Lunch in a Box: {Healthier} Egg Salad Sandwich

There are few things I love more than a good egg salad sandwich. It's a guilty pleasure that I confess to eating more than I should. Since we're trying to eat "healthier" lunches, I knew I would have to find a way to lighten up egg salad if I wanted to continue eating it. I'll be the first to admit that this really doesn't taste nearly as decadent as the real thing. I mean- there is just no substitute for mayonnaise, and I refuse to buy the light version of it. So I pulled out my trusty tub of Greek Yogurt and set about finding a reasonable substitute for the full-fat kind.

The nice thing about making egg salad is that the flavors mesh a little more with each passing day. You can make this on Sunday and eat from it for about 3 days. I love being able to make things ahead! Another great thing about this recipe is that it's pretty open ended. I created the base, and you can add whatever flavors you want. Don't like dill? Add a little mint or chives instead. Like it spicy? Add some red pepper flakes. Mango chutney would also be a fun condiment, along with a dash of curry powder to give it a more exotic flare. The possibilities really are endless- just use your imagination, or whatever you happen to have in the pantry.

My fool-proof method for boiling eggs is this:

1- Place eggs in large pot and just barely cover them with water.
2- Bring water to a boil.
3- Turn off the heat and cover the pot for exactly 13 minutes. No more, no less.
4- Pour out the hot water and add ice/cold water to cool the eggs off.

Super special tip- It's also easier to peel eggs that are at least a few days old.

{Healthier} Egg Salad
makes 4 servings

8 hardboiled eggs, with 3 yolks removed and set aside
2 T mustard (yellow or dijon are fine)
1 cup Greek Yogurt (I used 0% fat)
1 T chopped dill (or any fresh herb)
2 T finely diced red onion (white or yellow onion would work fine too)
salt and pepper to taste

1- Place hard boiled eggs in large bowl, and place 3 of the egg yolks in a separate smaller bowl.
2- Chop the egg yolks and add mustard, yogurt, dill and onion, stirring to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3- Use any appliance to chop the hard boiled eggs. I used a pastry blender which works great, but forks, a knife, or even a food processor would do.
4- Add wet mix to the chopped egg, and stir to combine- adjusting seasonings as needed.


Best guess for nutritional information (per the LoseIt app):

215 Calories
14g Fat (**to cut down on fat, you can easily remove egg yolks, and just use the egg whites)
180mg Sodium
3.1g Carb
0.1g Fiber
2.9g Sugar
17.3g Protein

For lunch, I placed my sandwich components separately so that nothing would get soggy. I used spinach and tomato slices, along with 100 calorie multi-grain sandwich thins. I also added some leftover broccoli slaw from the weekend, and some fresh cut pineapple. Not a shabby lunch if you ask me! It was a little higher in fat than I would like (an easy fix can take care of that problem), but the calorie count was ok, and it was also high in protein. I'm definitely looking forward to playing around with the recipe and finding ways to make it taste even better.

Anyone else have any success stories in lightening up favorite recipes?