Believe it or not, you can turn this typically indulgent comfort food into a healthy lunch or dinner — without sacrificing that rich, cheesy flavor. These 10 creative recipes prove it.
By
Lauren Bedosky
by
Lynn Grieger, RDN, CDCES
Make greens and cheese costars for a healthier sandwich.
It’s hard to beat the taste and simplicity of a grilled cheese sandwich. But if you’re trying to eat a healthy diet, this comfort food may not be the best option — at least not if you prepare it the traditional way.
First, there’s the butter. While butter gives the sandwich a rich flavor and prevents the bread from sticking to the pan during cooking, it also adds unhealthy saturated fats and zero nutrients.
Then there’s the bread. Many people use white or sourdough bread for grilled cheese. Kelly Kennedy, RDN, staff nutritionist at Everyday Health, says that both of these options are high in carbs and low in fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Finally, there’s the star of the show: cheese. “Cheese is great because it has protein in it, but it’s also very high in saturated fat,” Kennedy says.
Put that all together and you’ve got a less-than-healthy sandwich from top to bottom.
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Ready for some good news? There are countless ways to make a grilled cheese sandwich part of any healthy, satisfying meal.
“You can make a grilled cheese a little more nutrient dense by making some tweaks or pairing it with something like a vegetable-rich soup,” says Maggie Michalczyk, RD, who is based in Chicago.
An easy way to take your grilled cheese up a nutritional notch is to add fruits or vegetables to the sandwich. Michalczyk suggests incorporating avocado slices for healthy fats or a handful of spinach for more fiber, as well as vitamins A and C. Apple slices, broccoli, asparagus, and tomato are other great options.
Swapping white or sourdough bread for whole-grain bread is a simple way to level up the fiber, vitamins, and minerals in your sandwich. Just be sure to read the package, so you don’t unwittingly buy a bread that’s not genuinely whole grain: “It should say 100 percent whole grain somewhere on the package,” Kennedy says, adding that you also want to see whole-grain flour listed as the first ingredient.
For more ideas, check out these 10 healthier grilled cheese sandwich recipes.
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Healthy Grilled Cheese
“I love that this [sandwich] is open-faced,” Kennedy says. “This is a great idea to cut back on calories and carbs without sacrificing taste.”
This grilled cheese is made healthier by using whole-grain bread and only a small handful of low-fat cheeses. Meanwhile, the addition of a homemade sesame-seed spread (also known as tahini), onion, and tomato beefs up the flavor and satiety. And it nixes unhealthy butter and instead calls for a light toasting under a broiler or in a toaster oven.
One serving (half of the total) of this recipe from Snack Rules provides 392 calories, 21.4 grams (g) of fat (5 g of saturated fat), 30 g of carbs, 6 g of fiber, and 24 g of protein.
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Spinach Feta Grilled Cheese
Feta is a smart choice for cutting back on fat and calories without losing any cheesy goodness. “Feta has a strong flavor, so using just a little of it will kick up the flavor of this sandwich significantly,” Kennedy says.
This grilled cheese sandwich from Budget Bytes also incorporates frozen spinach, which adds valuable nutrients like fiber and iron, “making this a more well-rounded choice,” Kennedy notes.
Still, this recipe may be a tad high in saturated fat. To cut back, Kennedy suggests using less mozzarella. Or watch your food choices for the rest of the day to make up for it.
Half of this recipe offers 360 calories, 15.6 g of fat, 37.5 g of carbs, 19.6 g of protein, and 3.4 g of fiber.
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Healthy Vegan Grilled Cheese
Vegans rejoice: You can enjoy grilled cheese sandwiches, too! This sandwich fromNutriciously features a homemade “cheese” sauce made of coconut milk, yeast, arrowroot or tapioca starch, and onion and garlic powder.
Plus, this recipe gets a nutritional — and flavor — boost, thanks to avocado, zucchini, spinach, microgreens, and smoked tofu. While the sandwich includes the cheesy-tasting sauce, “it’s not the sole focus of this recipe, which is what makes it a great choice,” Kennedy says.
The one downside is that this sandwich is a bit high in saturated fat due to the coconut milk. “This is an unfortunate side effect of vegan substitutes sometimes,” Kennedy notes, suggesting using less of the sauce to address that concern.
One-third of this recipe has 475 calories, 23 g of fat (7 g of saturated fat), 58 g of carbs, 11 g of fiber, and 19 g of protein.
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Whole-Wheat Grilled Cheese
“This is a great simplified, healthier grilled cheese sandwich,” Kennedy says. It calls for only three ingredients: whole-grain bread, olive oil (to be used in place of butter), and a modest amount of shredded Cheddar cheese.
“Cooking the sandwiches in olive oil instead of butter really cuts back on the unhealthy saturated fat that is such a problem in a traditional grilled cheese,” Kennedy says.
This recipe also suggests pairing the sandwich with apple slices and sugar snap peas. Be sure to include those so you get even more nutrients, including fiber.
