Often, I spend copious amounts of time trying to come up with the perfect post title. It has to be catchy, witty and of course, it must subtly convey the topic at hand.

And other times, I just let the content do the talking. Such is the case with this Grilled Vegetable Sandwich on WholeGrains Bread with Basil Goat Cheese Spread recipe. I mean really, what more can I say?

This post is brought to you by Dempster’s – and, your body from the year 2013. Sure, Dempster’s supplied the delicious bread, but what does your body have to do with it?

In a society where wisp-thin celebrities turn up their noses at carbohydrates, here’s a dose of reality – whole  grains, such as the ones found in Dempster’s bread, provide so many nutritional benefits that are often overlooked in favour of skinny jeans.

The thing is – our bodies have a long memory. And as we age, they won’t care what we wore to our office holiday party in December 2012, but they will remember all the wonderful nutrients we’ve fueled them with over the years. Make 2013 the year you give back to your body with healthy, natural choices that promote vitality.

To start, here’s an easy, delicious recipe that is chock full of nutrients, vitamins and minerals that are essential for your health. I whipped this sandwich up today for lunch and just had to share! Add a healthy dose of Vitamin C, a splash of Calcium and a generous serving of deliciousness, and you’ve got a Grilled Vegetable Sandwich on WholeGrains Bread with Basil Goat Cheese Spread. Enjoy!

Grilled Vegetable Sandwich on Whole Grains Bread with Basil Goat Cheese Spread

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2)

6 slices of your favourite Dempster’s WholeGrains Bread (We love 12 Grain)
1 red pepper, quartered and seeded
1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise
1 red onion, sliced in rounds
4 tbsp of soft, unripened Goat’s Milk cheese
1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

Evenly coat an indoor grill pan with an olive oil spray and preheat to medium high. Mix the Goat’s Milk cheese with the chopped basil; set aside.

Grill vegetables in two batches until soft and charred, about 5 minutes. The red peppers will take the longest; they may need to hang out for an extra 3-4 minutes after the zucchini and onion have been removed.

Lightly toast your Dempster’s WholeGrains bread. Thinly spread the Goat’s Milk cheese mixture on one slice. Top with grilled zucchini and red onion.

Layer one more slice of toasted Dempster’s bread and again, thinly spread with the cheese mixture. Add the grilled red pepper on top. Finally, generously spread a heaping tablespoon of the Goat’s Milk cheese mixture on the last slice of bread.

Assemble and enjoy with a few slices of apple or pear (or if you’re like my toddlers, eat the apple, look at the sandwich inquisitively and then proceed to pull out each vegetable individually). Bon Appetit!

Tell me, what will you do for your body in 2013? While my ultimate goal is always to make it back to the gym, the easiest way to optimal health is to start with better food choices.  Tasty Dempster’s WholeGrains Bread is a great way to incorporate essential nutrients that your body craves.

And so here’s a “toast” to all my friends and family – May 2013 be your most delicious year yet!

I strive to serve my family healthy foods with lots of veggies, fruits, whole grains and lean meats. I notice that when I go grocery shopping I do the majority of my shopping in the outer aisles in the produce, bakery, meats & dairy sections. I rarely cook anything from a box anymore. I want to make sure my kids get all the nutrients their growing bodies need plus both John and I are watching our weight. We are choosing what we eat much more carefully compared to even 2 years ago.

When we buy bread now, we always go for whole grain bread because it’s full of nutrients. Even with me on my diet, I will only eat whole grain bread. John was used to only eating white bread, but I’ve got him switched over to whole grain now.

Lunches around here are usually something simple like a sandwich. One of my favourite sandwiches is a BLAT Sandwich which stands for Bacon Lettuce Avocado & Tomato Sandwich served on Dempster’s WholeGrains bread. The avocado adds in a delicious creamy texture that goes perfectly with the crisp veggies and bacon. I normally cook up a few extra strips of bacon at breakfast to use later on that day for lunch.

BLAT Sandwich

Serves 4

• 8 slices of Dempster’s WholeGrains bread, toasted (I like Ancient Grains)
• 6 strips of bacon, cooked
• 1 cup romaine lettuce, ripped into large pieces
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• 1/2 lemon
• 1 avocado
• salt & pepper to taste

Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Scoop out the inside and put in a bowl. Mash up with a fork.

Squeeze half a lemon (seeds removed) into the avocado and mix together. Set aside.

Spread the avocado mixture on four slices of toasted bread.

Top with bacon, tomatoes, lettuce and salt & pepper. Serve with a side of fruit and enjoy!

I find with the avocado that the sandwich doesn’t even need mayonnaise, but you could always add it in if you like. I sometimes add in a clove of minced garlic into the avocado mixture for an extra kick of flavour!

I like to incorporate a variety of foods into my family’s diet as often as possible. Real foods like whole grain, raw fruits and vegetables, and meat that is as unprocessed as possible all make my weekly grocery list.

