Pack this healthy Avocado, Tomato & Chicken Sandwich for lunch to get you through the rest of your day with energy to spare. Healthy-fat-filled avocado gets mashed into a creamy, silky spread that is schmeared onto toasty nutty multigrain bread. Protein-rich chicken is layered with juicy antioxidant-rich tomato to make one satisfying sandwich. Feel free to add a sprinkle of salt, pepper and crushed red pepper to take the flavors up a notch. Or add your favorite veggies. Keep reading for expert tips, including what to serve with this sandwich to round it out for a complete meal.
Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen
These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you, too!
- You can use a roasted chicken from the prepared foods section of your local grocery store, but it's easy enough to poach a chicken breast. Generally, 8 ounces of raw, boneless, skinless chicken breast yields about 1 cup of sliced, diced or shredded cooked chicken.
- If your avocado is unripe and you need it immediately, soften what you need in an oven or microwave. For the oven method: Wrap the avocado in foil and bake it in a 200°F oven for 10 minutes. Check and repeat until it’s soft enough. For the microwave method, halve the avocado, wrap it tight in plastic wrap and microwave it in 30-second intervals until soft. Then, dunk the wrapped avocado in a bowl of ice water, stopping the cooking.
- Because you'll only be using a 1/4 of an avocado, save the remaining 3/4 with the skin on and the pit nestled in place. Tightly wrap it in plastic wrap. You want to prevent air from getting to it, so it doesn't brown. It should last this way in the fridge for 2 days.
- You can make this sandwich open-faced, and it will still be delicious—you'll just save a few extra calories.
Nutrition Notes
- While labels can be confusing, it's important to note that not all multigrain breads have been made with whole grains. Multigrain bread made with white flour will offer some fiber but if you want the most fiber, look for "whole grains" on the label. Regardless of what type of multigrain bread you choose, you'll get some gut-healthy fiber and energy-producing carbohydrates, as well as B vitamins, which help your body use energy. Many multigrain breads have nuts and seeds in them, which will provide some healthy fat and antioxidants.
- Avocado is a nutrition powerhouse, providing fiber, antioxidants, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals. The fiber in avocados acts as a prebiotic, providing necessary food for your beneficial gut bacteria (even bacteria need to eat!). The nutrients in avocados, including their fiber, antioxidants, fat, folate, magnesium and potassium, support heart and brain health.
- Tomatoes have gotten a bad rep from some due to their nightshade status. But for most people, tomatoes can be a healthy choice. They're loaded with fiber, antioxidants and vitamins C and A. Altogether, tomatoes have been linked with preventing heart disease and some cancers. The nutrients in tomatoes may even give you healthy, glowing skin.
- Chicken breast adds lean protein to this sandwich. It also provides B vitamins, as well as choline, which is necessary for a healthy nervous system. Chicken breast easily fits into some of the healthiest eating patterns, including the Mediterranean diet.
Ingredients
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2 slices multigrain bread
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¼ ripe avocado
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3 ounces cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced (see Tip)
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2 slices tomato
Directions
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Toast bread. Mash avocado with a fork and spread onto one piece of toast. Top with chicken, tomato and the second piece of toast.
Frequently Asked Questions
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When choosing multigrain bread, it's a good idea to read the label to determine all the grains that went into the batter. It's often made with a few different types of grains and possibly some seeds, but the grains don't have to be whole grains. Anything labeled "whole grain" is king in the bread world because it still has the nutritious bran and germ intact. So, if you're buying whole-grain bread, rest assured that you're getting at least one whole grain, if not more. And if you are going for whole-wheat bread, expect to get wheat that still has the bran and germ intact.
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An arugula salad with citrus or strawberries, would go incredibly well. You could also opt for arugula paired with beets and feta or a grain, such as farro. Depending on the season and weather, this chicken avocado sandwich would go great with a spring, summer, fall or winter soup.
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Absolutely. You can swap the chicken for turkey or make our Tomato-&-Avocado Cheese Sandwich using Parmesan cheese, or transform this recipe into a breakfast sandwich by swapping the chicken for a fried egg.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
347 | Calories |
12g | Fat |
28g | Carbs |
31g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings Per Recipe 1 | |
Serving Size 1 sandwich | |
Calories 347 | |
% Daily Value * | |
Total Carbohydrate 28g | 10% |
Dietary Fiber 8g | 28% |
Total Sugars 5g | |
Added Sugars 2g | 4% |
Protein 31g | 62% |
Total Fat 12g | 16% |
Saturated Fat 2g | 12% |
Cholesterol 63mg | 21% |
Vitamin A 422IU | 8% |
Vitamin C 11mg | 12% |
Folate 89mcg | 22% |
Sodium 258mg | 11% |
Calcium 75mg | 6% |
Iron 3mg | 14% |
Magnesium 81mg | 19% |
Potassium 647mg | 14% |
Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate.
* Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.