Healthy Protein Paninis
Three toasty sandwiches all under 550 calories with over 40g of protein each
How many of your favorite foods have you been told to give up to lose weight?
Maybe it’s only been a few like pizza and burgers.
Or more than likely it’s been those foods and a lot more too.
I’ve certainly been told to give up hundreds of my favorite foods over the years and as a result, I’ve avoided many of them thinking I was being healthy. Now I’m actively finding ways to bring those “unhealthy” foods back into my diet.
My favorite one that’s been absent from my diet for some time now is a panini.
The crispy, cheesy, and fatty sandwich that was the perfect excuse to meet up with a friend or study at a cafe.
Little did I know at the time that those paninis were 800 - 1000 calories each. With those calories being similar to a steak dinner, it’s easy to see why people have been told to avoid it.
But as with most food, simple changes can make them much more balanced and macro-friendly.
Those simple changes are on full display with these three crispy paninis, which are high in protein and lower in fat than traditional paninis. It doesn’t matter if it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner. There’s a delicious panini for every time of the day and each one takes less than 20 minutes to make, using mostly staple ingredients.
Whenever you’re craving a panini and don’t want to use more than 50% of your calories to enjoy it, give these a try.
Here are a few notes regarding the recipes & substitutions:
Use sprouted-grain bread like Ezekiel bread or any whole-grain bread that you like. Just make sure it’s no more than 90 calories per slice.
For the southwestern egg panini: reduce the calories by using all egg whites.
For the steak & cheddar panini: reduce cooking time by using roast beef.
If there is no light cheese at your grocer, substitute it with low-fat mozzarella.
If you’re lactose intolerant, you can remove the cheese from the paninis. The sauce and toppings should keep it from being too dry.
Southwestern Egg Panini
49G Protein Per Panini | 545 Calories | 10 Minutes | 1 Serving
Breakfast sandwiches wake me up way better than coffee ever did and this particular panini does the best job in my opinion. With avocado, bacon bits, green onions, melted cheese, and egg it’s everything you would want for breakfast in one compact package. This is my favorite panini of the three by far.
Ingredient List
2 slices sprouted grain or whole grain bread
3 egg whites
2 eggs
1 tbsp bacon bits
1/4 cup light shredded Mexican cheese
1 tbsp guacamole or mashed avocado
1/2 tomato, chopped
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
Cooking spray
Salt & pepper to taste
Cooking Instructions
In a bowl, beat the eggs and egg whites with a pinch of salt & pepper.
Preheat a pan over medium heat and add the bacon bits. Fry for 2 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and green onion to the pan and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
Pour the eggs into the pan. Cover the pan with a lid and let the eggs cook for about 3-4 minutes or until the egg is no longer runny on top.
Sprinkle with the cheese and fold all sides of the egg into a square. Remove from the pan.
Spray the pan again with cooking spray. Add one slice of bread and top with the guacamole/avocado.
Place the egg on top then close the sandwich with the other slice of bread. Continue to toast the bottom slice until golden and crispy.
Flip the sandwich and mash it down as hard as possible with another pot or pan. Cook until the other side is golden and crispy. Serve and enjoy!
Steak & Cheddar Panini
47G Protein Per Panini | 496 Calories | 10-12 Minutes | 1 Serving
Panera used to be one of my most frequented cafes back in the day and I would often get one of their Steak & White Cheddar sandwich. This panini is inspired by that sandwich but without the pickled onions and horseradish. Sometimes I want that tangy, sweet, and salty flavor from it but then I give up when I realize I have to pickle onions and find horseradish. This is just pretty much my lazy way to enjoy Panera again.
Ingredient List
2 slices sprouted grain bread or whole-grain bread
5 oz lean sirloin or flank steak, thinly sliced
¼ cup mild pickled jalapenos or banana peppers
1 slice light cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp steak seasoning
2 tbsp light mayo
1/3 tbsp mustard
1/2 tsp honey
Cooking spray
Cooking Instructions
Lightly coat the steak with cooking spray then sprinkle with the steak seasoning. Mix until the seasoning is well incorporated.
In a bowl, mix the light mayo, mustard, and honey.
Preheat a pan to medium-high heat and add the steak to cook for 30-40 seconds on each side.
Remove from the pan and turn down the heat in the pan to medium-low.
Coat with cooking spray and add one slice of the bread.
Spread 1 tbsp of the sauce on the bottom slice and placethe cooked steak and jalapenos on top.
Add the cheese followed by the other slice of bread. Spray the top slice with cooking spray.
Continue to toast the bottom slice until golden and crispy.
Flip the sandwich and mash it down as hard as possible with another pot or pan. Cook until the other side is golden and crispy. Serve and enjoy!
Turkey Turkey Club Panini
46G Protein Per Panini | 404 Calories | 10 Minutes | 1 Serving
I made the mistake of not melting the cheese by putting it on the top slice of the sandwich, but this turkey panini still turned out great. It’s sort of a mix between the flavors of BLT and a turkey sub, but it’s not as heavy as both those sandwiches tend to be. You get the crispiness from the turkey bacon and the bread while getting the juiciness from the vegetables and the sauce. You can’t go wrong with having this sandwich for a quick lunch or dinner.
Ingredient List
2 slices sprouted grain bread or whole-grain bread
3 slices deli turkey
2 slices turkey bacon, cooked crispy
1 slice light cheddar or provolone cheese
2-3 lettuce leaves
3 tomato slices
2 tbsp light mayo
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tbsp vinegar
1/8 tsp olive oil
Cooking spray
Cooking Instructions
In a bowl, mix the light mayo, Italian seasoning, vinegar, and olive oil.
Coat the pan with cooking spray and preheat to medium heat. Add one slice of the bread.
Spread 1 tbsp of the sauce on the bottom and top with the turkey and cooked turkey bacon.
Add the lettuce and tomato followed by the cheese. Top with the other slice of bread. Spray the top slice with cooking spray.
Continue to toast the bottom slice until golden and crispy.
Flip the sandwich and mash it down as hard as possible with another pot or pan. Cook until the other side is golden and crispy. Serve and enjoy!
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Eat Well,
Marcus Matkins