banner
alive logo
FoodFamilyLifestyleBeautySustainabilityHealthImmunity

10 Healthy Toast Recipes for Lunch

Disclaimer: avocado toast not included

Share

Welcome to Next Gen Natural, a column where we share a Gen Z perspective on natural health and wellness. I’m Michelle—alive’s Digital Assistant and creator of the Healthy Num Num food blog. I love healthy living and want to inspire you to integrate wellness into all parts of your life, regardless of your age.

Move aside, avocado toast. As much as we love avo toast, we don’t love the fact that avocados generate large amounts of carbon emissions from production and exportation . The following creative toast recipes will take your lunch to the next level—no avocados needed. You can also serve a variety of these toasts at your next get-together for a delicious sandwich spread.

Advertisement
01

Herbalicious Open-Faced Egg Salad Toasts

This egg salad sandwich is full of flavor from fresh herbs, lemon juice and zest, and canned chipotle juice or harissa paste. The egg salad mixture tops sourdough rye bread, which you can bake at home by first making this Rye Sourdough Starter. This recipe serves six so you can make these toasts for a family lunch.

If you’re craving a sweeter lunch, this Grilled Banana and Maple Toast is a delightful option. Layered between two slices of whole grain bread, a banana, peanut butter, maple syrup, and a dash of cinnamon are grilled together to create a dessert-like grilled cheese. No need to be concerned about a blood sugar spike from this sweeter recipe, as peanut butter provides some satiating protein and cinnamon is well known to help balance blood sugar levels.

With a heaping 32 grams of protein per serving, this filling toast recipe will keep you satiated all afternoon long. This recipe combines hints of comforting chicken pot pie flavors with a kick of umami-laced gravy. Extra gravy will also taste delicious served over mashed potatoes.

Advertisement

Sweet and simple, these chocolatey sandwiches will be enjoyed by all ages. The sliced strawberries are layered on a homemade chocolate hazelnut spread that consists of just four ingredients: hazelnuts, cocoa powder, maple syrup, and vanilla soy milk. When buying strawberries, opt for organic, as they are part of the Dirty Dozen pesticide list.

This simple but delicious toast recipe is inspired in name and origin by Japanese Shibuya honey toast. To make this recipe, a mixture of honey and ginseng powder (a root used to build immunity, regulate blood sugar, and improve mood) is spread onto buttered or unbuttered whole grain toast. Optional toppings include balsamic vinegar, almond butter, pistachios, and coconut bacon.

This Salmon Sushi Sandwich (try saying that five times fast) is made with colorful and flavorful ingredients topped on a slice of whole rye bread. Wild salmon is added for a boost of healthy fats, vitamin D, and calcium , and contributes to the 30 grams of protein per serving. The pickled cabbage, carrot, and cucumber add probiotics to the meal. Regular consumption of pickled vegetables has many health benefits, including reducing the risk of diabetes.

Advertisement

Fresh, briny, and fruity, this open-faced sandwich is topped with anti-inflammatory ingredients. The parsley is interchangeable for another herb so feel free to use any of your garden-grown herbs. If fresh raspberries are not in season, defrost frozen the night before.

This summer sandwich features sweet-fiery berry sauce, meaty chicken, oozy brie, and peppery arugula. The strawberries provide a boost of vitamin C , along with a range of antioxidants and fiber that may help prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. To make this grilled cheese sandwich vegan, replace brie and chicken for plant-based versions.

The chewy mushroom and leek mixture served on a crunchy piece of whole grain or sourdough bread is a surprisingly delicious combo. Watercress is easy to grow and contains over 100 percent of the recommended dietary allowance for vitamin K and twice as much vitamin C as an apple. To add more protein to this recipe, enjoy with poached eggs or scrambled tofu.

Advertisement

In this recipe, bread is optional, and the shrimp filling can be eaten in a lettuce cup or on top of greens. Radishes, celery, and lettuce provide some crunchy texture. Not just rich in protein, pink shrimp contains the antioxidant astaxanthin, which studies suggest helps prevent wrinkles and lessens sun damage.

Advertisement
Advertisement

READ THIS NEXT

Encountering Wellness Roadblocks?
Lifestyle

Encountering Wellness Roadblocks?

Follow through on your healthy living goals this spring

Stephanie MacDonaldStephanie MacDonald