One of these sandwiches (one-quarter of the total) from Super Healthy Kids offers 379 calories, 16 g of fat (6 g of saturated fat),45 g of carbs, 8 g of fiber, and17 g of protein. “With 8 grams of fiber per serving, this is a much healthier choice for kids and adults alike,” Kennedy says.
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Best Vegan Grilled Cheese
This vegan option is more of a vegetable sandwich with cheese than a traditional grilled cheese. However, as Kennedy notes, “Making veggies the star of the show is always a good choice.”
In this case, seasoned carrots and a homemade spinach and onion mixture steal the spotlight. It also includes vegan cheese (homemade or store-bought), which provides what you expect from a grilled cheese sandwich.
To boost the protein and fiber, Kennedy recommends whole-grain bread and pairing the sandwich with a side likeedamame or a chickpea salad. This will turn it into a complete meal.
One serving (one-quarter of the total) of this recipe from Ela Vegan has 261 calories, 15.5 g of fat, 24.2 g of carbs, 4.4 g of fiber, and 5.3 g of protein.
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Zucchini Waffle Grilled Cheese
You’ll have to break out your waffle iron for this recipe. But instead of whipping up a batch of waffles with refined white flour, you’ll use zucchini to put a veggie spin on this brunch staple for a healthier grilled cheese sandwich.
“Using a vegetable in place of bread is a really creative way to squeeze in more veggie servings for the day,” Kennedy says. Just be sure to choose a healthy oil like olive oil to grease the waffle iron, she adds.
You’ll combine fresh shredded zucchini, eggs, mozzarella, Italian seasoning, and all-purpose flour. Once the waffles have cooked to a dark, golden brown, simply place a slice of Cheddar cheese between two waffles and heat in the waffle iron.
One sandwich (one-third of the total) from Kirbie’s Cravings offers 272 calories, 13 g of fat (6.4 g of saturated fat), 19.2 g of carbs, 1.4 g of fiber, and 19.3 g of protein.
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Ultimate Vegan Grilled Cheese
This vegan sandwich from EatPlant-Based centers on veggies and whole-grain bread. “The ‘cheese’ takes a back seat and lets the other healthy ingredients take center stage,” Kennedy says.
Pile fresh spinach or kale with tomato on a slice of whole-grain or gluten-free bread and add a bit of homemade vegan mayonnaise Finish with homemade “mozzarella” that's made byblending raw cashews or white beans, white wine vinegar, nutritional yeast flakes, and cornstarch or arrowroot powder; heat and slather it on your sandwich.
The result: a sandwich with an impressive 10 g of fiber — making it an excellent source of the nutrient, says Kennedy.
Each serving (one-quarter of the total) also provides 310 calories, 3 g of fat, 45 g of carbs, and 11 g of protein.
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Oprah’s Favorite Grilled Cheese
“This recipe focuses on using simple, fresh, and delicious ingredients, which contribute lots of rich flavor to the final sandwich,” Kennedy says. “This is a perfect example of quality over quantity.”
All you need to make this flavorful sandwich from Oh, Sweet Basil is a little honey, whole-grain bread, Havarti cheese, tomato, and fresh basil leaves. Keep saturated fats to a minimum by toasting the bread with a little olive oil. Or skip the cooking fat altogether.
A single sandwich has 381 calories, 19.2 g of fat (11.2 g of saturated fat), 31 g of carbs, 4 g of fiber, and 21 g of protein.
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Roasted Rhubarb Brie Sandwich
For a grown-up grilled cheese, try this recipe from Fork in the Road. It pairs the bold flavors of Brie with the tartness of rhubarb. Finally, it tops everything off with arugula and fig jam.
This combination equals a grilled cheese sandwich that’s tasty and nutritious.
“Brie is a very flavorful cheese, which means you can use less of it and still get a delicious, melty grilled cheese,” Kennedy says. Meanwhile, the rhubarb and arugula add vitamins, minerals, and fiber to the sandwich.
Figs are naturally high in carbs and sugar, but thankfully, this fruit is also flavorful, so a little goes a long way. Kennedy suggests using just half of the fig jam in the recipe to cut back on sugar but maintain the flavor.
One serving (half of the total) packs 425 calories, 15.8 g of fat (8.2 g of saturated fat), 54 g of carbs, 7 g of fiber, and 18 g of protein.
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Grilled Cheese Sandwich With Apples
While simple, this grilled cheese sandwich recipe is full of flavor, texture, and nutrients.
“It’s the sprouted-grain bread and apple that really shine through in this recipe,” Kennedy says. Both contribute vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Plus, using fresh, crisp apple slices for added texture and flavor means you won’t need as much cheese to create a satisfying sandwich. Tart apple slices pair especially well with the farmer cheese or mozzarella in this recipe.
To cut back on the saturated fat, Kennedy suggests cooking the sandwich in olive oil instead of butter. She also recommends serving the sandwich with a side salad or handful of veggie sticks to make it a more balanced meal.
This sandwich from The Lemon Bowl provides 360 calories, 17.1 g of fat (7.5 g of saturated fat),34.3 g of carbs, 7 g of fiber, and 15.1 g of protein.
