 tablespoon of olive oil (or vegan mayonnaise)

Add the olive oil (mayonnaise) and chickpeas in a blender and mix to your desired texture. Pile the mash on 2 slices of wholewheat or rye bread and enjoy!  This is a go-to sandwich if you loved chicken mayo sandwiches in your meat-eating days.

Well, I hope these vegan sandwich ideas have triggered the creativity in you. Plant-based eating is do-able and is just as satisfying as any other diet, as long as you are not stuck in a rut in the kitchen. enjoy these, and remember to pin or share.