Cold Smoked Salmon Breakfast Sandwich

A healthy Cold Smoked Salmon Breakfast Sandwich is a decadent hand-held treat. I had a couple of friends stay the night and I wanted to make a healthy breakfast that was not too much work. Typically, I would make a nice brunch for overnight guests, but we had a busy morning planned full of physical activity outdoors. A hearty but fast breakfast was in order. I stumbled upon this breakfast sandwich. It was the perfect compromise. Worthy of a weekend brunch but easy enough to prepare it on a weekday.

What I love about this Healthy Cold Smoked Salmon Breakfast Sandwich is the explosion of flavors. The salty brine of the cold smoked salmon, with the creaminess of the goat cheese and the crunchy nuttiness of the wheat toast! Wowzer. My Sweetheart does not think he is having breakfast if he is not having an egg, so I added on his sandwich. I do have to admit, the egg sure took this sandwich up a notch. It is also nice, that one egg was plenty. Mark usually wants three eggs and I often let him have two for breakfast on the weekend. He was very happy with his one egg on this healthy salmon breakfast sandwich. I had mine without an egg and it was still deliciously filling. If you do choose to add an egg, be sure to reference the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid.

The Healthy Cold Smoked Salmon Breakfast Sandwich on the Mediterranean Diet

This breakfast is a great way to incorporate fish into your weekly menu. Smoked Salmon is packed with Omega-3 and is known to lower Cholesterol. Cold smoked is thin sliced and has less calories than many other protein choices. Cold smoked salmon can be high in sodium. Jenny Shea Rawn M.S., MPH, RD, urges us to “take the sodium content (of smoked salmon) into account as you plan your other meals and snacks. Make lower sodium food choices throughout the rest of your day” when we have cold smoked salmon on the menu.

Usually when I think of cold smoked salmon, I think of bagels. I have to say the lighter, store-bought 7-grain bread was a delicious choice and full of a fibrous crunch. I will not eat store-bought bagels (read why) but I do love Easy Homemade Wheat Bagels. While bagels may be an obvious choice, this is a hearty breakfast without the heavier bagel. The toast is lighter and holds more of the yummy ingredients!

Using goat cheese is a healthier choice than a processed and fatty cream cheese. Adding a thick slice of tomato, scallions and capers just adds to the nutrition of this sandwich. This sandwich is a great choice on the Mediterranean Diet, but I would suggest having it occasionally rather than an everyday choice. It is the perfect replacement if you are craving an unhealthy sandwich from your favorite breakfast joint.

The weekend I made this sandwich, I had just returned from the Farmers Market. Fresh bread and tomatoes where the perfect addition to this meal. If you have the opportunity to get items grown and sourced locally, do it. The flavor is undeniably better! Let me know if you enjoy this sandwich as much as I did!