The key to a healthy grilled cheese is choosing healthier ingredients.
Who doesn't like grilled cheese sandwiches? Kids and adults alike have a hard time resisting that buttery golden bread with the ooey-gooey cheese inside. Unfortunately, the traditional grilled cheese sandwich is full of calories, saturated fat and refined carbohydrates. But don't worry, you can still have all of the melt-in-your-mouth goodness of a grilled cheese sandwich with this much healthier version. Enjoy!
Instructions
1. Start with a good whole grain bread that lists "whole grain flour" or "whole wheat flour" as the first ingredient. Also, make sure your bread has at least 3 grams of fiber per slice.
2. Assemble the healthy grilled cheese sandwich. Select a natural cheese, which contains more nutrients and fewer additives than processed cheeses. To reduce the overall fat and calories, look for a cheese made with skim or part-skim milk. Place a serving of cheese between two slices of your whole grain bread.
3. Spray a hot pan with a little olive oil and add your sandwich. If you really want the buttery taste of the traditional grilled cheese sandwich, you can use one of the newer non-hydrogenated, omega-3 buttery spreads (like Smart Balance) instead of olive oil.
4. Lightly brown one side of your sandwich and then flip to brown the other side.
5. When your sandwich is browned on both sides and the cheese is melted, remove it from the pan and enjoy!
6. For an extra dose of vitamin C and lycopene, try adding a slice of tomato to your sandwich before adding it to the pan.
Tags: grilled cheese, your sandwich, cheese sandwich, grilled cheese sandwich, whole grain, grain bread