Dispatches: Sandwiches Unwrapped

This week's Dispatches on Channel 4 took a look at sandwiches. Much of the programme focussed on a sandwich factory which had rats, however they also took a look at nutrition.

Boots came out top for nutritional value, most often reaching the FSA guidelines for low sodium/fat/saturated fat. Subway and Pret a Manger both did poorly, as did the posh sarnies from Marks & Spencer.

Looking at the Subway website, it's not straightforward to fathom out what you get in any given sandwich, as they list all the ingredients separately, however here are the highest and lowest options I could put together, avoiding dressings...

Highest sodium option - Wrap with Meatball Marinara - 2.6g sodium per sandwich, more than the daily recommended intake for an adult

Lowest sodium option - Honey Oat 6 inch Veggie Delite - 0.5g sodium per sandwich

UK Salt Intake Has Fallen by 3000 Elephants

Elephants
Many thanks to kjdrill for the beautiful photo

Great news for our health - the BBC reports that the average salt intake in the UK has fallen by almost a gramme in the last seven years - from 9.5g to 8.6g a day. This means that more people will be reaching the goal of not more than 6g a day.

You can read the full report here, and CASH's (Consensus Action on Salt and Health) response here. They have calculated, usefully, that this has removed 19,700 tonnes of salt from the UK diet, equivalent to 3000 male elephants.

Olio e Farina

A quick mention of Olio e Farina, for their delicious oils and vinegars (balsamic is essential for low sodium cooking). They have shops in St Albans and Chester, and you can buy online too.

Eat

I found this great site today too - the Sandwich Guide which has reviews of high street sandwiches, and also the British Sandwich Association who, on their home page, helpfully provide a definition of a sandwich for us (burgers do not count as sandwiches, apparently). Who would have thought there would have been so much information out there on the humble sandwich?

Anyway, here are some sodium levels for the sandwiches and soups at Eat. All figures are g of sodium per pack/portion. bear in mind that the government recommended daily intake for an adult is 2.4 g - some of these options come very close to giving you that in one part of one meal. In summary - avoid the baguettes and soups, and go for the chicken sandwiches instead.

Sandwiches...
Lowest:
Cajun Spiced Chicken 0.4g
Thai Citrus Chicken 0.4g
Chicken Salad 0.4g
Herb Cream Cheese and Roast Vegetables 0.42g

Highest:
Hot Smoked Salmon and Cucumber 1g
Chilli Crayfish 1.1g
Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato 1.2g
Prawns with Garlic Mayonnaise Wheat Free 1.2g
Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Wheat Free 1.2g
Tuna and Cheddar Melt 1.21g
Chorizo and Peppers Baguette 1.27g
EAT Club 1.43g
Roast Ham, Brie and Cranberry Baguette 1.8g
Ham and Jarlsberg Baguette 1.97g

Soups...
Lowest:
New England Clam Chowder 0.4g

Highest:
Hungarian Goulash 1.1g
French Onion 1.13g
Corn Chowder 1.18g
Cream of Corn 1.5g

Grains2Mill

More salt-free success at the farmer's market today. The lovely (although not very local...I do wonder about our farmer's market's rules) people from Grains2Mill were there with their "Quick 'N' Easy" wheat free Spelt and Oat bread mix. No kneading required - you pretty much add water, mix, and bung in the oven.

Bento - Laptop Lunches

Since we started on this low-sodium thing, I have been trying (and, with a couple of excusable exceptions, managing), to make Mr C a low sodium sandwich for his lunch every day. However, as there are only so many things you can put into a sarnie, it has started to get a little boring for him. I'm also keen to wean our eldest off her salty sandwiches which she has at the childminder's three afternoons a week, and so have invested in bento lunchboxes.

After the Muji website let us down (our order disappeared down a black hole), and a search of eBay turned up some cute boxes which were perhaps not entirely appropriate for a grown man working at an investment bank (although I found it hard to resist this lion), I stumbled across Laptop Lunches, from California, stocked by Becky and Lolo in the UK. I've bought a pink one for the little one, and a sensible manly navy blue one for the husband.

Although Japanese food is often salty (all that soy sauce...), I have lots of other ideas, and our daughter enjoyed plain rice, chicken, carrot sticks and hummous, and some fruit today. The boxes come with a little book of ideas and recipes which, although a little American, is already providing inspiration.