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22 Healthy Sandwich and Wrap Filling Ideas

If you are bored of eating the same old sandwich five days a week, read on for 22 quirky and healthy sandwich and wrap filling ideas for school and work. Includes some Paleo wrap options which can be used with most of the fillings, as can be gluten-free bread and wraps.  

22 Healthy Sandwich and Wrap Filling Ideas

1. The Egg Sandwich

Eggs are a fantastic sandwich and wrap filler because they are mashable, mild in flavour and packed with nutrients. Try to go with the organic free range variety. Sadly, cage eggs are still being sold despite being are a horrible product (Jamie Oliver is doing tremendous job at having them phased out from supermarket shelves, here in Australia too).

  • – Eggs and Sardines: mash together a hardboiled egg and half a cup of sardines in olive oil. Add some freshly chopped dill and tomato paste if you like. Season with salt and pepper.
  • – Curried Egg Avo and Lettuce: Mash 2 eggs with 1/2 avocado, salt, pepper, a good pinch of curry powder and a light squeeze of lemon juice. Serve with lettuce, baby spinach or both. 
  • – Veggie Egg Salad: mash an egg with a tablespoon each of chives, grated carrot and zucchini. Season with salt, pepper and add 1-2 tablespoons macadamia or avocado oil. Mix to form a paste. See also this Egg Salad Sandwich using mayo, chives and celery as well.
  • – Croque Monsieur: egg-dipped bread filled with cheese and ham, then fried or grilled. But in this incarnation it’s a little more indulgent. 
  • Paleo Egg Omellette Roll: made with nori seaweed sheets – recipe here

2. Four Ways with Canned Fish

It’s so hard to get good quality mayo nowadays. Even some of the organic brand varieties taste “funny” to me. You can make your own, of course, and I do sometimes. But if you stick to good fish in pure olive oil (such as Safcol), you won’t need mayo at all! Do note that tuna is naturally high in mercury so try to limit consumption to two 195g cans a week.

  • – Fish Salad: mix together 1 (195g) can fish in pure olive oil, 1/4 cup grated carrot, 1/4 cup unsweetened corn kernels, a good pinch each of cumin powder, paprika powder, turmeric powder, pepper and salt. 
  • – A la Nicoise: mix together 1 (195g) can fish in pure olive oil, 1 tablespoon capers, 1 tablespoon finely diced onion, 2 chopped black olives and 2 tablespoons feta. Season with salt and pepper.
  • – Tuna Cream Cheese and Fennel: love this one!  Drain 1 (195g) can tuna in pure olive oil then mix with 1/2 cup homemade yoghurt cream cheese and a tablespoon of freshly chopped parsley. Season with pepper. Serve with shaved fennel. 
  • Paleo Tuna and Sauerkraut Roll: made with nori seaweed sheets – recipe here

3. The Salad Sandwich 

It’s all about packing the most into a salad sandwich. Leaves of all sorts and all of the juicy ingredients like tomato should be packed right in the middle to stop the bread from going soggy! Also, sprouts are so in at the moment, and frankly quite delicious. Try growing alfalfa yourself, it’s super easy and great fun for the kids around Easter!

  • – Martha’s Sprout and Goat’s Cheese: with avo and radish as well – recipe here but I would recommend going with a more wholesome bread choice. 
  • – The Salad Sandwich Lot: iceberg lettuce, grated carrot, zucchini, beetroot, sprouts, mint, coriander and chilli. Avocado instead of butter. This is my favourite and I often add tuna to this as well. 
  • – The Vego Banh Mi: a Franco-Vietnamese sandwich with pickled and fresh veggies, Asian herbs and flavours, served on a crusty baguette – recipe here. What’s not to love? 
  • – Roasted Veg Hommus and Goat’s Cheese: pile your leftover roasted veggies on a slice of sourdough smeared with hommus. . Top with a few cherry tomatoes and goat’s cheese – recipe here, and eat with a knife and work. Like Northern Europeans do.

4. The Meat Lover’s Sandwich

While free-range ham is a good sandwich option from time to time, I prefer to use up leftover roasts, corned beef or even rissoles in sandwiches. They become something exciting and new.

  • – The Reuben: sliced of corned beef layered with cheese, pickles, saurekraut and mustard. Served on rye sourdough. It is the best! 
  • – Ham and Salami Banh Mi: slices of ham, salami and traditional banh mi veggies and herbs served in a crusty baguette – recipe here
  • – Pulled Pork or Lamb Sliders: layers of sweet pulled pork (or lamb) and slaw – see pork rib recipe or pulled lamb recipe. Of course you can serve these on bread or in wraps too. 
  • – BBQ Chicken Number: mix together shredded bbq chicken, diced celery, a little chives and avocado or mayo. Serve with lettuce leaves and relish.
  • – The Burger: use rissoles or meatloaf, topped with lettuce, tomato, pickles and mustard. Tartare sauce also goes well here.  

5. Toasties and Melts

In Poland we normally have our sandwiches open, one slice of bread topped with a heap of deliciousness. It works well for a sit down brunch and I love toasting them in the oven, like you would pizza. We also make plenty of toasties. Here are a few ideas you might like to try. Check out also this post on how to Make a Grilled Sandwich without a Cafe-style Press.

  • – Pizza Toasties: design your own with whatever toppings you like. They are delicious and a shortcut way to a killing a pizza craving any time – recipe here.
  • – Green Pesto Garlic Prawn Toasties: all things green pesto topped with prawns. Yum – recipe here
  • – Galicky Avo, Cheese and Tomato Pesto: perfect really – recipe here.
  • – Mushroom, Mustard and Cheese: a traditional Polish “fast food” and my occasional indulgence. Usually made with grated mushrooms, cheese (mozzarella) grilled on top of mustard-smeared baguette. Cracked pepper to finish. If you can find smoked mushrooms *squeal* (I’ve seen them sold at Bondi and Orange Grove Farmers’ Markets) then use those instead. 

So, tell me, what are your favourite sandwich and wrap filling ideas? Share youre recipes, suggestions and tips in the comments below.

3 comments

Mel A March 24, 2014 at 8:54 pm

1. Smoked salmon and cream cheese with capers, onion and lettuce.
2. Your hot smoked salmon and avocado mayo sandwich: https://wholesome-cook.com/2013/05/06/salmon-salad-sandwich-with-avocado-mayo-deciphering-cravings/
Can you see a pattern emerging?

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The Best Portable Healthy Snack Ideas Part 2 – Wholesome Mum August 19, 2015 at 12:38 pm

[…] from Wholesome Cook has 22 fabulous healthy sandwich filling ideas in this post you can check out for more […]

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Hazel Owens April 1, 2016 at 2:23 am

I’ve always been bad at coming up with my own recipes, but you have some great ideas! I like the idea of adding variety to lunch by having different sandwiches and wraps every day, since the same old thing can get boring. I’ll have to try pulled pork as a wrap, since I love it on sandwiches so much. Thanks for the ideas!

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