Handy Primal Sandwich Alternatives (Or, Sub Subs)
Last week, I got this email from a reader:
I work 12 hour ER shifts. Our cafeteria is too expensive and the food is horrendous anyway (where do you think hospital food gets that reputation?) My staple has been making half sandwiches by just folding a single piece of bread around some meat, cheese or tuna. But of course Grok didn’t make bread. The convenience of being able to eat these little sandwiches while standing at the nurses’ station (we often get very limited or no breaks on busy days) is indispensable to me. Eating things that require utensils and cleanup is not feasible. Are there more primal, non-carb substitutes that could actually serve as dinner in such an environment as well as my improvised panini? I’m drawing a blank here. Any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated.
Joe
Ah yes, the sandwich. After rice, mashed potatoes, and pancakes, it is perhaps the most pined-for pre-Primal food around. The convenience factor is tough to beat, and that Subway guy who supposedly lost tons of weight eating nothing but sandwiches certainly makes it look appealing. We can almost imagine Grok picnicking with a crusty baguette and gooey brie, pack of Gitanes tucked into his loincloth.
But really, those little sandwiches may be convenient, but that bread is bad news. Though it may be just a single piece, it’s still a single piece of anti-nutrient insulin-spiking starch that serves little purpose other than keeping your hand from getting meaty. If it’s convenience and clean hands you’re after, how about wrapping that meat and cheese in cabbage or lettuce? Same convenience level. I mean, you’re already assembling sandwiches on the fly; lose the bread and opt for a lower-carb wrap. Assuming you bring tupperwear containing the sandwich makings, it won’t take you any more time to swap out the bread for lettuce or cabbage. No clean up or utensils required. You eat the evidence.
Or how about something that doesn’t try to emulate a sandwich? Every week, make a big batch of trail mix. Throw together some almonds, macadamia nuts, pecans, walnuts, dark chocolate chunks, and a bit of dried fruit in a big bag and dole yourself out some before every shift: high fat, high protein, and moderate carbs. Don’t make it your daily meal, but as a snack it’s perfect (hey, a half sandwich isn’t much of a meal, either). You could also turn that trail mix into a homemade protein bar. Make a big batch every week and take one to work. Very filling. Other options include jerky or even a Responsibly Slim shake (maybe augmented with some nuts and fruit and carried sealed in a bottle).
But you’re interested in an actual meal. Twelve hours can be a long time (and it’s probably not feasible to make it a 12-hour fast every single day, although you might want to experiment with Intermittent Fasting), and you want something that’s filling and doesn’t require utensils or cleanup. The lettuce/cabbage wraps would work as a meal. Try cooking and slicing steak, chicken, or lamb the night before and bringing it to work, along with a few sliced veggies (carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers), some homemade dressing or mayo, maybe a few slices of goat cheese or aged gouda (since you can obviously tolerate cheese), and the lettuce/cabbage wrap of your choice. Bring a separate container with some berries for dessert and you’re set.
Or how about a frittata, which is essentially a crustless quiche? Sautee some veggies and meat in butter in an oven-safe pan (spinach and chicken; bacon and mushrooms; steak and peppers), whisk together six eggs, add a bit more butter to the pan and pour the eggs over the meat and veggies. Add some salt and pepper and maybe a light sprinkling of aged parmesan. Stir everything together and let it cook for about four minutes until it begins to set. At this point, pop it in the oven under the broil setting for four minutes, or until it begins to brown. When it’s lightly brown and fluffy, remove it from the oven. Cut it into slices and you have a healthy, Primal hand-held meal that fits in a plastic bag and tastes great at room temperature.
If you absolutely insist on a bread-like item, I have something that may interest you. I call it spinach bread, and it actually works pretty well as a bread substitute. You can certainly slice it and pile meat and cheese and condiments atop it like bread, but it’s ultra-low carb and high in good fat, along with some decent protein.
Pesto Spinach Bread
Ingredients:
Five large eggs
16 oz frozen spinach, thawed, cut, and drained
Butter (I used raw pastured-raised)
1/2 cup pine nuts
3 cloves crushed garlic
Small bunch of basil (about 15 leaves)
Method:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Grease your glass baking dish with butter. I used a circular pan about 8 inches in diameter.
