RIDGWAY, Colo. — Americans eat approximately 300 million sandwiches each day(1), with nearly half of those being consumed at lunch and just a quarter at dinner(2). Consumers have certainly embraced sandwiches for lunch, but they can also be a nutritious, convenient dinner — especially with so many consumers watching their wallets and their waistlines. In fact, the Grain Foods Foundation has partnered with Jamie and Bobby Deen, hosts of the Food Network's "Road Tasted" and sons of Paula Deen, to encourage families nationwide to make one night a week Sandwich Night.
"Sandwiches have been a big part of our family's life ever since our early success with our sandwich cart, the Bag Lady," says Jamie Deen. "We hold a weekly Sandwich Night now because it allows the whole family to be creative, experiment and have fun. Plus, we know sandwiches are a nutritious choice for dinner."
To help inspire chefs everywhere, the Grain Foods Foundation has created an Endless Sandwich recipe database at gowiththegrain.org where consumers can download recipes and add their own sandwich favorites. The Endless Sandwich database also features exclusive recipes created by the Deen brothers.
"Any night of the week can be Sandwich Night," says Bobby Deen. "Making sandwiches for dinner is a nutritious and convenient solution to the age old question of 'what's for dinner?'"
The USDA dietary guidelines recommend eating six one-ounce servings of grain foods each day, with half of those servings coming from whole grains. Bread and grains provide many of the essential nutrients needed to stay healthy and help fight diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, some cancers and birth defects.
"Enjoying a sandwich at dinnertime ensures at least two of the required six servings of grain foods each day," says Judi Adams, MS, RD and Grain Foods Foundation president. "Better yet, sandwiches taste good, no matter how you build them!"
To get more tips and recipes from the Deen brothers and to add your favorite recipe to the Endless Sandwich recipe database, visit www.gowiththegrain.org or GoWithTheGrain on Facebook and Twitter. Fans of GoWithTheGrain on Facebook can also enter to win a chance to Share a Sandwich with the Deen Brothers in their hometown of Savannah, GA.
About the Grain Foods Foundation
The Grain Foods Foundation, a joint venture of members of the milling, baking and allied industries formed in 2004, is dedicated to advancing the public's understanding of the beneficial role grain-based foods play in the human diet. Directed by a board of trustees, funding for the Foundation is provided through voluntary donations from private grain-based food companies and is supplemented by industry associations. For more information about the Grain Foods Foundation, visit gowiththegrain.org, or find GoWithTheGrain Facebook, Twitter and Flickr.
(1) http://www.foodreference.com/html/fsandwich.html
(2) http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/kgk/2001/0501/kgk051901.html#axzz0zWgfz18m
Source: Grain Foods Foundation
