ALANNA'S HAM AND CHEESE SANDWICH, TOMATO SOUP AND APPLE DESSERT: GRADE B

Posted by Alanna Fincke

Here's what I had for lunch today:

• Sandwich: 1 slice provolone cheese, 2 slices ham, whole wheat bread, romaine lettuce, mustard
• Tomato soup -- 1/2 can of Healthy Request made with skim milk
• Apple

I made some good--and some not-so-good--choices with this lunch. Going with whole-wheat bread provided fiber (3 grams for this brand), and choosing romaine over iceberg lettuce was an easy and smart switch for added vitamins. I'll also get lycopene, vitamin C, and vitamin A from the soup as well as calcium (from the skim milk). But I could have made better choices for protein, which mainly comes from the cheese and ham. The problem? The cheese is high in saturated fat and the ham is high in sodium (not to mention the mustard). I also needed a few more veggies, too. Because the soup is processed, I lose a little of tomato's goodness. So the one "true" vegetable is the single slice of romaine. Of course, finishing off the meal with one of my favorite fruits, the apple, is always a good choice.

Grade: B

Please leave a comment and we may contact you to appear on the show (your email will be kept confidential)! If you DO NOT want to be contacted, please email us at bodyandsoulchallenge@marthastewart.com.

Comments

[Amy]

These graded lunches are so helpful! It is interesting to check in each day and read what would have made each one better.

[Linda Gail]

Alanna:)
Good choice for soup, but the sandwich is all wrong. A simple grilled cheese sandwich is what you need and then some carrot and celery sticks for the veggies would be the perfect meal.And the apple is a great dessert.
Of course if you're like me and want to change things up. You have a peanut butter and banana sandwich and some raw broccoli and cauliflower with some fat-free ranch dressing. And then the apple for dessert or for your afternoon snack.
Linda Gail

[Stefanie Schmidt]

This is a great balance for lunch, but I would have opted for a veggie sandwich instead. I like the mix of the fruit and sandwich.

[grace]

Actually, processing tomatoes makes the lycopene more bio-available than fresh!

[ann binetti]

You could have used low salt ham and fat free cheese and your sandwich would have been healthier. A large batch of homemade tomato soup would also have been a good idea because the extra could have been frozen in portion sizes for future lunches.

[Jeannie]

I love Tomato soup, I added a little fresh basil...very yummy.