Meal Planning Made Real: Why I’m Having a Summer of Sandwiches
It is incredibly common for meal planning to suffer from boredom. You wake up one day and feel like you have been eating the exact same meals on repeat for far too long, and breaking out of that rut can feel next to impossible. Do other foods even exist? Why does it feel like a monumental effort to pick something different when there are so many options available?
As an anti-diet nutritionist, I talk a lot about how strict food rules negatively affect our eating habits and mental health. We know that dieting and restriction lead to:
Increased binge eating and emotional eating
Increased orthorexic behaviors
Decreased self-esteem and a diminished body image
Because we are proudly anti-diet around these parts, you'll never hear me talk about limiting carbs, avoiding sugar, or only eating at certain times of the day.
However, I have found that having gentle parameters or themes can actually be incredibly helpful for fostering creativity, including when it comes to meal planning. Instead of restricting, it’s about focus. It means picking a food category or ingredient you’d like to explore more of and looking for fun ways to make that happen.
A personal example from my house is beans. I knew the benefits of eating more beans from blood sugar stability and improved digestion to cholesterol management and nutrient density (hello, fiber!). The goal of increasing my bean intake led me to find creative and delicious ways to put beans in everything from meatballs to pizza crust.
This summer, I am taking a similar focused approach to add interest, excitement, and creativity to the table. My summer meal planning theme is sandwiches.
Why Sandwiches are Perfect for Summer Meal Plans
I came to this Summer of Sandwiches theme for a few reasons:
Hot Weather
It has already been near 90 degrees in Minneapolis for what feels like weeks now, and it is only May!
Sandwiches offer the flexibility of being a completely no-cook, cold meal option. Or to change things up, some limited cooking, like a quick toast, griddle, or grill.
They also lend themselves perfectly to simple sides: crunchy raw veggies, crispy chips, fresh juicy fruit, or simple side salads (whether homemade or store-bought!).
Reclaiming a Food Lost to Diet Culture
When I was in the deepest throes of orthorexia, the idea of eating a sandwich was downright outlandish to my disordered mind.
To me, sandwiches were a lost cause of carbs, gluten, and grains. Who needs bread when you can wrap everything in lettuce or chop it into a salad? I do love a good lettuce cup and a salad in many forms. But I also love bread.
Similar to my summer of baking a five years ago, focusing on sandwiches feels like a personal, deeply satisfying screw you to diet culture. Honestly, the act of rebellion feels as good as bread tastes.
A Hit of Food Nostalgia
Before becoming a nutritionist, I was a chef and worked in a few different food service jobs. One slightly bonkers but overall enjoyable past job was managing a café that specialized in sandwiches (including bagel sandwiches, because it was the late '90s and early 2000s!).
We had a massive menu served on a variety of breads, from whole wheat and rye to bagels and baguettes. I can't wait to revisit a few of those old favorites.
Summer feels like the perfect time for a little culinary nostalgia.
A Good Reason to Bake
I regularly bake sourdough bread for my morning avocado toast, but I would love to spend more time baking other interesting breads. I have at least two bread-specific cookbooks collecting dust that I want to pull out again.
Of course, baking isn’t required to have a Summer of Sandwiches. There are so many incredible breads available from local bakeries and supermarkets these days. Plus, on the hottest days of July and August, the last thing any of us wants to do is turn on the oven.
My Summer Sandwich Flavor Inspriation
I don’t plan to eat sandwiches for every single meal of every day (though it would be totally possible and very tasty). Instead, I plan to use them to spur creativity whenever my meal planning feels stuck.
I am keeping the definition of a sandwich intentionally broad. It can be anything between two slices of bread, on a bun, open-faced, stuffed in a pita, or rolled in a wrap. I do not want to enter the volatile internet debate of "Is a hot dog a sandwich?" but I think burgers and sausages are safely included in the periphery of the category.
I spent about an hour brainstorming with the help of a few library cookbooks and my own café menu memories. From that, here are a few of the flavor combinations I am looking forward to adding to my summer meal plan:
Chicken Curry Salad on a flaky croissant or stuffed in a pita
Roast Beef and Havarti with horseradish mayo, red onion, and sliced tomatoes on pumpernickel
Cubano (yes to all the pickles and mustard!)
Banh Mi with so many pickled veggies and fresh herbs
Fig, Manchego, and Chicken with fresh arugula on olive focaccia
Grilled Veggies like zucchini, onions and bell peppers with a thick spread of garlic-herb goat cheese
Turkey and Swiss with a tangy cranberry coleslaw on rye bread
Turkey, Sharp Cheddar, and Smashed Avocado on a crusty French loaf
Veggie Capri (essentially a caprese salad on a crusty baguette with a generous drizzle of balsamic vinegar and olive oil)
Prosciutto and Pear with a savory blue cheese spread
Grilled Asparagus with ham, fresh mozzarella, and honey mustard
Mexican Tortas (beans on a sandwich!)
Tuna with Basil and Capers, dressed simply with olive oil and red wine vinegar
Café Style Veggie Sandwich with vegetable cream cheese and tons of fresh sprouts on multigrain bread
Overcoming Summer Meal Boredom Together
If you are currently staring into your fridge or at blank boxes on your meal plan feeling completely uninspired, I invite you to find your own gentle food theme for the summer. It could be sandwiches like me or something completely different. What is one ingredient, cooking style, or food category that sounds fun to explore?
If you want a supportive, anti-diet space to help you map your summer meals and find fresh inspiration, come join us in Meal Planning Collective! Summer session kicks-off the beginning of July and we would love to have you.
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As an anti-diet nutritionist, I want to remind you that carbohydrates like those in bread are essential fuel for your body and brain.
Sandwiches can be a fantastic, nutritionally dense vehicle for proteins, healthy fats, whole grains, and tons of veggies.
By focusing on satisfaction and variety rather than restriction, sandwiches can be a balanced part of your weekly meals.
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The secret to a satisfying, long-lasting sandwich is a combination of protein, fat, and fiber.
Instead of just a single slice of deli meat, make sure you're adding 3-4 ounces of protein (like chicken, roast beef, deli meat, tofu and/or cheese), a satisfying fat (like avocado, olive spread, nut butter, or a flavorful mayo), and some fiber (sprouts, leafy greens, veggies, and/or a whole grain bread).
Pairing your sandwich with an easy side like fruit or a simple salad helps, too!
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The difference lies in your mindset. Rules restrict, while themes expand.
A rule says, "I can only eat sandwiches this week."
A theme says, "I'm feeling uninspired, let's look at the sandwich category for some fun ideas."
If you choose a theme (like sandwiches, pasta salads, tacos, or grilling) and find yourself craving something completely different on Tuesday night, eat that other thing!
The theme is there to spark creativity, not strictly dicate your meals.
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Meal Planning Collective is designed specifically for busy people who want to simplify their lives, not add more chores to their to-do lists.
The "secret sauce" of the Collective is our weekly co-working sessions. We hold space together to prioritize planning, which dramatically reduces daily decision fatigue (and that inevitable 5 PM dinner panic!). During these sessions, you get to build a plan tailored to your unique schedule, tastes, and energy levels, but you don't have to do it alone.
As a culinary professional and licensed nutritionist, I host every single work session and am right there in the chat to help you brainstorm and troubleshoot in real-time.
The information provided is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be medical advice or to diagnosis, treat, cure or prevent any disease. This information does not replace a one-on-one relationship with a physician or healthcare professional. Dietary changes and/or the taking of nutritional supplements may have differing effects on individuals.
To learn more about how working with a nutritionist could help you, schedule a free 15-minute call.