Mix-and-Match Sandwiches

The following are some more options to help you to create delicious, low-GL sandwiches to keep you within your 10GL goal per meal. Choose the type of bread you want from the 'Choose 1 Bread' box, then decide which topping and salad to put with it from the 'Choose 1 Filling' and 'Unlimited' boxes.

You can also choose anything from the 'Optional' box.

So, for example, you could go for wholemeal bread and smoked salmon with rocket and pesto or an open rye-bread sandwich of cottage or cream cheese with spinach and sliced or mashed avocado. Alternatively, try a wholemeal pitta stuffed with pastrami, bresaola or lean, unprocessed ham with sliced gherkins and tomatoes, lettuce and coarse-grain mustard.

You'll notice that we haven't included butter - try to cut down on saturated fat by choosing a moist filling so that you don't notice the absence of a fatty spread. If you do want to use it, have just a thin smear, or use a little hummus or mustard instead. The serving sizes here are for one person.

CHOOSE 1

Bread (carbohydrate)

1 medium slice wholemeal bread maintenance phase: 1 thick slice

³/4wholemeal pitta bread (or to make life easier, have a whole pitta bread for 10D but don't have it with a carbohydrate-containing filling - so no sun-dried tomatoes or hummus, for example)

maintenance phase: 1 pitta

11/2 slices pumpernickel-style rye bread

maintenance phase: 2 slices

3 rough oatcakes maintenance phase: 5

1 small wrap

maintenance phase: 11/2 small wraps (or 1 large)

CHOOSE 1

Filling/topping (protein)

200g (7oz) hummus (small tub)

120g (4¹/4oz) cottage cheese, (about ¹/2 tub)

85g (3oz) smoked fish (a medium fillet), such as salmon, trout or mackerel

50g (1³/4oz) cooked meat (couple of slices), such as chicken, turkey, ham off the bone, pastrami or bresaola

70g (21/2oz) tuna 1/2 x 185g (61/2oz) can), drained

1 tbsp taramasalata

85g (3oz) (6 large) cooked prawns

2 hard-boiled eggs (or mix 1 egg with 1 tbsp cottage cheese for a low-fat alternative to egg mayo)

1 tbsp nut butter (try hazelnut, almond or pumpkin-seed as well as peanut butter

100g (3¹/2oz) thinly sliced smoked tofu

UNLIMITED

Salad (either in the salad or on the side)

Lettuce, rocket, spinach, watercress, tomatoes (cherry tomatoes have the lowest GL), cucumber, gherkins, spring onion or thinly sliced red onion, finely shredded cabbage.

Vegetable antipasti, such as roasted peppers or marinated artichoke hearts, drained of oil, or roasted vegetables.

Cress or other sprouted seeds (alfalfa sprouts taste similar to cress and are packed with phyto - or plant - nutrients)

OPTIONAL

Condiments for added flavour

Slick of mustard

Up to 1 tbsp tomato salsa

Up to 2 tsp pesto

Up to 2 tsp nut butter

Up to 2 tsp guacamole or sliced or mashed avocado Up to 2 tsp tapenade

Scraping of butter

Up to 2 tsp reduced-fat cream cheese

Food on the Move/working Lunches continue...

Goat's cheese, pear and pecan salad

A brilliant combination of flavours that is very simple to fling together.

SERVES 1

1 slice firm goat's cheese (approximately 75-100g/23/4- ³ 1/2oz), sliced or crumbled into chunks

1 ripe pear, cored and thinly sliced

1 tbsp pecan halves (roughly chopped, if you prefer)

1 Little Gem lettuce, washed and drained, and torn into bite-sized pieces A couple of good handfuls of watercress, roughly chopped or torn

Scatter the cheese, pear slices and nuts over a bed of lettuce and watercress. The fat and flavour from the nuts and cheese mean that you shouldn't need extra dressing.

MAINTENANCE PHASE (PER PERSON)

increase to 4 rough oatcakes

Salade nicoise

You can make this celebrated French classic salad as quick or as complicated as you like. If you have time, do include the capers and spring onions, as they add so much to the overall flavour.

SERVES 1

¹/2 x 185g (6¹/2oz) can or jar of tuna, drained (140g (5oz) drained) ¹/2 Romaine lettuce or 2 Little Gem lettuces, washed well,dried and torn into bite-sized pieces

3 spring onions, sliced on the diagonal (optional)

3 pitted black olives, roughly chopped

1 tsp capers, well rinsed (optional)

1 egg, hard-boiled for 8 minutes, shelled and chopped into smallish chunks

2 anchovies in oil, drained on kitchen paper (optional) 6 cherry tomatoes, halved

¹/2 x 410g (14¹/2oz) can mixed pulses, drained and rinsed

¹/2 x 225g (8oz) can cooked French green beans, drained and rinsed well to remove any salty water

Freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE DRESSING

1 tbsp ready-made vinaigrette

1 Toss all the salad ingredients together.

2 Pour over the dressing and toss again, gently.

MAINTENANCE PHASE (PER PERSON)

serve with 3 small boiled baby new potatoes (in addition to the mixed pulses)

Smoked salmon with cottage cheese salad

The creamy, mild flavour of cottage cheese goes beautifully with the salty, sweet salmon. This dish is rich in essential fats from the oily salmon, and low in saturated fat, as cottage cheese is virtually fat-free.

SERVES 1

¹/2x 150g (51/2oz) bag fully prepared mixed salad leaves, organic where possible

2.5cm (1 in) chunk cucumber, finely sliced

125g (41/2oz) cottage cheese

¹/2 x 75g (2 ³/4oz) pack smoked salmon, torn into strips 1 tbsp lemon juice

Freshly ground black pepper

1 Place the leaves and cucumber on a plate. Put the cottage cheese and salmon on top.

2 Drizzle with lemon juice and season with plenty of black pepper.

MAINTENANCE PHASE (PER PERSON)

serve with 2 slices of pumpernickel-style rye bread or 5 rough oatcakes

Mackerel and chickpea salad

Strongly flavoured mackerel is an oily fish that is a rich source of omega-3 essential fats, which are required for skin, hormones and brain function. Its rich flavour works well with the salty olive tapenade and the mild chickpeas.

SERVES 1

¹/2 x 225g (8oz) jar or can mackerel fillets in oil, drained and placed on kitchen paper to absorb excess oil (160g (53/4oz) drained weight)

¹/2x 410g (14¹/2oz) can chickpeas

1 tbsp tapenade

¹/2 x 150g (51/2oz) bag fully prepared baby or young leaf spinach, organic where possible, finely sliced or shredded

1 celery stick, finely sliced (optional)

2.5cm (1 in) chunk cucumber, diced (optional)

Tip all the ingredients in a bowl and mix so that the fish flakes and everything else becomes coated in tapenade.

MAINTENANCE PHASE (PER PERSON)

add 50g (13/4oz) (dry weight) quinoa or a toasted mini wholemeal pitta bread