Healthy Sandwiches When You Want a Handheld Meal

Spice-rubbed lean pork is remarkably tender and delicious after slow cooking all day in red wine. Shred and serve in a pita that's slathered with homemade Greek yogurt tzatziki for a lightened-up gyro sandwich.

Looking for a skinny spin on a buffalo chicken sandwich? Your search ends here. Since these healthy sliders start with purchased rolls (opt for whole wheat for extra fiber) and feature sauced-up leftover or rotisserie chicken, it's a cinch to make a big batch in a flash, too.

Related: 9 Ways to Make Buffalo Chicken Healthier

We keep these Vietnamese-inspired baguette sandwiches to a trim 231 calories each by calling for pork tenderloin, plenty of fresh veggies, and reduced-fat sesame ginger salad dressing.

A bit of prosciutto goes a long way in these toasted sandwiches that highlight peppy watercress and tangy pickled beets. For extra crunch, we sprinkle on a few crumbled potato chips (baked or kettle-cooked if you like) before adding the second slice of bread.

Hearty lentils and brown rice replace all the meat in these slow cooker faux joes. Even picky eaters will have a tough time distinguishing these vegetarian buns from their beefy counterparts.

Buy It: Crock-Pot 4-Quart Slow Cooker ($40, Bed Bath & Beyond)

Score big with fewer calories and lots of flavor with these satisfying taco-style sandwiches. Customize the flavor with your choice of salsa—pick one that is thick and chunky for best results. Use a skillet or grill pan if that's what you have on hand, but for the most professional-looking sandwiches, cook in a panini press.

Buy It: Hamilton Beach Panini Press and Grill ($40, Bed Bath & Beyond)

Get a taste of a New York deli via this cream cheese, lox, and caper sandwich. We trade the bagel for a flatbread to keep the calorie count at a trim 284 per wrap.

Related: Fast and Fresh Flatbread Recipes That Will Make You Forget Pizza

Who says meat lovers should have all the fun? Pile on the veggies and cheese and enjoy. Try different dipping sauces too such as BBQ sauce, Thousand Island dressing, or ranch dressing.

Great for entertaining, these sliders are easy to put together. Pile buttery dinner rolls with the simmered meat and top with crunchy, vitamin-packed coleslaw and pickles. If you’re hosting a get together, make a whole plate of these easy grab-and-go mini sandwiches.

With whole wheat pitas as the “bun” and whole wheat flour as the falafel binder, these veggie-loaded falafel pockets pack in 8 grams of filling fiber. Swap out any veggies you find at the farmers market to mix up the flavor. The yogurt dipping sauce really kicks this up a notch.

Is it sweet? Is it savory? Both, actually. The unexpected coffee flavor will have your taste buds asking for more. Its’ decadent and filling in a way that fish sometimes isn’t. The sour cream balances out the espresso powder in a refreshing finish.

Test Kitchen Tip: If you’re not feeling the coffee rub and would like a little spice, try using Cajon seasoning on the salmon.

Pump up the protein even more on your ham and cheese sandwich by adding sliced hard-cooked egg and a Greek yogurt dill sauce. Play around with different breads here like toasted sourdough, an English muffin or healthy sprouted wheat bread.

Buy It: Silver Hills Sprouted Wheat Bread ($5, Target)

This wrap can serve as a main dish, it’s so plentiful with flavor. The special ingredients of sriracha and brown sugar sweeten and spice up the sauce, without being overbearing. The rice also adds a nice high-fiber element to round out the nutrition profile.

Take advantage of a bumper crop of squash to make a spread of open-faced sandwiches for lunch. Grill the veggies and the bread, then layer a garlicky cream cheese mixture in between the two before finishing things off with plenty of fresh arugula. Two slices will only set you back 286 calories.

Quick lunch sandwiches should not be boring! Luxurious red wine tomato sauce transforms lean ground lamb into a light and tasty sandwich filler. Mediterranean-inspired toppers like feta cheese and Kalamata olives make the healthy pita pockets complete.

