The Soup and Sandwich combo

Picture source

I have great memories of my childhood (and teenage years) when my dad would often make me and my brother grilled cheese and tomato soup. It was one of my dad's most favorite go-to meals (perhaps a close second to spaghetti with meatballs).

The soup was from a can, the bread was found on the grocery store shelf (soft and white), he used Kraft singles American cheese (found inside a plastic wrapper) and the secret to making the grilled cheese extra crisp, was buttering the toast before placing the bread on the skillet.

Although this creation was far from being described as "gourmet" and would not meet any guidelines of what people would now call "healthy, clean or wholesome", it was prepared by my dad and he loved making it for me and my brother....thus, it is a meal that I will always remember as a happy meal. 

As I miss my dad every day since his passing in May 2014, I often finding myself craving tomato soup and grilled cheese because it reminds me of him and his contagious smile and positive attitude. 

Now is the time of the year when soup (and chili) is heavily craved as it's hot, delicious and comforting. There's not much to dislike about this meal that warms your body with each spoonful.
And you can never get bored of soup as there are countless recipes with different ingredient and spice/herb combinations. 

For a busy athlete was often finds him/herself too exhausted to cook, I highly suggest to experiment with several soup/chili recipes with the help of a crock pot, to ensure that you always have a warm meal ready for you after a long day of life.

And to make my dad happy, no bowl of soup should be consumed without a delicious side sandwich. 

Here are a few sandwich recipes from Eating Well:
Healthy Sandwich Recipes

Here are a few (actually, 100+) soup recipes from Cooking Light:
Healthy Soup Recipes

Trimarni Tip: Inside-out sandwich

I'm sure you can only imagine the fun I had at the grocery stores in Czech Republic during our trip in May. And oh did it all taste great too!

Have you been adding to your "off limit" food list over the past few months/years?

How about rethinking your meals as you learn how to develop a healthy relationship with food?

It's time to free yourself from food rules and "bad" food.

Trimarni Tip (from the Sumbal household who always has a loaf of fresh local bread in the house at all times):

Pics from our Czech Republic trip in May

I find many people are all or nothing. Either you LOVE bread and eat it all the time or bread is bad and it is off limit. I think the same is true for any food or food group. People hear low and they think no and if they hear something is good, it is consumed in excess. Since when did our society become so extreme with everything?

The key is balance for any meal but hopefully you are looking for easy ways to create more plant strong meals to provide your body with lots of vitamins and minerals to reduce risk for disease and to support your immune system.....but you also need to feel satisfied. Whereas a plate of lettuce and veggies is not going to satisfy you or fuel your body, the same may be true for two slices of bread with veggies and a few slices of meat in between.

Since I do not have any bad, off limit food in my food vocabulary, I welcome any opportunity to enjoy real food. Eating time is always a happy time for Karel and myself. There is no food critiquing but instead lots of yumming.

Consider turning your sandwich inside out and use your veggies as the base and then top with your choice of protein, whole grains and heart healthy fats. Keep in mind that you can only stuff a limited amount of plants between two slices of bread and a plant strong meal may require the use of silverware and a table (instead of eating with your hands or behind the steering wheel). As a side dish, no need to give up bread. Enjoy an open face sandwich with cheese/yogurt spread, avocado or hummus or enjoy your bread as a pre/post training snack with nut butter. Tweak your diet to find what works best for you.

Here is a creation I made to help you get excited that you don't have to have an off limit food list when it comes to enjoying plant strong meals to fuel your active and healthy body.

In case you missed this post, here is a blog on our experience to a vegetarian restaurant in Czech.