The more balanced our meals are, the better we all feel, the more clear headed we all are, and the healthier we all stay.  Dempster’s WholeGrains breads definitely play a large role in ensuring my children, in particular, get the right balance of vitamins and minerals and enough fibre in their diet.

Some years, my eldest son has been unable to take dairy products to school, in order to ensure the safety of a severely anaphylactic classmate. That makes it tough to get enough calcium into his diet. When he was younger, he couldn’t digest dairy. Products like Dempster’s WholeGrains bread help ensure that he gets the right balance of vitamins and minerals, especially when his diet is restricted.

When it’s sandwich making time at home, and time is even just a little bit on my side, I like to make an easy variation of the classic Chicken Divan. To make two sandwiches, you will need:

• 4 slices Dempster’s WholeGrains bread (choose any one of the six varieties available)
• 1/2 cup chicken, cooked, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup broccoli, cut into very small pieces
• 1/3 cup cheese, shredded (I suggest Mozzarella or a spicy Pepper Jack)
• 1/4 cup ranch dressing
• salt and pepper to taste

Place your finely chopped broccoli in a microwave safe dish with approximately 2 tablespoons of water. Microwave for 30-40 seconds, or until bright green and still crunchy.

Shred your choice of cheese. I suggest something mild to counterbalance the other flavours, like mozzarella. You may prefer something with a little kick, like a Pepper Jack.

Thoroughly drain the water from your cooked broccoli and add the chicken and cheese to it. Stir in just enough ranch dressing to make the mixture stick together. You could also use a Caesar dressing.

Divide the mixture evenly between two slices of toasted Dempster’s WholeGrains bread. The toasting isn’t absolutely necessary, but does give it a nice crunch and prevents the sandwich from going soggy. Broil the sandwiches on low until everything is nice and melty. I know, I know – spell check tells me that isn’t technically a word. Language is ever changing, right?

Top each sandwich with a second slice of toasted Dempster’s WholeGrains bread, serve and enjoy! I like to serve it to the kids with sliced apples or strawberries if they are in season, to add colour and textural variety to the plate (high falutin’ there, I know).

If you wanted to get all fancy pants, or if your cupboard doesn’t exactly contain these ingredients, go ahead and mix it up a bit. Cheddar cheese with shredded beef, horseradish, and finely chopped cherry tomatoes gives leftovers a totally gourmet twist. Shredded carrots can be hidden into canned tuna, marble cheese, and mayo. The possibilities to getting more vitamins, minerals, and fibre into you and your family’s diet is only limited by your imagination when you start with a loaf of Dempster’s WholeGrains bread.

Now that the holidays are behind us, and a whole new year is ahead of us, what are you doing to give your family a healthy start to 2013?

According to a recent poll done by University of Scranton, Journal of Clinical Psychology – about 75% of people can maintain their new year’s resolution through the first week of the year (high five!)  After six months, the rate drops to about 46%.  I think this all depends on the type of resolution you make.  While saying “I’m going to lose 20 pounds by June” may be an admirable goal, a more achievable goal may be, “I’m going to incorporate more whole grains in my diet and try and eat one fruit and one vegetable per day”.  I think easy-to-maintain resolutions are the way to go – they’re the first step to being healthier and once the first step is taken, others follow.

Here’s my super-easy yet unbelievably flavourful and tasty recipe for a Mediterranean chicken sandwich!

• 2 slices Dempster’s Whole Grains bread
• Deli shaved chicken breast (Mediterranean Chicken or Roast Chicken)
• Baby spinach
• Red pepper slices
• Mayonnaise

That’s truly all that’s needed to make this delicious sandwich.  Using Dempster’s WholeGrains bread ensures that you and your family get a ton of nutrients with a sandwich’s basic ingredient!  Did you know that just 1 slice of Dempster’s Whole Wheat Bread contains as many vitamins and minerals as 1 cup of carrots?  It’s true!  1 slice also has the same amount of fibre as 1 small cob of corn and as much iron as 1 cup of raw spinach!  I should really rename the above sandwich the Iron-strong sandwich with 2 slices of bread AND spinach inside!

While considering New Year’s resolutions for your family, remember that it only takes a step towards healthy eating to continue down that path.  Just making the switch to healthy Dempster’s WholeGrains bread gives you a ton of nutritional benefits on your plate.  Add your sandwich meat, a veggie (lettuce, spinach, carrots, cucumber and peppers are all great toppings!) and serve with a side of fruit and a glass of milk for a power-packed lunch.

How do you make sure your little ones are getting all the nutrition they need?

I take advantage of every trick in the book to make sure that when I do manage to get my family to slow down enough to eat a meal, what they are putting in their mouths are foods that will give them the nutrients, vitamins and minerals essential for a great day and healthy living.  I believe that a family that eats good food just feels better!

