You remember that chat we had about sodium on Wednesday? Well, let’s apply what we now know about balancing higher sodium meals with less sodium throughout the day. ‘Cause this recipe is on the high side.
Those yummy Italian meats (prosciutto, breseloa, pancetta, etc.) are chock full of salt used for preservation. Of course I could read this on the label, but in Italian grocery stores (our was called the “Lunga”…love that name 🙂 ) meats are not sold in refrigeration. And hey, Italians are a pretty healthy population with far lower chronic disease rates!
Of course you could also omit the meat all together. Fall’s crisp apples, peppery arugula, and a bit of high-quality bleu cheese can create a most savory sandwich that would be far lower in sodium.
Being away from home during the evenings, I’ve had to get a bit creative with quick dinners. While this meal is “just” a sandwich…it’s the sandwich of all sandwiches. There’s something about the sweet, tart, crisp of an apple with the creamy, bold bleu cheese that makes a combination we go nuts over. Stinky cheese + fruit = heavenly. Fruit + cured meats = traditional Italian. Together?
Voila!
Prosciutto, Apple, Bleu Cheese, and Arugula Sandwiches inspired by Cooking Light
4 slices whole wheat bread
3 oz prosciutto
2 oz bleu cheese, sliced
1/2 apple of choice, thinly sliced (I used Honeycrisp)
1 cup arugula, loosely packed
Directions:
Toast bread slices. Divide the ingredients evenly onto each of two slices of bread and top with the remaining slices. Serve and enjoy! Yield: 2 sandwiches.
Nutrition Information (per sandwich): 430 calories; 16.5 g. fat; 43 mg. cholesterol; 1241 mg. sodium; 44.5 g. carbohydrate; 7.5 g. fiber; 23.5 g. protein
Result: Sweet, salty, creamy, and rich. If I could eat any combination of sandwich ingredients until forever, I would choose this. Mr. Prevention and I agreed – these were awesome! Enjoy!
[/print_this]On a completely unrelated note, I wanted to talk quickly about illness and exercise. While I was running last night (my first workout since Sunday), I couldn’t help but think, “Why would anyone push themselves through a workout when ill?” I’m just getting over my cold and I was on the fence about working out yesterday. As the afternoon wore on, I felt up for it, so I went. Just 2 miles, listening to my body the whole time.
I know people often ask or wonder if it’s “good” or “bad” to force a workout when under the weather and my take is, “why force it?”. If you’re truly under the weather, I think the body wants and deserves time to recuperate. Besides, being sick is miserable enough…struggling through a workout just doesn’t sound appealing to me.
So I’m wondering what you all think of working out when sick.
Question: Do you exercise when feeling ill? Do you think it’s good for the body? Bad?
TGIF!!
I remember reading a study last year that said that working out when you have a cold can help you get better faster. However, if you have a fever, the study obviously suggested not to workout. I always workout when I’m not feeling too hot, and I sweat it gives me more energy and helps me recover!
The sandwich look really delicious. Today at work I’m making portobello sandwiches with arugula….I’m never had arugula on a sandwich, that I can remember.
Enjoy your weekend, Nicole!
I really like exercising. A lot.
Honestly, it’s the best part of my day. I don’t always feel in the mood to exercise but I know that it will make me feel happier and make me be a more pleasant person when I’ve finished a workout.
So even though I know that exercising when I’m sick is not going to make things better, subconsciously I think that it is. And then, of course, I stay sick for a bit longer than I should and I just keep exercising through it.
But I’m only talking about a cold or a headache or cramps. Nothing serious and definitely nothing GI-related (there’s nothing worse than exercising with bowel issues :/ )
This sandwich looks delicious, especially for an easy weeknight dinner! I workout with a mild cold but it never feels worth it when I have a sinus infection or am sick enough to just feel week.
I don’t work out when I’m not feeling well. It usually doesn’t make me feel any better. Love the sandwich idea. Hope you have a great weekend!
This sandwich sounds amazing. I love sandwiches that have apples or pears in them.
I workout when I have a cold because for me I find it helps. Im one of those people that rarely gets a full on cold though. My body is weird that way. I get half sick for twice as long. But if I feel genuinely sick, then I dont force it. I think you can tell when its a good idea to workout and when its not.
I usually push on through unless I have a fever or something. But I make sure to keep things nice and mellow. An easy workout usually makes me feel a little better!
Ok, I am seriously drooling over this sandwich. It looks just amazing!
I normally take it easy. I have a hard time pushing myself to work out when I feel well, so I definitely rest up and get back to it when I’m feeling better. 😉
Have a great weekend, Nicole!!
Yum, what a sandwich!
I have a cold right now, so I’m trying to take it easy, but it’s hard because I feel a little guilty when I don’t work out!
I don’t normally get too excited about a sandwich but this is definitely an exception 🙂