Food: The Sandwich: The Perfect Food

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The Sandwich: The Perfect Food
Thursday, August 31, 2006

By J. L. Soto

Seriously, I think the sandwich is the perfect food. Many disagree with me and scoff when I state this opinion but I stand by this opinion one hundred percent. Of course there are more nutritious and better tasting meals but you just can't beat a good sandwich.

For those that don't know, the sandwich goes back to the 18th century with this English aristocrat known as the 4th Earl of Sandwich. Though its origin goes back even further with the ancient Hebrews (whose put lambs and herbs on top of matzos), the sandwich was named after Lord Sandwich, who was known to have meat placed in between two pieces of bread by his servants so he could continue playing cards without getting his hands dirty.

This has to be one of the most ingenious innovations in culinary history and it can be argued that this could have been a forerunner to fast food for better or worse. Getting back to my belief that it's the perfect food, I'll say that the traditional sandwich contains all of the ingredients from the so-called four food groups that used to be hawked.

Think about it. The bread comes from the grain and wheat of the four food groups, the meats obviously comes from the meat group, while the cheeses are from the dairy group. Finally representing the fruit and vegetable group are the vegetables you put on the sandwich such as lettuce, cabbage, tomato and so on. Condiments like mayo and mustard are just variations of the four food groups as far as I'm concerned.

Okay what are the contenders? Hamburgers, hot dogs, gyros, beef patties or pizzas? They're all just fancied up versions of sandwiches, only they are in different shapes. I consider anything that is in between, on top of or inside a bread to be as sandwich. In pizza's case that's just an open-face sandwich. But what advantage does a sandwich have? Well for starters, you don't have to cook a traditional sandwich (putting aside warmed chicken and meatball sandwiches for the moment) since the meats are already cooked when you buy them. Cheeses are already processed for you and unless you want to sauted the veggies, you can just go ahead and place them on the sandwich.
In a hurry? Just take out two pieces of bread and throw in the ingredients. In minutes you're good to go. Everyone will agree it's that simple.

Well then what about it's nutritional value and overall healthiness? Fine, I won't argue that it's the healthiest thing in the world but then again that depends on what goes into the sandwich. Sure a traditional sandwich with its fixings of fatty cheeses, salty meats and various dressings (and bread for those wanting a low-carb meal) won't be found in a weight-reduction diet. But there are so many low-fat and healthy alternatives such as turkey, fish, low-fat cheeses, and whole wheat bread that any dieter is only limited by the imagination. In terms of healthy foods at least you know what's going into this meal and you have the option to substitute foods unlike with whatever you buy from the fast food places. Even with the sandwich eateries, but the sandwiches there have another advantage, you get to pick what goes into them. For argument's sake, I'll leave out the ready-made sandwiches you may pick up in convenience stores.

On the other side of the coin, anyone can go crazy with the ingredients that go into a sandwich to create sensations that your pallet won't forget. From gooey philly cheesesteaks to spicy falafels and gyros the list is endless.

I can't help this bias I have toward this meal that can be had at any time at any size and portion. Maybe I got it from my mother who told me recently that while pregnant with me the only thing she could keep down were sandwiches. Incidentally, some studies suggest that the fetus is able to taste what the mother is eating so I could've been indoctrinated from way back then. Not that I'm blaming her, just trying to be thankful.

So next time while you are considering what to eat, just think of the deviously simple sandwich and how you can create your own perfect meal.

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