5 Ways to Make a Healthy Grilled Cheese

Grilled cheese sandwiches don’t usually win any nutrition awards, but with a few tweaks to the classic recipe, there is a way to make a healthy grilled cheese.

“Most grilled cheeses are unhealthy since they’re slathered with butter and loaded up with cheese,” says Amy Keating, R.D., one of Consumer Reports’ registered dietitians. “But there are simple ways to pump up the nutrition.”

On National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day, use these tips and try our recipe for a tasty, healthy grilled cheese sandwich.

1. Consider the Bread

There’s nothing more heavenly than a fresh ciabatta or brioche, but those and other white breads are much less nutritious than their whole-grain or whole-wheat counterparts. Two slices of Oroweat’s Country White, for example, has 40 more calories than the company’s Healthfull Nuts Seeds bread and about 6 fewer grams of fiber.  

2. Toast Instead of Fry

To make a healthy grilled cheese sizzle, butter is spread on the outside of the bread, but that can significantly increase the calorie and fat count. A tablespoon of butter has 100 calories and 11 grams of fat. To get a satisfying crunch without dousing your bread in butter or oil, top one slice of bread with cheese, then toast it along with the other side of the sandwich in a toaster oven. 

3. Power Up With Veggies

Super-nutritious vegetables such as dark leafy greens and yellow or orange veggies can help reduce the risk of chronic disease, and they’re tasty, too—especially when tucked into a healthy grilled cheese. We used Swiss chard in the recipe below. It’s packed with fiber, magnesium, and potassium, as well as vitamins A, C, E, and K. You can sub in other greens such as arugula or spinach for similar nutritional punch, though spinach will have a milder flavor. 

4. Use a Flavorful Cheese

We know it’s the best part of the sandwich, and if you use a cheese with strong, satisfying taste, you won’t have to go overboard. We used 1 ounce (one slice) of low-sodium Swiss cheese instead of two, saving you 105 calories and 8 grams of fat. The flavorful, nutty taste of the cheese complements the Swiss chard, allowing you to get by with less. Swapping a regular slice with a low-sodium version knocks out 48 mg of sodium. 

5. Add a Healthy Side

To get a crunch without the calories, fat, and sodium of chips, snack on some raw veggies, such as strips of bell pepper, carrots, cucumbers, or apple slices. If you’re craving something warm, round out the meal with a bowl of a healthy homemade soup. 

Swiss Chard Healthy Grilled Cheese

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small bunch Swiss chard (about 4 ounces), stems removed, large ribs cut out, sliced and washed
2 slices whole-wheat bread
1 slice (1 ounce) Swiss cheese (preferably lower-sodium)
2 slices tomato

Directions
1. In large skillet, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic and Swiss chard and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

2. Place cheese on one slice of bread. Top with Swiss chard and tomato. Place the slice of bread with the cheese and chard directly on rack in toaster oven. Place other slice of bread next to it in toaster oven. Toast until cheese is melted and bread is browned. Top the slice of bread with the chard, cheese, and tomato with the plain slice.

3. Cut sandwich in half and serve with a side of raw vegetables or a side salad.

Nutrition Information: One sandwich contains 400 calories, 19 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 18 g protein, 39 g carbohydrates, 6 g fiber, 6 g sugars, and 520 mg sodium.

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