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slbrown reacted to Alex Brecher in Sandwiches After Weight Loss Surgery – Make Them Work for You! February 10, 2014

After weight loss surgery, you need to plan your meals ahead of time. You always want a high-protein, low-calorie option to be available at meal time. You might find yourself carrying your own prepared food with you to be sure that you have the food you need. Sandwiches are good “go-to” option, but not just any old sandwich will do! This article can help you build sandwiches that are good fits for your meal plan.< /span>

What is Wrong with the Sandwiches You Used to Eat?
A typical workday might have started off with a trip through the drive-through for a Breakfast burrito or sandwich, or a bagel and cream cheese sandwich at work. lunch could have been a brown bag Peanut Butter and jelly sandwich or a trip to a nearby restaurant for a sandwich, burrito, or burger. Where might these options leave you?
Sausage, egg, and cheese croissant or biscuit from a drive-through (600 calories with 42 grams of fat)
Bagel with cream cheese (500 calories with 70 grams of carbohydrates)
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich (600 calories and 40 grams of sugar)
Club sandwich (1,000 calories and 2,500 milligrams of sodium)
Chicken patty sandwich (60 grams of carbohydrates and 1,100 milligrams of sodium)
Beef, bean, and cheese burrito (900 calories and 40 grams of fat)

Your breakfast and lunch sandwiches could have added up to over 1,500 calories. Add in beverages, sides (hash browns, fries or chips, anyone?), and Snacks, and you could have been at 3,000 calories by lunchtime!
These Choices Don’t Work After Weight Loss Surgery!
Needless to say, these options do not fit into your weight loss surgery diet.

First, some of those sandwiches have more calories than you are supposed to be eating in a day, not to mention that some also contain more saturated fat, sodium, and sugar than you should have in a day.
Second, those sandwiches emphasize starchy breads and fatty Condiments, not the lean Proteins and nutritious vegetables you need to stay full and nourished after weight loss surgery.
Third, they can cause complications. Doughy Bagels and fried chicken, for example, can cause obstructions in lap-band patients; fatty sausage and sugary jelly can cause dumping syndrome in gastric bypass patients; and these low-nutrient foods can fill you up and cause malnutrition.

Luckily, this does not mean that you need to give up the convenience of sandwiches and the pleasure you get from biting into one. There are plenty of ways to make sandwiches that are weight loss surgery-friendly: low-calorie, high-protein, convenient, and delicious!
Protein Fillings for WLS Sandwiches
Start by choosing a lean source of Protein, just like you do when you plan all of your meals. These are some healthier options compared to what you might have chosen before weight loss surgery. Don’t forget to measure your portions if you are making your own sandwich, or eyeball your portions if you are ordering in a restaurant.
2 scrambled egg whites (30 calories)
2 ounces of canned light tuna (60 calories)
2 ounces of chicken breast, lean ham, turkey breast (80 calories)
2 ounces of fat-free cheese (90 calories)
½ cup cooked Beans or 1 vegetarian burger (120 calories)
2 ounces of turkey or vegetarian bacon or breakfast sausage (130 calories)

Load up on Vegetables and Fruit
Vegetables and fruit are the next food groups to add to your meals. Vegetables especially are low-calorie, so add more if you want a bigger sandwich. Try classic combinations, or get creative. You can also experiment with herbs such as fresh cilantro, basil, and dill. These are some ideas.
Lettuce and tomatoes with meat and cheese
Grilled eggplant, zucchini, and/or bell peppers with beans
Cucumbers and sprouts with fat-free feta cheese
Diced celery, carrots, onions, and Water chestnuts with tuna
Spinach and mushrooms with egg whites
Pear or apple with fat-free cheddar cheese
Cantaloupe with ham and/or fat-free cheese
Blueberries with egg whites

Breads and Alternatives
Most bread is high in carbohydrates and low in protein – clearly not what you need for your nutritious weight loss surgery diet. Besides adding calories and carbs, bread can cause obstructions in lap-band patients and make gastric bypass patients sick or overly full. When possible, skip the regular bread.
Bagels
Tortillas
Subs
Croissants
Biscuits
Regular sliced bread

Instead, choose whole-grain, high-fiber, low-calorie breads, and consider open-faced sandwiches, with the filling on 1 slice of bread, instead of regular 2-slice sandwiches. These are some good options.
Reduced-calorie bread (45 or fewer calories per slice)
Light English muffin (50 calories per half)
Mini whole grain bagel (60 calories per half)
Low-carb tortilla (50 calories per small tortilla)
High-fiber, light wrap (90 calories per wrap)
Also, look for creative, non-bread alternatives.
Lettuce leaves to make lettuce wraps or cups
Egg roll or wonton wrappers
Sheets of dried seaweed
Grilled eggplant
Your fork (skip the bread and just eat the filling)

Keeping Condiments Under Control
The condiments that you add can make or break your sandwich, both in terms of nutrition and taste. Skip the full-fat Mayonnaise, dressings, dips, sour cream, and butter, and be wary of high-sugar jam, barbecue sauce, and honey mustard. Instead, consider the following condiments.
Salsa
Fat-free mayo, dressing, dip, or sour cream
Regular mustard
Plain, non-fat Greek yogurt
Hot sauce
Shredded fat-free parmesan cheese
Reduced-calorie, trans fat-free margarine

Some Breakfast Sandwich Ideas to Start Your Day Off Right
Egg whites scrambled with spinach, mushrooms, and fat-free feta cheese on ½ English muffin
Cottage cheese and strawberries wrapped in lettuce leaves
Shredded fat-free cheese and lean ham toasted on a slice of reduced-calorie, whole-wheat bread and topped with salsa and tomatoes
Egg whites cooked with turkey bacon and broccoli in a small, high-fiber wrap
½ whole-grain mini bagel spread with fat-free cream cheese and topped with canned salmon with diced celery and water chestnuts

Lunch Sandwiches
Lettuce wrap filled with diced chicken breast, bean sprouts, mushrooms, and bell peppers, and soy sauce or light Asian dressing
Dried seaweed sheet rolled around tuna salad made with fat-free mayo, chives, and celery
Pinwheels made by layering slices of turkey breast, lean ham, and fat-free cheese slices, spreading them with mustard, and rolling them
Bean burrito with black beans, fat-free cheddar cheese, salsa, and fat-free sour cream on a small, high-fiber tortilla
Chicken breast with sliced apple and light vinaigrette between slices of grilled eggplant
Tomato sauce, fat-free mozzarella cheese, and mushrooms on a light English muffin
Toasted Rueben sandwich with low-fat Swiss cheese, shredded cabbage or sauerkraut, lean corned beef, and fat-free Thousand Island dressing on a light English muffin

Are You Ready for Some Sandwiches?
You can eat these sandwiches at home, or make them ahead of time and carry them with you in a reusable container. As a weight loss surgery patient, you should own plenty of reusable containers with tight-fitting lids. If you do not already have some, they are worth the investment so that you can carry healthy foods with you wherever you go.
We hope that you enjoy these sandwich ideas and that you are inspired to make some of your own healthy, high-protein sandwiches!