A tweet by @JoyceSchneider1 led me to just the kind of article I needd this morning:

Amazing Facts about Your Heart & Blood Sugar

Joyce Schneider, a gifted writer and cook,  is the wife of Robert G. Schneider, M.D., a cardiologist who specializes in the metabolic syndrome, the relationship between weight, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (heart attack & stroke). Their website Cardiologist Wife is full of concise information, delivered in an easy to read and, in my case, extremely effective way.

For example, take this sentence: “Your blood sugar drops with just a one-pound weight loss. In fact, with just the first ounces off, you’ve made yourself immediately healthier.”  Now, that’s the kind of information that motivates me. Thinking about having to shed a couple of dozens of pounds can be intimidating, but just one pound? hey, even I can do that this week!

Thank you for the encouragement Joyce and Robert!

I went vegan eight months ago and never looked back. My reason was not health-related. I just refuse to benefit from the practices of the food production industry. I am not an animal rights activist – I just like cats and dogs and believe other sentient beings such as cows, pigs and chicken, deserve the same kind of consideration for their needs and welfare. I am actually ok with eating them, as long as they are reared with due consideration to their welfare – which not the case today.

With that out of the way, I have to say I find the vegan lifestyle fairly easy. It’s much easier than being vegetarian (which I have tried in the past). I have zero cravings for meats, dairy products or eggs. Milk just doesn’t taste as good anymore – don’t ask me why.

One thing people often ask is: “Without meat, eggs or dairy products, what’s left for you to eat?”

So, here I am today, sharing my favorite vegan sandwich fillings. They’re yummy, very healthy and easy to prepare.

I use only whole-grain breads, and choose these spreads/fillings:

1. Avocado – I absolutely love Avocado. We have two trees of Avocado in our backyard and we get a fresh organic supply during the season. Avocado is great as it is – all you need is a spoon – and it also makes a great sandwich filling. My husband sometimes has it with vegetables, especially tomatoes, but I just like to put a slob of avocado and tuck right in.
2. Hummus – Living in Israel, we have a fair selection of hummus spreads here. Some of them use vegetable oil or even starch which makes them less healthy than the original. I found a good brand (Rafi Cohen’s by Tzabar) that focuses on the original squashed chickpeas with tehini and it tastes real good.
3. Roasted Vegetables – these need to be prepared in advance, but you can keep them in the fridge, covered in olive oil, for several days. To prepare, just roast sliced zucchini, mushrooms, yellow and red peppers, cauliflower, and pretty much any other kind of vegetable you like. I like to sprinkle it all in olive oil and throw a few cloves of garlic into the mixture. I roast them in the oven, uncovered, until their tender and crispy. They get a thick texture that’s perfect for a sandwich. They even come with oil, and a garlicky taste, so no need to add anything else.
4. Halva – when in the mood for something sweet, Halva is a great option. It’s made of tehini, and you can get organic varieties using honey instead of sugar. I am talking of the Israeli/Middle-Eastern variety of Halva – has no flour or anything else. The main problem with Halva is that I have a sweet tooth and find it hard to stop at one piece…

Got more ideas for vegan sandwiches? Leave them here in a comment!