Whether you are grilling vegetables, slicing roast chicken, or opening the peanut butter and jelly jars in preparation for creating your work lunch, why not take your culinary creativity one step further with a variety of bun options to pack your sandwich? Coming up with ideas for a variety of bun options for your sandwich can be as simple as taking ideas from the summer picnic basket and incorporating them into your lunch box.

Tired of Soggy Square Bread? Try These 5 Bun Options for Your Sandwich

Pumpernickel Bread

A dark, coarse sourdough bread made of “unbolted”, not sifted, rye flour. Pumpernickel’s characteristic dark color is typically created with the addition of molasses, chocolate, or other coloring agents. Relatively low in fat with 1.6 grams in 2 bread slices, pumpernickel is a nice option for smoked fish or pastrami.
In 2 slices: 130 calories and 3 grams of fiber.

Whole Wheat Pita

A round pocket bread often used to scoop up accompanying dips, such as hummus and tzatziki, or used as a wrap for kebabs and gyros. A pita is a convenient bun option for your lunch box sandwich, as the “pocket” may be stuffed with ingredients such as falafel and yogurt sauce or veggies and feta.
In a 6.5″ diameter pita: 170 calories and 4.7 grams of fiber.

Whole Wheat Sandwich Roll

A hamburger bun-type roll that offers great versatility in sandwich building. Slightly higher in sugar content than the other bun options, with 4 grams in 1 roll, the whole wheat sandwich roll is a perfect bun option for pulled pork and barbecue sauce or portobello mushrooms and cheddar.
In 1 sandwich roll: 160 calories and 4 grams of fiber.

Whole Wheat Sandwich Thin

Another hamburger bun-type roll, only with less bun. Less bun equates to fewer calories, along with half the fat and half the sugar when compared to a regular whole wheat sandwich roll. Arnold’s bread’s varieties of sandwich thins offer flatbread-like options for your turkey club or assorted veggies and provolone.
In 1 sandwich thin: 110 calories and 5 grams of fiber.

Whole Wheat Flour Tortilla

A thin round of wheat flour bread typically enjoyed hot with toppings or fillings, or for dipping. This versatile bun option may also act as a sandwich wrap. Switch it up even further with one of a variety of flavored tortillas, such as the spinach and vegetable flour tortilla, which has slighty fewer calories than the whole wheat flour tortilla (though 1/3 of the fiber). Try any variety of tortilla wrapped around Thai chicken or huevos rancheros and guacamole spread.
In 1 tortilla: 130 calories and 3 grams of fiber.

The Bottom Line

You can give your work week lunch box a lift with a variety of bun options to pack your sandwich. Healthy sandwich ingredients can be complemented with a variety of healthy bun options and these options can also be introduced into your family’s school lunch boxes.

Gloria Tsang, RD

Alumni: University of British Columbia – Gloria Tsang is the author of 6 books and the founder of HealthCastle.com, the largest online nutrition network run by registered dietitians. Her work has appeared in major national publications, and she is a regularly featured nutrition expert for media outlets across the country. The Huffington Post named her one of its Top 20 Nutrition Experts on Twitter. Gloria’s articles have appeared on various media such as Reuters, NBC & ABC affiliates, The Chicago Sun-Times, Reader’s Digest Canada, iVillage and USA Today.