Toast your pine nuts in a sautee pan with about a tablespoon of butter. Be very careful! Pine nuts burn easily. Watch them like a hawk and stir constantly. When they start to turn golden brown, they’re done and on the verge of burning.
Chop the nuts up in a food processor (or crush them to a similarly fine texture if you don’t have a processor) and mince your basil.
Mix your eggs, garlic, basil, nuts, and spinach together in a mixing bowl. Add some salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Once it’s all mixed together, pour it evenly into your greased pan.
Pop it in the oven for about 15 minutes, or until it has set.
Slice and enjoy as if it were bread, or all by itself!
Nutrition Analysis:
Calories: 1080
Fat: 91 grams (72% calories from fat)
Carbs: 27.6 grams (10% calories from carbs, 12.7 grams from fiber)
Protein: 54 grams (18% calories from protein)
Share your thoughts on low-carb, grain-free bread substitutes in the comment board and check back this weekend for a Primal sandwich recipe featuring the spinach bread. Thanks, everyone!
Further Reading:
Subscribe to Mark’s Daily Apple feeds
Posted By: Mark Sisson
note on the flaxmeal foccacias above: I made variations on the 2. No artificial sweetners! (yuck) I basically split that recipe in half & a batch will fit in a round layer cake pan perfect. I made it with olive oil, cilantro & dill. Then I made another half batch using sprouted flax meal that was mixed with blueberries (also ground). Coconut oil, almond meal, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon & a touch of honey. I made a sandwich out of the 1st with the foccacia on the bottom, smoked salmon, and a dry spinach omlette on top. heavenly…
I tried the Nori seaweed wrap and it was good–messy and falls apart when damp, so maybe not a one-hand, no-plate meal. (maybe if I’d stuffed less liquidy stuff in there…) But I’m glad to have added another healthy green to my diet, and it can be a stored at room temp, a big plus for outdoor trips. I’m going to try that spinach bread! After losing the ability to digest so many foods, it’s great to add foods in to my diet! Thanks for the tips fellow bloggers!
I wonder if you could make the spinach bread with nettles? I’m looking for ways to get my own back after they stung me severely while I was pulling them out from under the hedge. If you pick the tops they make a fine spinach substitute.
I’m non-primal enough to eat oatcakes, but there are a wealth of good alternatives to trial here.
That recipe looks great. I think I’ll make it for our next support group meeting. Being gluten free, I’ve given up bread and don’t even really want alternative gluten-free breads. In general, life without bread is fine for me. I do use untensils for most meals, but I’ve learned to use my fingers more, too. You adapt.
Shirley
I tried this spinach bread recipe… and while it was pretty good… it did not seem at all like bread… more like an omelette or fritatta.
“seaweed may protect us against radioactivity, because it contains iodine-127. This beneficial isotope of iodine floods the thyroid gland, where iodine accumulates. This prevents the body from absorbing radioactive iodine-131.”
Are you serious? I can’t tell if this is tongue-in-cheek or not. Unless you live next to a reactor that is about to have a complete core meltdown and release, I don’t think you have to worry about absorbing I-131 in your daily routine.
This comment seems mighty relevant two years later, no? Glad seaweed is a Japanese staple.
I found this recipe for cauliflower pizza crust which is fantastic as pizza crust, but would probably make a great sandwich bread substitute as well: http://www.examiner.com/x-355-Low-Carb-Examiner~y2008m6d4-Cauliflower-Pizza-Crust-Worth-its-Wow-in-Gold
Today I was rushed so I made 4 little ones, and microwaved them, covered,for 3 minutes, they came out great – not as good as in the oven, but hey hold together fine
I used cabbage the other day for burger buns. I pulled off the leaves gently so that they remained intact and then put the burger on there with other veggies. It was delicious.
I just made the flax bread recipe that darcy mentioned (http://desertmedicinewoman.blogspot.com/2008/06/best-gluten-free-bread-ever.html) … brilliant!
