Gut-Friendly Veggie Sandwich

Featuring a masterful balance of fresh crunchy vegetables, creamy pesto and tangy yogurt, this Veggie Sandwich is a delicious lunch you’ll want to make over and over again. What really sets the sandwich apart is how ingredients like asparagus, sprouted whole-wheat bread and artichoke contribute to your digestive health, offering healthy bacteria to nourish and flourish in your GI tract. Keep reading for our expert tips, including easy ways to level up the flavor. 

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too! 

• Scraping garlic onto the toasted bread enhances the flavor complexity of this sandwich.
• We recommend using a vegetable peeler to shave the asparagus, but you can also use a paring knife to thinly slice it diagonally if you prefer. If needed, halve the tomato slices to better fit the bread.
• If you can't find frozen artichokes at your local grocery store, you can use canned quartered artichoke hearts instead.

Nutrition Notes

• Artichokes are rich in a specific kind of soluble fiber called inulin, which promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut. In addition to filling fiber, artichokes have vitamin K (which strengthens bones), magnesium and potassium (which support healthy blood pressure) and health-boosting antioxidants.
• Whole-wheat bread contains insoluble fiber, which helps move food through your GI tract with ease. That is because it contains all three parts of the grain: the bran, germ and endosperm.
• Greek yogurt is rich in a bunch of nutrients: muscle-building protein, skeleton-supporting calcium and gut-healthy probiotics, just to name a few. To ensure you’re getting the gut-health benefits of Greek yogurt, check the label for “live and active cultures.”
• The fiber in asparagus supports the growth of healthy gut bacteria and helps to keep you fuller longer. It’s also packed with antioxidants, which can reduce inflammation, and may even help fight cancer.