I’ve found people—even those concerned about sodium—often turn to the good old turkey sandwich as if it’s the perfect healthy lunch. This always amazes me, because 4 ounces of your typical deli turkey (as opposed to homemade) have about 1,330 mg sodium, while its lower-sodium counterpart (which rarely has great flavor) still has 680 mg sodium. Two slices of bread have about 320 mg, a 1-ounce slice of cheese has 140 mg, and light jarred mayonnaise has about 120 mg per tablespoon (mustard has 170 g per tablespoon). Add those together, and this otherwise healthy sandwich has over 2,080 mg sodium. If you’re ordering it out, it could have even more. Though I do believe the turkey sandwich has a place in our diets, this is must-know information.

　　

Ingredients

makes 1 serving

　　1 tablespoon low-fat mayonnaise (no more than 2 g of fat per tablespoon; I used Best Foods/Hellmann’s)

　　1/8 teaspoon chipotle chili pepper (found in the spice aisle in jars; I used McCormick)

　　2 slices whole-wheat or whole-grain bread (70 calories or less per slice)

　　4 ounces thinly sliced or shaved extra-lean salsa, Southwest, or similarly seasoned deli turkey (found at the deli counter)

　　1 slice reduced-fat Colby or Monterey Jack cheese (I used Sargento)

　　1/2 leaf green lettuce, or to taste

　　3 thin tomato slices, or more to taste

　　1 thin red onion slice, or more to taste

　　

Step 1

In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise and chipotle.

　　

Step 2

Place one slice of bread on a serving plate. Top it with the turkey followed by the cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onion. Spread the chipotle mayonnaise evenly over the second slice of bread, then top the sandwich. Serve immediately.

　　

nutrition information

Step 3

Calories: 344

　　

Step 4

Protein: 30g

　　

Step 5

Carbohydrates: 42g

　　

Step 6

Fat: 9g

　　

Step 7

Saturated Fat: 4g

　　

Step 8

Cholesterol: 60mg

　　

Step 9

Fiber: 5g

　　

Step 10

Sodium: 1,380mg

　　Reprinted with permission from I Can't Believe It's Not Fattening! by Devin Alexander. Copyright © 2010 Devin Alexander. Published by Clarkson Potter Publishers, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.Devin Alexander is the author of The Most Decadent Diet Ever, Fast Food Fix, and coauthor of The New York Times bestsellers The Biggest Loser Cookbook and The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook. She was a chef on NBC's The Biggest Loser and the host of Healthy Decadence on Discover Health and FitTV.