My New Favorite Sandwich

I never used to like avocados.  Wouldn't touch the things.  Now I can't seem to get enough of them!  Yes, they're high in fat compared to other fruits but it's GOOD fat and the health benefits are just too good to be ignored.  Plus, we need SOME fat in our diets, preferably from whole foods/plant-based sources.  (Seeds, nuts/nut butters, and olives are some other good sources.)  I do stick to a very low-fat diet but one of the fat sources that I always make room for is avocados.  Not necessarily daily but a couple times a week I'll spread half an avocado on a veggie burger or chop a whole avocado on a salad.  Whenever I go to Mudgie's Deli, I get the Hippie Dippie Sh*t Man wrap, which comes with avocado.  I don't douse these meals with other sauces or fatty dressings.  You don't need to do that when you have avocado.  It adds such a creamy deliciousness that you don't miss those other things.  And cheese?  Fugetaboutit!

Enter the Grilled Avocado and Tomato Sandwich.  No cheese.  The avocado stands in for the cheese.  And you won't even miss a thing.  Trust me.  You can use any bread but we happened to have some amazing rustic Italian bread from Westborn Market that Brian had picked up the day before.  I thought about getting some Daiya but as delicious as a grilled Daiya and tomato sandwich is, I just can't get past the fact that Daiya is so processed.  So I did a side-by-side comparison of the nutrition facts of Daiya vs. avocado.

Daiya (1/4 cup mozzarella shreds)        Avocado (1/4 cup mashed)

Calories: 90                                          Calories: 80
Fat: 6 grams                                         Fat: 7 grams
Sodium: 280 mg                                    Sodium: 4 mg
Carbs: 7 grams                                      Carbs: 4.3 grams
Fiber: 1 gram                                        Fiber: 3.4 grams
Sugars: 0 grams                                     Sugars: 0.33 grams
Protein: 1 gram                                     Protein: 1 gram
Potassium: 0 mg                                    Potassium: 244 grams
Vitamin A: 0%                                        Vitamin A: 1%
Vitamin C: 0%                                        Vitamin C: 8%
Calcium: 2%                                           Calcium: 1%
Iron: 2%                                                 Iron: 2%

As you can see, fat and calorie-wise, they're pretty comparable.  The avocado stacks up better in terms of fiber, potassium, and vitamins.  Plus it has less sodium and fewer carbs.  Another downside for me with Daiya is that it has all those ingredients, whereas avocados are just avocados!  Granted, I wasn't going to just have 1/4 cup of avocado but that was fine with me.  I could use the extra iron, fiber, and potassium - plus my overall fat intake for the day was low.  So I used the WHOLE avocado even though you could easily get away with just using half if you do want to save on fat and calories.  It would still be pretty delicious - and a little easier to bite into!


Grilled Avocado and Tomato Sandwich

Ingredients:

2 slices hearty bread
1 tomato slice
1 avocado, sliced
Whole Grain Dijon mustard (I'm obsessed with Trader Joe's brand)
Vegan margarine, such as Earth Balance
Garlic powder (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat a skillet over low heat.  

2. Prepare your sandwich by spreading both slices of bread with mustard.  Lay avocado slices on one piece of bread, top with tomato slice, and cover with remaining avocado slices.  Cover with the other piece of bread, smooshing down a little, if possible.

3. Lightly spread margarine on top piece of bread and sprinkle with garlic powder, to taste.  Carefully place in pan, margarine-side down.  While that side begins to brown, spread margarine on the side that is facing up and sprinkle with garlic powder.

4. Flip after about 5 minutes, once the underside is lightly browned, being careful not to lose any avocado pieces.  Cook for another 5 minutes or until browned. 

Serves 1.

What's your favorite way to eat avocado?