Avocado, Tomato & Chicken Sandwich

Pack this healthy Avocado, Tomato & Chicken Sandwich for lunch to get you through the rest of your day with energy to spare. Healthy-fat-filled avocado gets mashed into a creamy, silky spread that is schmeared onto toasty nutty multigrain bread. Protein-rich chicken is layered with juicy antioxidant-rich tomato to make one satisfying sandwich. Feel free to add a sprinkle of salt, pepper and crushed red pepper to take the flavors up a notch. Or add your favorite veggies. Keep reading for expert tips, including what to serve with this sandwich to round it out for a complete meal.

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! 

Nutrition Notes

• You can use a roasted chicken from the prepared foods section of your local grocery store, but it's easy enough to poach a chicken breast. Generally, 8 ounces of raw, boneless, skinless chicken breast yields about 1 cup of sliced, diced or shredded cooked chicken.
• If your avocado is unripe and you need it immediately, soften what you need in an oven or microwave. For the oven method: Wrap the avocado in foil and bake it in a 200°F oven for 10 minutes. Check and repeat until it’s soft enough. For the microwave method, halve the avocado, wrap it tight in plastic wrap and microwave it in 30-second intervals until soft. Then, dunk the wrapped avocado in a bowl of ice water, stopping the cooking.
• Because you'll only be using a 1/4 of an avocado, save the remaining 3/4 with the skin on and the pit nestled in place. Tightly wrap it in plastic wrap. You want to prevent air from getting to it, so it doesn't brown. It should last this way in the fridge for 2 days.
• You can make this sandwich open-faced, and it will still be delicious—you'll just save a few extra calories.

• While labels can be confusing, it's important to note that not all multigrain breads have been made with whole grains. Multigrain bread made with white flour will offer some fiber but if you want the most fiber, look for "whole grains" on the label. Regardless of what type of multigrain bread you choose, you'll get some gut-healthy fiber and energy-producing carbohydrates, as well as B vitamins, which help your body use energy. Many multigrain breads have nuts and seeds in them, which will provide some healthy fat and antioxidants.
• Avocado is a nutrition powerhouse, providing fiber, antioxidants, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals. The fiber in avocados acts as a prebiotic, providing necessary food for your beneficial gut bacteria (even bacteria need to eat!). The nutrients in avocados, including their fiber, antioxidants, fat, folate, magnesium and potassium, support heart and brain health.
• Tomatoes have gotten a bad rep from some due to their nightshade status. But for most people, tomatoes can be a healthy choice. They're loaded with fiber, antioxidants and vitamins C and A. Altogether, tomatoes have been linked with preventing heart disease and some cancers. The nutrients in tomatoes may even give you healthy, glowing skin.
• Chicken breast adds lean protein to this sandwich. It also provides B vitamins, as well as choline, which is necessary for a healthy nervous system. Chicken breast easily fits into some of the healthiest eating patterns, including the Mediterranean diet.