White bread, high-fat dressings, cheese, and other fattening foods in your favorite turkey sandwich can make you fat. A turkey sandwich can have more than 700 calories! How to eat a sandwich for weight loss?
Turkey is good for weight loss
Turkey sandwich is good for weight loss, as turkey is an excellent animal source of protein with only a few calories and saturated fat.
Protein
Turkey is a great protein source. It has about 27 grams of protein per 100g. Protein is good for weight loss as it promotes satiety. Also, about 30% of calories of protein are burned during digestion!
Two slices of turkey provide about 9 grams of protein and only 65 calories!
Turkey has a few calories because it’s lean meat. It has 10.4 grams of fat per 100g. Two slices have only 3.3 grams of fat.
Moreover, turkey sandwich is particularly high in tryptophan. This amino acid is involved in the synthesis of many sleep hormones. So, eating a turkey sandwich at dinner supports a good night’s sleep. Quality sleep is beneficial for weight loss.
Saturated fat
Meat and other animal-derived products are high in saturated fat, though. High amounts can be dangerous.
Hence, we should eat only small portions of lean meats. Too much saturated fat can increase the risk of high cholesterol levels, heart disease, and stroke. According to the American Heart Association, we shouldn’t consume more than 13 grams of saturated fat a day.[1]
Turkey is among the meats with the lowest amount of saturated fat. It has only 3.5 grams of saturated fat per 100g. Two slices have 1.1 grams of saturated fat. This dose is 8.5% of the maximum recommended intake.
Cholesterol
In addition, turkey is among the animal foods with the lowest cholesterol content. Two slices have only 30 mg of cholesterol.[2]
Tuna sandwich is also a healthy snack for weight loss. It has negligible amount of cholesterol or saturated fat.
Turkey sandwiches with white bread are fattening
Turkey sandwich can make you fat, due to white bread. White bread is fattening.
It doesn’t promote satiety, as it has negligible amounts of fiber. Furthermore, many breads contain added sugar. Hence, it has a high glycemic index of 75. Foods with a high glycemic index make us gain weight.
Also, white bread has too many calories. It has about 270 calories per 100g! Bread of a medium sandwich has approximately 150 calories!
In addition, a turkey sandwich with white bread is unhealthy because it has a poor nutritional value.
Eat whole grain bread
On the other hand, whole grain bread can keep you full for hours because it’s high in fiber. Fiber delays digestion and regulates glucose responses.
Furthermore, whole grain bread is packed with minerals, which play a key role in energy metabolism.
Thus, reasonable amounts of bread are beneficial for weight loss.
Dressings in turkey sandwiches make you fat
Moreover, turkey sandwich can make you fat due to calorie-dense dressings.
Most dressings are high in calories because they’re high in fat and sugar. Vegetable oils and butter are almost 100% fat. They are the most calorie-dense foods. For instance, full-fat mayonnaise has about 100 calories per tablespoon!
Avoid adding too much full-fat mayonnaise or other fattening dressings and sauces.
Dressings for weight loss
You could eat low-calorie dressings, instead. For instance, low-fat mayonnaise has about 65% fewer calories! A tablespoon of light mayonnaise has only 36 calories.
Another great dressing for any sandwich is mustard. Mustard is low in calories. A tablespoon has only 10 calories!
Furthermore, you could add small amounts of tahini to your turkey sandwich. It has a unique flavor. Although tahini has many calories, it supports weight loss. It has a great nutritional value.
Also, you could add garlic powder and other spices to your sandwich dressing. Spices help lose weight and have many health benefits, due to their high antioxidant content. For instance, garlic may naturally lower high serum cholesterol levels.
Cheese in sandwiches make you gain weight
Another fattening ingredient of turkey sandwich is cheese. Cheese is high in calories and saturated fat. So, you should eat only small amounts of low-fat cheeses, preferable in salads and healthy snacks, if you want to lose weight.
A slice of cheddar cheese has 70 calories, while a slice of American cheese has 64 calories.
Most noteworthy, these high-fat yellow cheeses are high in saturated fat and cholesterol. Just a slice has about 3 grams of saturated fat (24% DV) and 17 mg of cholesterol.
| calories | protein (grams) | saturated fat (grams) | cholesterol (mg) | |
| cheddar cheese | 409 | 23 | 19 | 100 |
| American cheese | 375 | 17.5 | 18 | 100 |
| mozzarella cheese | 300 | 24 | 12 | 65 |
| 2% cottage cheese | 82 | 11 | 1.3 | 12 |
Not consuming too much cholesterol from food is beneficial for our health.
Best cheese for your sandwich
Low-fat cottage cheese is the best option for your favorite turkey sandwich. Cottage is the best cheese for weight loss. A serving has less than 15 calories.
High portion sizes make you fat
Furthermore, a turkey sandwich can make you fat if you eat high amounts. A medium turkey sandwich with 2% cottage cheese and a low-fat dressing has less than 250 calories.
However, a large turkey sandwich with 3 slices of turkey, cheddar cheese, and full-fat mayonnaise may have more than 700 calories!
Too many ingredients make you gain weight
In addition, adding too many ingredients to your turkey sandwich can make you gain weight. Eggs, avocado, lettuce, tomato, or cucumber are healthy. They contain vitamins and minerals that help burn belly fat.
But, too many ingredients can make you fat. They add too many extra calories and may cause digestive disturbances.
As a rule of thumb, prefer sandwiches with no more than 4 ingredients. Fresh vegetables are ideal for weight loss. They promote satiety with only a few calories.
Also, avocado could be a great ingredient to any sandwich. It keeps us full for hours, as it’s the richest fruit in fiber. Moreover, avocado is high in protein, iron, and omega-3s! However, we shouldn’t consume too much if we want to lose weight. It has many calories.
