You probably eat plenty of these for lunch during the school year. Here’s a look at one of our favorite midday treats.
We all love sandwiches. Our favorite yummy filling or meat topped with lettuce, tomatoes, and maybe onions between two pieces of bread. They are delicious and easy to make. Did you know that they’ve been around since the first century B.C.?
The famous rabbi Hillel the Elder is credited with creating the first version of what would later be called a sandwich when he put chopped nuts, apples and spices between two matzohs.
During the Middle Ages blocks of stale bread called trenchers were used as plates with meats and other foods stacked on top. The juices were soaked up by the bread. If you were hungry enough, you ate that as well. But usually, these were tossed to the dogs.
The word “sandwich” first appeared in writing courtesy of scholar Edward Gibbons (1737-1794) after he witnessed two noblemen eating the cold meat creations in a coffee room.
John Montague (1718-1792) was known as the Fourth Earl of Sandwich. He financed the exploits of Capt. James Cook as Cook explored Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia and Polynesia. Montague was a gambler who sometimes was so engrossed in gaming that he would not get up to eat. Instead he called for meat tucked between two pieces of bread. Soon others began ordering them. The first official sandwich is said to be salted beef between two slices of toasted bread.
The sandwich came to America in 1849 in a cookbook by Elizabeth Leslie. She suggested ham sandwiches with mustard on buttered bread as lunch or dinner fare.
By the 1900s, American bakeries began selling sliced bread. Sandwiches became easy to make. They’ve been a favorite convenient, portable meal ever since.
Sandwiches have come a long way. What’s so great about them is that you can put anything you like between two slices of bread.
Favorites include Peanut butter and jelly, Bacon lettuce and tomato, grilled cheese, hotdogs, hamburgers, cheese steaks and submarine sandwiches. There are even deli sandwiches that could feed four people. But as tasty as they are, some are better than others.
Instantly make your sandwich healthier by using whole wheat or whole grain bread instead of white bread, which is made with refined flour. Try to eliminate the mayonnaise or at least cut down on it. Mustard is great on bread. Try to put healthy things in your sandwich like grilled chicken, low fat tuna and of course, plenty of veggies.
We all love hot dogs and hamburgers, but try to limit these as they have lots of fat and calories. Hot dogs especially have a lot of sodium (salt) and nitrates, which are not healthy. Save the hot dogs for the yearly family picnic or a day at the baseball game.
Peanut butter and jelly is OK since you’ll get protein from the peanut butter. And grilled cheese is an all time favorite, especially with a bowl of tomato soup.
Here’s a healthy sandwich recipe to try with an adult’s help. This can be eaten warm or cold.
Grilled Veggie Sandwich
Use a counter-top grill or grill pan. Sprinkle zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes and sliced onion with a little salt, pepper and olive oil and then grill until tender. You can tell when they are done by poking them with a fork. When they’re done, the veggies will take on a sweet taste. Next, put fresh lettuce and tomato on whole wheat bread. Pile the grilled veggies on top and enjoy.
Any sandwich can easily be made into the popular panini style by adding a little cheese and then grilling the entire thing for a few minutes to meld all the ingredients together.
This is another great little kitchen creation that’s easy to make and you can have it any way you choose.
Easy after-school sandwiches can include the ever-popular PB and J, tuna fish, turkey breast and low fat cheese, or even last night’s grilled chicken.
Have fun creating your own sandwiches. Anything works. Just keep it as healthy as you can. Use whole wheat bread and go easy on the mayonnaise. And remember to drink plenty of water.
Today’s lesson fulfills the following New York standards: ELA 1c, 3c, 3d, 5a.
ACTIVITIES
What’s your favorite sandwich and what are the ingredients?
Have a class discussion on how you can make your favorite sandwich even healthier.
Prepare two of your favorite sandwiches to share with your classmates. Everyone can take turns tasting them.
Teachers: For more information about the New York?Post’s Classroom Extra program, contact Customer Service at 1-800-801-0100. Today’s lesson can be found in Classroom Extra at nypost.com.