It’s all too easy to get trapped in a sandwich rut by falling back on the same yawn-inducing ingredient combos—ham and cheese, again? A better approach to your all-too-important midday meal is to look around the globe for flavor inspiration.
Do so and you’ll create innovative sandwich stacks that are sure to wake up your lunch routine and give you the nutritional foundation needed to hone a fierce physique. So bypass the deli counter and stamp your passport to Flavortown by grabbing hold of these protein-packed sandwiches inspired by each of the seven continents.
Typically served at the conclusion of a South African barbecu-known as “braai” in Afrikaans—braaibroodjie is a flame-licked grilled cheese with the surprising, yet delicious, inclusion of fruit chutney for a sweet-savory sandwich. A far cry from melted cheese squares dipped in sugary ketchup. We’ve incorporated chicken to punch up the protein numbers.
Here’s a Scandinavian-inspired sandwich that the fearsome Vikings would gladly take hold of. Eat it and you’ll chart a course to conquering lunch boredom and sandwiches that fail to bring enough muscle-making protein to the table.
Tofu enriches this riff on Vietnamese street food banh mi with plenty of plant-based protein, while a wasabi spread gives the dinner-worthy sandwich some nose-clearing kick.
In Argentina, grilled beef and the herb mixture known as chimichurri have been a delicious dynamic duo for generations. Bring them together in a sandwich and you’ll never settle for a turkey and cheese.
Fashioned after a cemita, an overflowing torta hailing from the Mexican state of Puebla, this sandwich is packed with a fiery bean spread, protein-packed pork tenderloin, and milky queso.
Dressed like penguins that thrive in the deep freeze, these frosty ice cream sandwiches feature chewy, no-bake cookies that are fit for a South Pole dessert and blow away anything you’d find in a gas station freezer.
