Cucumber Subs
Posted by MRC Kitchen on August 20, 2019
There's a myth out there that eating healthy (especially at lunch time) involves hours of meal prep or a unique hot meal each day. WRONG! Us personally, we don't always have the time for a hot meal every day and sometimes just love the simplicity of a sandwich. For some, it conjures nostalgic memories of bringing a bag lunch to school each day (made with love by Mom or Dad). For others, sandwiches are just enough food to keep us feeling full without making us feel like we need to take an afternoon nap or drop into a food coma. And for others still, it's just as simple as we love the taste of our favorite protein and vegetables married between two pieces of bread....but that's the thing. The bread. All of those pesky carbs turn what's usually a pretty healthy filling into a weight loss disaster! Here in the MRC Kitchen, we believe where there's a will, there's usually a way - and we're going to find it. And now we're excited to share that you CAN have your sandwiches and eat them, too! We've created a healthy twist on a lunchtime classic that replaces traditional carb-laden bread with crisp, crunchy, nutrition-rich cucumber. Thats right! "Cold lunches" are BACK on the menu!
Today we're going to share with you three of our favorite cucumber sub adaptations, but the variations and possibilities are as truly as expansive as your imagination cares to be. No matter what kind of healthy cucumber sub you're choosing to create, these tips will help ensure each so delicious, you won't even remember that you're missing bread:
- Scoop out the seeds. This gives you more room to fill your "boat" with your favorite sandwich fillings. The seeds are also the largest source of water in a cucumber. Taking them out keeps your sandwich from being too watery.
- When layering ingredients in your boats, it helps to place things that you can fold along the bottom, such as lettuce or turkey.
- For the crunchiest sub, assemble your sandwich within a few hours of eating. Note: this isn't to say that you can't make them the night before or ahead of time - you can - but the cucumbers may soften if assembled too far in advance.
These subs are really as easy as 1, 2, 3! To create your sandwich-turned-cucumber-sub-masterpiece, simply follow these steps below!
- Cut a small cucumber in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds, and weigh out 4 oz.
- Fill each cucumber half with your favorite healthy fillings - the options are endless. We've provided three of our favorite variations below.
- Enjoy!
Tuna Sub
- 4 oz. Cucumber (prepared as outlined above)
- 4 oz. Albacore tuna, packed in water
- 1-2 tsp. stoneground Dijon Mustard
- 1-2 TBSP relish
- Optional: MRC Mayonnaise (see page 9 of "In the Kitchen with MRC" cook book)
- Sea salt and pepper, to taste
Servings: 1 | Serving Size: 1 cucumber sub | Replaces: 1 serving protein, 4 oz. raw vegetables
Turkey Bacon Ranch Sub
- 4 oz. Cucumber (prepared as outlined above)
- 3 oz. sliced Turkey
- 1/2 slice Provolone Cheese (or equivalent to 0.5 oz.)
- 1/2 slice Bacon, cooked
- 1 oz. Avocado
- 1 tsp. plan-friendly Ranch Dressing (e.g., Walden Farms brand, fat-free plain Greek yogurt with ranch seasoning, etc.)
Servings: 1 | Serving Size: 1 cucumber sub | Replaces: 1 serving protein, 4 oz. serving raw vegetables, 1 serving healthy fat
Caprese Sub
- 4 oz. Cucumber (prepared as outlined above)
- 1 oz. Mozzarella cheese
- 1 oz. cherry tomatoes, diced or chopped
- Walden Farms Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Sea salt & Pepper, to taste
Servings: 1 | Serving Size: 1 cucumber sub | Replaces: 1/2 serving protein, 5 oz. raw vegetables