Melt-in-your mouth bacon and fried eggs combine with avocado and cheddar cheese in this can't-be-beat comfort food recipe. Serve it for breakfast, lunch, or as a breakfast-for-dinner idea. Not a fried egg fan? If you prefer scrambled or poached, simply swap them in for the fried eggs in this sandwich recipe.

It’s a wrap, not a salad, and it’s delicious and totally portable. Consider this your salad to-go with all the healthy ingredients of a chef salad. Prewash and do the chopping the ahead of time, so it’s ready to assemble when you are.

Test Kitchen Tip: Squeeze a little lemon juice on the avocado to help it stay fresh for longer.

Cutting down on meat can slash calories and still be delicious—proven by this gooey grilled cheese recipe. Stuffed with sweet apple slices, crunchy cabbage, and tangy Muenster cheese, this meatless meal is ready to serve in just 30 minutes.

Simply delicious describes this wrap. It also keeps lunch light, nutrition-packed and fast. If you’re not following the paleo diet, you could swap out the lettuce and use whole wheat bread or tortillas to increase the protein.

Lettuce wraps are a tasty way to save on carbs and calories in your favorite sandwich recipes. Fill butterhead lettuce with Asian-spiced chicken and vegetables for a fix-and-forget slow cooker favorite.

High-fiber garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas) get a fresh update in this easy brown-bag lunch idea. Slow-cook beans with onion and garlic, then pair with crisp, colorful veggies in a pita for a fast and fresh meal.

Lamb makes for a tender sandwich filling when slow cooked and shredded to perfection. Combine it with a light mayo spread, fresh veggies, and reduced-fat feta cheese for a sensational Greek sandwich wrap.

Buy It: Crock-Pot 4-Quart Slow Cooker ($30, Target)

This is an economical and flavorful hearty sandwich. Using ground chicken, shredded cheese and regular pantry ingredients make this an easy go-to lunch. Using ground turkey and ground beef would change the flavor just enough to keep this healthy sandwich from getting boring once you start making it on repeat.

Make purchased roast chicken impressive with our homemade tomatillo-garlic sauce. These tailgate-ready ciabatta sandwiches rival restaurant offerings and fuel you with 18 grams of protein per serving.

This recipe takes any pesto dish up a flavor level. With the added sweetness of pineapple, it’s a refreshing lunch (or light dinner). Enclose it all in whole wheat tortillas and you’ve just made a delicious well-balanced meal.

Lighten up an indulgent gyro recipe with lean ground turkey and a cool fat-free cucumber-yogurt sauce instead of traditional tzatziki. Bright diced tomatoes and crunchy cucumbers fill these Mediterranean grilled sandwiches.

Related: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Egg sandwiches are hearty, healthy, and perfect for any meal of the day. This piled-high creation mashes up the classic egg sammy with avocado toast for a deliciously fresh meal that's sure to become a kitchen classic.

Skip takeout and create worldy wraps with slow-cooked turkey and crisp slaw coated in a sesame-ginger stir-fry sauce. This low-fat Asian-inspired recipe will help you watch your waistline without sacrificing any flavor.

Test Kitchen Tip: Did you know that fresh ginger is equipped with phytonutrients that help reduce inflammation? Use it in this recipe's stir-fry sauce.

By keeping your sandwich open-face and making smart ingredient swaps, such as light mayonnaise and ultra-thin cheese slices, you can enjoy all the comfort of creamy tuna melts with half the fat. We added avocado and broccoli slaw mix to the classic sandwich for nutrition and depth of flavor.

Indulge in all your favorite Thanksgiving offerings in one unbelievably delicious sandwich recipe. This hot turkey tenderloin sandwich stays under 400 calories per serving thanks to mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes and low-fat cream cheese. Oh, and did we mention it's drenched in white gravy?

The mashed avocado mixture with mayo, lemon juice, and garlic takes this healthy sandwich to another level. If you like toasted bread with your sandwich, this recipe will become a regular in your lunch rotation. It’s great on whole wheat, sourdough, and French rolls.