We’ve gone on many picnics this summer! It’s the perfect escape from our condo and it’s a fun weekend adventure to enjoy the weather and each other’s company. Whether we’re packing a picnic basket and heading on a bike ride along the waterfront or road tripping, picnics are such a family-friendly activity where Walker, Vienna, and I can sit back, relax and enjoy some delicious easy-to-pack food!
We recently returned from a week-long vacation on Manitoulin Island (Northern, Ontario) where we went on many hikes, adventures, and of course picnics. I don’t know if you’ve ever travelled with a 4-year-old, but Vienna is just like her parents and loves yummy food, so snacks are a must! Also, she is constantly eating it seems!! We packed many different snack and lunch options for the three of us to have on our hikes through the lush green trees with Lake Huron peeking through!
If you’ve been a long-time Joyous Health reader, you know that Walker and Vienna are sammie lovers! I think Walker and Vienna would live on sammies, pizza, and pasta if given the choice! I thought it would be fun to put together some new, picnic-friendly sammie recipes! I hope this brings some inspiration to switch up your sandwich routine and inspires you to pack your basket up and head out on a picnic!
Whenever we have sammies in the McJordan household, we opt for Silver Hills Sprouted Bread as you’ve probably noticed with my Chickpea Apple Slaw Sammie, Glazed Maple Tamari Tempeh Sammie or this healthy take on a classic Sunflower Butter and Strawberries. We’ve been buying their bread for years because they are delicious, fluffy and I love the fact they use sprouted grains.
I prefer buying sprouted grain bread because:
- It’s easier to digest because when gluten is predigested the starches are also broken down, so our bodies have to do less work.
- It’s less inflammatory in our system
- When grains are sprouted, vital enzymes are released which breaks down starch stores and digestive inhibitors. This is why sprouted grains have lower glycemic index levels as well as increased soluble fibre and protein.
- Sprouting ensures your blood sugar levels stay steady and provides energy to power you through a full day’s work and play.
- Whole sprouted grains’ complex carbs fuel your brain. Whereas, starchy foods and simple carbs can leave you feeling foggy and lethargic.
- Essential nutrients, like B vitamins and vitamin C, are made more available to the body, giving you a boost of focus and mental alertness.
- Sprouting has been shown to increase antioxidant capacity in some grains, which can help protect the body against infection, chronic disease and damage to healthy body cells.
- Sprouting increases fibre content and fibre makes your gut and microbiome joyous!
Now that you know all about my Silver Hills Sprouted Bread obsession, let’s get to these delicious sammies!
First up, I created a Falafel Sandwich. You can either use store-bought falafel or my Baked Falafel recipe. This sammie is sure to keep you full for hours thanks to the chickpeas and chickpea flour which are high in protein and fibre! I also whipped up some quick pickled onions to add a nice zing to this recipe plus a tahini drizzle for creaminess.
Ingredients
- 2 slices of Silver Hills Sprouted Bread
- 4 falafels
- Slices of raw onion or pickled onions
- 4 grape tomatoes, sliced
- 2 tbsp tahini paste
- 1 tbsp water
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- Pinch of sea salt
- Pinch garlic powder
- Sprinkle of fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine tahini, water, lemon juice, sea salt and garlic powder. Mix until combined. If it's too thick, add a touch more water to desired consistency.
- If bread is frozen, let thaw 10 minutes before assembling sammie. Using a fork, flatten falafel before adding to sammie.
- Place flattened falafel onto sammie. Top with pickled onions, tomatoes, drizzle with tahini dressing and some parsley.
- Enjoy right away!
Notes
Serves 1 - Double or triple ingredients for more than 1 sammie.
This sammie goes well with the Cucumber Beet Hummus Sammie!
Cucumber Cashew Cheese Sammie
For this sammie, I was reminiscing about my childhood, and one of the sandwiches we always had was a Cucumber Cream Cheese Sandwich. It was also a tea-party favourite! For this picnic-ready sammie, I swapped traditional cream cheese for cashew cheese. You can get store-bought cashew cheese or make it yourself. Cashew cheese is wonderful dairy-free alternative that is so delicious with all the fresh herbs and tanginess from fermentation. I also added my famous Beet Cashew Dip (look at that gorgeous colour) but of course any dip/hummus will do!
Mains & Sides
Cucumber Cashew Cheese Sammie
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Ingredients
- 2 slices of Silver Hills Sprouted Bread
- 6 slices of cucumber
- 2-3 tbsp beet cashew dip or hummus
- 2-3 tbsp cashew cheese
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- If bread is frozen, let thaw 10 minutes before assembling sammie.
- Spread beet dip on to bread. Add cashew cheese on top and then top with cucumber slices. Season with sea salt and pepper.
- Enjoy right away!
Notes
Serves 1. Double or triple ingredients for more than 1 sammie.
This sammie goes well with the Falafel Sammie.
This Cucumber Cashew Cheese Sammie is gut-lovin’, dairy-free, and perfect for your next picnic!
Back-to-school is just around the corner too. If you don’t get out for a picnic anytime soon keep these recipes in your back pocket when school is back in. If you’re homeschooling, these recipes will take the boredom out of lunches!
Happy Summer!
Joy xo
This post was created in partnership with Silver Hills Bakery. However all opinions are always my own. Read more about partnership ethos here.
