A sloppy joe that sneaks in veg: lean turkey in a sweet-tangy tomato sauce with peas and carrots, piled on toasted bread. Each sandwich is 35g of protein for 444 calories.

The ketchup-mustard-honey combo gives you the classic sloppy-joe tang without a can of sugary sauce.

Ingredients

  • Ground turkey — 227 g (1 cup, 93% lean) [P 43 C 0 F 15]
  • Bread — 4 slices (whole wheat) [P 16 C 60 F 4]
  • Frozen peas and carrots — 1 cup [P 5 C 20 F 0]
  • Onion — 1 medium, finely chopped [P 1 C 7 F 0]
  • Tomato sauce (or pizza sauce) — ¼ cup [P 1 C 6 F 0]
  • Sugar-free ketchup — 2 tbsp
  • Mustard — 1 tbsp
  • Honey — 1 tbsp
  • Olive oil — 1 tsp (or spray)
  • Salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder — to taste

Method

  1. Cook. Brown the turkey with the onion, peas and carrots and the spices 7–8 minutes until the turkey is golden and the veg is soft.
  2. Sauce. Add the tomato sauce, ketchup, mustard and honey; cook 1 more minute.
  3. Build. Toast the bread and pile on the filling.

What to eat it with

  • Diced pickles and low-fat cheese — optional add-ons.
  • As “sloppy joe rice” — over rice instead of bread, less mess.
  • A side salad.

Variations

  • Any ground meat: beef is the classic.
  • Sweeter: a spoon of brown sugar.
  • On a bun instead of sliced bread.

Honest notes

  • Fibre: about 7g a sandwich, from the whole-wheat bread, peas and carrots.
  • Turkey note: 93% lean keeps the 11g fat honest.
  • Macros: reconcile with the per-sandwich 444 cal / 35g protein listed; no correction needed.