Easy to make and genuinly tasty, i cant beleive I’ve found a viable nutritous bread!
ps. the first batch I made was inedible as I used 1.5tsp of salt for some reason! This batch i sprinkled in about 1/4 tsp and it is lovely!
This blog does not exist any more. How do I get the recipe!
A raw collard leaf makes a great wrap! Just be sure to roll from the uppermost edge of the leaf first ending with the thicker/tougher inner leaf last – which can, of course, be trimmed off to begin with. Nevertheless, collards, though bitter by themselves when raw, make a tasty and sturdy wrap when filled with whatever your primal heart desires!
Very tasty recipe, but not at all bread-like imho. More akin to a crustless quiche. But it made for a good light lunch!
I’m gonna have to try this as soon I get more eggs in my house. D;
I just made something like this, only I substituted the pine nuts for a mixture of coconut flour and almond flour…
it turned out pretty good, im really happy i tried it!
but should I throw this in the refridgerator or is it okay to let sit in the pan under tinfoil? or should i wrap slices in plastic wrap?
I cut a large bell pepper in half and fill it with tuna or chicken salad.
What can I substitute the pine nuts for? I don’t have them readily…
Try walnuts, Bill. I used them instead of pine nuts and the recipe is delish. The other small change I made was to whir the spinach and basil in the food processor along with the nuts, adding in the whisked eggs in afterward. It’s less fritatta-ish that way.
I should say, stirring the whisked eggs in afterward, not actually processing them in the food processor. I would think the eggs would get a bit TOO frothy if you put them into the FP.
I have a adapted a coconut flour bread recipe and am pretty happy with the results. If you try it, please let me know. Thanks.
http://whaticrave.wordpress.com/2010/08/02/coconut-flax-bread/
This bread looks incredibly awesome. That’s my word for it. I shall try it in a couple of days. I wonder if I could pour this batter in an actual loaf pan so it could turn out as a real bread loaf? Experimentation is on the way…
another good recipe, although it is calorie rich, it’s very filling so all you need is one slice and takes less than 5 minutes to make:
150 grams ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
2 tbsp olive oil
pinch of salt and pepper to taste, or any other herbs and spices you want to add, you can get creative
Mix well, chuck into a microwaveable dish and ‘bake’ for 2-3 minutes.
I don’t mean to sound like a doubting thomas… but isn’t this “bread” basically an omelette? It sounds tasty, and don’t get me wrong, I’m gonna try it and smear some pate on that bad boy… but it doesn’t sound very bread-y.
I am reading this when I was going for a day with less food. This is a wonderful post like usual. I am now thinking about all the ways that I can use the great recipes.
You could also do a kale version of this bread too… wonder how that would work out?
As I was reading this I remembered something that I do when I’m working on-call at the hospital.
A few days before, I get several gallons of milk and empty a few bottles of lemon juice (you can also use vinegar, or rennet) into it while its warm. This curdles the milk. I then separate the curds as much as possible, lay them on a baking tray, and dry them for a while in a low temperature in the oven.
They make really nice snack foods, and it probably has a similar nutrition profile to milk, but without the carbohydrate.
Who are you trying to kid with your “bread” recipe? It’s a bloody omelette.
I tried the Spinach Bread. In no way is this like bread. I left it in even longer than 15 and it’s still very moist in the middle. I would never be able to eat this like bread or hold it with something sandwiched in the middle. Did I do something wrong? Do I need to back longer?
Thanks!
How about stuffing half a bell pepper? I’ll put some mayo, ham, and turkey in half a cleaned raw bell pepper (pick your color). It’s sturdy and easy to hold in your hand. Tastes great.
I just pulled this out of the oven for tonight’s dinner: Turkey & bacon “sandwiches”. My two preschool boys love anything with pesto, and I’m going to broil them open faced with a sprinkle of cheese on top. Hopefully this will satisfy my oldest, who was rolling on the floor yesterday crying for a pesto grilled cheese. Thanks for the recipe! It smells awesome!
Another great bread substitute I use is grilled eggplant. I usually end up eating it with utensils (because it is rather fragile), but it’s great with sloppy joe meat on top!