Sandwich with Cream Cheese, Roast Beef & Cucumber
Most meals with 21g of protein ask for a pan, a timer, or at least some heat. This one asks for a cutting board and five minutes. Roast beef and cream cheese on whole wheat bread, sliced cucumber on top, salt and pepper.
326 kcal, four ingredients, and the kind of cold sandwich that works just as well wrapped in foil at your desk as it does on a plate at home.
Most meals with 21g of protein ask for a pan, a timer, or at least some heat. This one asks for a cutting board and five minutes. Roast beef and cream cheese on whole wheat bread, sliced cucumber on top, salt and pepper.
326 kcal, four ingredients, and the kind of cold sandwich that works just as well wrapped in foil at your desk as it does on a plate at home.
Ingredients
- cucumber 0.25 piece
- cream cheese, reduced fat 2 tablespoons
- bread, whole wheat 2 slices
- roast beef 4 slices
Method
-
Wash the cucumber and slice it.
-
Spread the cream cheese on the slices of bread. Then, distribute the slices of roast beef over it and top with the cucumber slices. Season with pepper and salt to taste.
-
Serve the sandwich on a plate.
Spread the cream cheese all the way to the edges of the bread before layering the roast beef and cucumber. The fat in the cheese seals the surface and keeps moisture from the cucumber from softening the bread, which matters most if you are wrapping this sandwich for later.
Behind this recipe
Is 21g of protein enough for one meal?
A systematic review of 49 studies found no practical upper limit for how much protein the body can use per meal for muscle building. The widely repeated 30g ceiling came from older nitrogen balance data that measured over too short a window. This sandwich's 21g falls well within the range the reviewed studies found effective.
Read the full evidence reviewCan I swap roast beef for another protein?
Turkey breast, smoked chicken, or smoked salmon all work. The macros shift slightly: turkey breast is leaner and drops the fat, smoked salmon is fattier and pushes it up. If you want to stay closest to the original 326 kcal and 21g protein, turkey breast is the nearest match.
Does this count as a balanced meal?
The sandwich delivers 21g protein, 29g carbs, and 14g fat from four ingredients. Protein comes from the roast beef, carbs from the whole wheat bread, and fat splits between the cream cheese and the beef. The 5g of fiber from the bread adds bulk. Whether it fits depends on the rest of your day, but the macro split lands close to a 25/35/40 protein-carb-fat ratio.