A big part of our lives revolves around sandwiches. Sandwiches for school lunches, for quick dinners crammed in between school and all those after school activities, and simply because they are a crowd pleaser.  This is why I was so happy to learn about the astonishing nutritional value of Dempster’s Whole Grains breads.   One slice of Dempster’s 100% Whole Wheat bread has as many vitamins and minerals as two medium sized apples and the same amount of iron as one cup of raw spinach.  I can feel great about giving this to my family and eating it myself!

Our favourite sandwich right now is our family friendly Turkey and Veggie Crunch !  The super fresh Dempster’s Whole Grain bread layered with our favourite veggies and cheese.

To re-create this little masterpiece simply select your favourite Dempster’s Whole Grain bread.

Layer the bread with thinly sliced cucumber, tomatoes, Havarti cheese, a little mayo, and salt and pepper to taste.   Add a side of fruit and you have a complete meal the whole family will love.  Enjoy!

The Dempster’s Lunchbox Inspirations program is a place where moms like you and me can get out of the lunch time rut and keep our kids excited to open their lunchbox every school day.  I’m the type of mom that prefers freshly made meals with fresh ingredients over prepackaged products.  With Dempster’s Lunchbox recipes, not only can I stay true to that, I can find easy and quick recipes to save myself time.

The first Dempster’s lunchbox recipe I had the pleasure of testing out was the Chicken and Cucumber sandwich recipe.  My kids can be picky at times limiting my cooking options but I can happily say that they are big fans of chicken and cucumbers.

INGREDIENTS

• 8 Slices DEMPSTER’S®/ BON MATIN® Healthy Way® Multigrain bread
• 2 Packages MAPLE LEAF Prime® Grilled Chicken Breast Strips, coarsely chopped
• 30 ml Light cream cheese, softened
• 15 ml Light mayonnaise
• 60 ml Red or yellow sweet pepper, chopped
• 30 ml Chives, chopped
• 0.5 English cucumber, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS

Instead of using the 2 Packages MAPLE LEAF Prime® Grilled Chicken Breast Strips, I cooked 2 large chicken breasts I had in my freezer on my Hamilton-Beach Panini Grill.  Place the thawed chicken breast on the non-stick grill and let cook while you prepare the other ingredients.  Once the chicken breast has cooked, or if you are using the prepackaged Maple Leaf chicken breast strips to save yourself some time, chop into coarse pieces.  Place the chopped chicken into a mixing bowl.

Preparing the rest of the ingredients:

Dice a red or yellow pepper.  My 10 year old daughter is our pickiest eater so I chose a yellow pepper because it’s easier to “hide” in the ingredients.  You may want to chop the pepper smaller, if you also have a picky eater; most often if kids can’t see it, they will eat it and love it.  Next, chop the chives and set aside.  In a small bowl soften the light cream cheese in the microwave slightly.  Place the remainder of the prepared ingredients over the coarsely chopped chicken breast in the mixing bowl, stirring to mix thoroughly.

Thinly slice half of an English cucumber, setting aside for later when you are constructing the actual sandwich.

An added touch:

My kids love the lemon pepper flavoring so what I did was add a little fresh lemon juice and a dash of pepper to my mixture for that extra flavor.

Constructing the sandwich:

Divide the chicken mixture evenly among the 4 slices of Dempster’s Multigrain bread, spreading the mixture to the edges. Place the cucumber’s that you thinly sliced earlier on top of the chicken mixture you just spread over the bread.  Top with another slice of bread, slicing the sandwich diagonally and wrap it up ready for the lunchbox.  Add some dill pickles or your child’s preferred garnishes and you’re sure to have a lunchbox hit.

I snuck this new sandwich recipe into my kid’s lunchboxes this week hoping that my picky eater didn’t notice the added peppers.  Not only did she not notice the added peppers, all 3 kids came home that day and told me how good their sandwich tasted; surprisingly they asked me to make it again sometime.  It’s not often my kids ask me to make something twice, the compliment put a smile on my face.  There’s no better feeling than when your child comes home from a busy school day and remembers to thank you for their lunch.  Thanks Dempster’s for a new lunchbox favorite!

Here’s what we did!  Gathered everything we could possibly need to create our very own sensational pizza on a bagel!

Ingredients

• Dempster’s Thin Bagels
• Maple Leaf Ready Crisp Bacon
• Pizza Sauce
• Grated Cheese
• Pepperoni
• Pineapple
• Spinach
• Roasted Red Peppers

Once all our ingredients were laid out the rest was simple!

My nine year old had a great time slathering on just the perfect amount of pizza sauce “Not too much and not too little Mom.”  Then we layered on cheese, bacon, pineapple and pepperoni.

The older daughter’s was a little more adventurous adding some roasted red peppers and even some spinach to the mix.

The results were fantastic!

The girls are always happy to help make Pizza Bagels for lunch and I’m happy to know they will come home with empty lunch boxes!

*Note sometimes a toothpick or two helps to keep your creation together.

*A great substitution when at home is to toast up Dempster’s English Muffins and use them as the pizza crust.