Walk into a deli or a café and you will be greeted by a delectable selection of sandwiches and rolls all neatly arranged in the glass display cases. A closer look at the prices will reveal that each sandwich costs about $8 on average, more so when rustic or artisan bread like Ciabatta, Panini, bagel, baguette or rye. Add a handful of fries or potato wedges and a cupful of plain salad, the price is increased to $10.
Now do the Mathematics. If you eat at least one sandwich bought from the deli everyday, at least $160 is drawn out of your pocket per month. That adds up to $1920 a year. You can cut down the amount spent for lunch by half by trying out the following ideas.
The supermarket offers a variety of choices for a nutritious home-made gourmet sandwich. Artisan bread like Panini or rustic bread like rye or multi grains like linseed and soy bread can be bought for an average of $4. The shelf life of the loaf, compared to normal commercial bread, is 3 to 4 days on average. Cheese can be a tasty and nutritious base for a sandwich. So if you buy a packet of sliced cheese, this can last for up to 2 weeks.
For the more adventurous, look for spreads such as mustard or low fat mayonnaise or even dips such as avocado, baba ganoush (I have tried this in my sandwich and trust me, it tastes so good with cheese and salami), guacamole or humus. Add in some fungi like mushroom or vegetables like zucchini or even fruit like tomato or avocado or alternate your filling with salami, you have a gourmet sandwich that costs an average of $4 each. What’s wonderful about homemade sandwich is that you can even double your lunch if you choose to and still slash your lunch expenses by half.
Discounting the fact that you may need to have to lunch out for formal or informal meetings, you can still save a lot on the days you eat in. The added bonus is, you get to control what you eat by eating healthily.
Baba Ganoush Sandwich
Ingredients
Rye bread
Sliced Cheddar Cheese
Baba Ganoush Dip
Sliced zucchini
Method
Spread baba ganoush lightly on each piece of rye bread
Add a slice of cheddar cheese
Cover the cheese slice with sliced zucchini
For variation, add salami, salmon, sautéed mushrooms or sliced avocado or tomato
Do check out upcoming recipes for quick, simple yet delicious sandwiches that pack a punch.