Sandwiches have been identified as a significant contributor to the unhealthy American diet, with most Americans consuming excessive amounts of sodium, sugar, and saturated fat, as revealed by government survey data. Nearly half of Americans consume sandwiches on any given day, and they are the primary culprit in this regard. Nutritionists, doctors, and public-health officials are advocating for simple changes to make sandwiches healthier and improve people’s health.
Federal survey data analysis reveals that sandwiches are the primary source of sodium and saturated fat in the American diet, accounting for about one-fifth of daily sodium intake and 19% of daily saturated fat calories. Sandwiches also contribute 7% of daily added sugars, similar to breakfast cereals and bars.
According to Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and professor of nutrition and medicine at Tufts University, consuming a standard deli sandwich with processed meat and cheese is equivalent to consuming a heart bomb.
Excess sodium intake can lead to high blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign researchers analyzed federal survey data and found that people consume nearly 100 extra calories on the days they eat sandwiches. Sandwiches are often high in calories compared to other meals.
Sandwiches have become a popular choice among busy Americans due to their delicious taste, portability, affordability, and widespread availability on the menus of fast-food chains, corporate cafeterias, and school lunches.
According to Erica Kenney, an assistant professor of public-health nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Americans tend to eat their meals on-the-go, in their cars or at their desks, making sandwiches an easy option.
Nutritionists advise that individuals do not need to completely eliminate sandwiches from their diet. Instead, they can opt for healthier options by selecting more nutritious bread and fillings.
Dr. Mozaffarian notes that sandwiches have become less healthy over the last 40 years due to several factors, including the use of highly processed grains in bread and the popularity of the low-fat diet trend in the 1980s. This trend led to the consumption of more deli meats marketed as low-fat, which are now known to be high in unhealthy additives.
In addition to this, the size and calorie content of sandwiches have increased dramatically. According to a report by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, a typical turkey sandwich in the 1980s contained about 320 calories, while 20 years later, it contained around 820 calories.
Researchers believe that the issue with sandwiches begins with the bread. Classic white bread, submarine buns, and French baguettes are primarily made up of highly processed white flour, which quickly turns into sugar upon consumption.
As explained by Eric Rimm, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, this sugar rush causes blood glucose to spike, followed by an insulin surge. The subsequent blood glucose crash results in hunger pangs shortly after consumption. Several studies have found that regularly consuming highly processed carbohydrates contributes to weight gain and diabetes. To improve the healthiness of sandwiches, opting for more nutritious bread options is a good place to start.
According to Christina A. Roberto, an associate professor of health policy at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, choosing whole grain bread is essential to improving the healthiness of sandwiches. This is because whole grains are high in fiber, which helps regulate carbohydrate processing to prevent blood sugar spikes and keep you feeling full for longer.
Dr. Rimm recommends looking for bread made from 100% whole wheat or whole grain, with visible grains and seeds as a sign of less processing and more fiber. Checking the label for added sugars and sodium content is also crucial, ideally keeping the sodium content below 150 milligrams per slice.
In addition to this, opting for thin-sliced bread is an effective way to reduce the sodium and calorie content of sandwiches without resorting to the often-suggested dieters’ hack of using a lettuce wrap.