Vegan sandwich fillings

[CeeBeeBee]

Trying to cut down on dairy and not have cheese everyday.
What can you put in sandwiches apart from hummus that is a good source of protein and calcium? Tia.

[DeliaSmithsOvenGlove]

Mash chickpeas with a bit of vinegar and shredded nori seaweed = vegan tuna

Roast peppers/courgette/aubergine

Salad/egg salad (not vegan but it unsure if you want to cut back on dairy or to be vegan)

mushroom pate (the Sainsbury one is nice)

[Branleuse]

youre looking for an exact cheese replacement?. Is there a special reason your sandwich filling has to be high protein and high calcium?

There are all sorts of things you can have as sandwich fillings.
roasted vegetables, salad, hummous (all the different varieties) falafel, avocado. Linda-sausages, sesame and almond tofu, peanut butter, banana, jam,

[CeeBeeBee]

Thank you Delia.

Yes branleuse, I know that there are over 101 things I can put in my sandwiches, but being vegetarian means that you are limited in your choice of quick and nutritious sandwich fillings to take to work with you. Yes, you do need protein in every meal for a balanced diet. I prefer savoury things in my sandwiches.

[HuevosRancheros]

One of my favourite sandwiches is onion bhajis, mango chutney and spinach - not the healthiest, but a lovely treat.

High protein and calcium = tofu or pulses.
So you could marinate and cook some tofu, have that sliced with salad, roasted veg etc.
You've already mentioned falafel, how about (sp?) upma - a thick dhal that is cooled and set, then sliced.

Does it have to be a sandwich?
Wraps can contain more non-sandwichable things...

Also, have a look at 101 cookbooks website, she does loads of vegan salads, dumplings, sushi etc, she often explains how to make them transportable :)

[Branleuse]

bread has quite a bit of protein just by itself. nearly 3g of protein per slice

Does it have to be high calcium too?

I mean im not even vegetarian, but saying "what vegan sandwich filling is high calcium and high protein" just sounds like you really just want cheese. Theres not really much healthy about a cheese sandwich though, even if it is quick and tasty

falafels, hummous and nut butters are all decent sources of protein. Quorn do slices of fake chicken & ham, which would give a protein boost, although theyre not vegan obviously. I think brocolli is the highest protein out of the vegetables - higher than bread gram for gram.
Some sort of bean/legume based spread might be your answer,

[Branleuse]

www.ocado.com/webshop/product/Taifun-Organic-Smoked-Tofu-with-Almonds--Sesame-Seeds/53535011

this stuff is amazing.

[HuevosRancheros]

The basil version of that tofu is also surprisingly good, I didn't think it would work but it does, and opens tofu up to mixing with Mediterranean style flavours :)

[lastqueenofscotland]

Falafel
Peanut butter
There are loads of chickpea/lentil "sloppy joe" recepies out there.

[HuevosRancheros]

Talking of nut butters made me think of this recipe from 101 cookbooks - brown rice balls stuffed with avocado, coated with a miso/almond butter mix. They are divine, if a little faffy to make. You get protein from the brown rice and almond butter (and mung beans if you add them as per recipe), "good" fat from the avocado and they are so SO yummy :)

[CeeBeeBee]

Thank you for further suggestions.

Ok, but of background here which might answer some questions. I usually eat at my work canteen where there is more variety and I usually have something hot. I am trying to not use the canteen everyday and be more organised and take a packed lunch instead. In the past, I used to alternate between cheese with pickle, cheese with marmite, hummus or cheese with tomato/salad.

Another thing, I have a pregnant friend who has asked me for ideas as she has gone off meat, eggs and dairy so yes, good source of calcium suggestions are welcome.

Has anyone ere ever tried tempeh?

[Sparklycat]

Avocado and tomato, mom.

[DeliaSmithsOvenGlove]

Yes yes to the taifun smoked tofu - I slice and fry it - it's then delicious in sandwiches

Tempeh is also great tho I marinate it cut in chunks and then oven bake or fry

You can make some great mashed bean sandwich spreads

[PhoenixReisling]

what about a deconstructed sandwhich, salad or soup?

For the deconstructed sandwhich, I would separate the bread/cracker and filling. I prefer this as I hate. Hate, soggy sandwhiches! Some ideas:

Houmous and spiced grated carrot (fry onion with a teaspoon of cumin/coriander and some sweet chilli sauce, when cool combine with the grated carrot and maybe add some pomegranate seeds)

Chilli beans (you can buy them canned if short on time) and may be better slightly heated.

Veggi meatballs (vegi sauasgaes made into balls and fried), served with onion chutney?

[whois]

Another vote for the Taifun tofu - the olive one is AMAZING!

Avocado and tomato is always a winner for me, the fat keeps me satisfied. I like to mash the avocado with some lime, salt, pepper and a sprinkle of smoked paprika.

Tofu 'egg' mayo (obvs vegan mayo)

Any kind of bean or lentil pate - google to find ones yo like the look of. A white bean pate spread with caramelized fennel is a yum sandwich.

Make your own burritos or fajitas at home and bring those in for lunch. Loads of vegan/veggie mexican dish ideas on the internet.

Its an old fav but humus with griddled strips of roasted veg. Like a PP I like humus with grated carrot and falafal.

Slices of nut roast with cranberry

Baba ganoush slathered on with some baby gem lettuce for crunch - great in a flat bread type thing.

Roasted beetroot chuncks with mustard and parsley and a squeeze of lemon and a vegan yog drizzle in pita

[Curiouserandcuriouser30]

Tahini paste is high in calcium, but can be an aquired taste. You could mix it with spices and maybe some (vegan) mayonnaise to make it taste better, and bulk the sandwich out with vegetables (tomato, lettuce, grated carrot etc.)
Personally though, I tend not to eat sandwiches because it is difficult to find healthy, high in protein fillings that are veggie. You could make a pasta or quinoa salads to take to work. Or just leftovers from the night before.
Another idea could be to accept that the sandwich itself might not be high in protein, but to add other things to the meal that are. I often take roasted chickpeas to work (tin of chickpeas, rinsed and dried, then add oil, chilli powder, cumin, paprika, whatever to them, then baked at 180 degrees for about 45 minutes - they are yummy) or nuts, or a (vegan) yogurt.

[CeeBeeBee]

Thank you for your suggestions. I agree, Curious , that it is difficult to find a good variety of veggie fillings that is also a good source of protein. I did manage to get organised enough to roast a batch of cashew nuts a couple of days ago and had them alongside with with my sandwich as a snack.

Cough We still have about 1/3 jar of tahini in the back of our cupboard from.... I'm too embarrassed to say how long we've had it for.

Well, I have managed a working week without spending money at the work canteen as part of my new year's resolution. :)