Sandwich Spread Recipes: Top 8 Clean Eating Spreads & Dips + Video

Welcome to the fascinating, rich realm of sandwich spread recipes. My goal this week is helping you minimize the use of commercial creams. With 8 top recipe ideas, I want to motivate you to make homemade, clean eating spreads that are cheaper, healthier, and better for you.

Together we will bring excitement and novelty into even the simplest everyday sandwiches. From now on, you will open your refrigerator's door and always have something nutritious and interesting to munch on.

Appropriate for any occasion

Delicious spreads for bread can be made very easily and they are a great choice at any time of the day. Their soft texture allows spreading them on:

• breakfast toasts
• lunch sandwiches
• party crackers
• pre-dinner nibbles
• dinner bread

…or as a supplement to other dishes.

By the way: the difference between dip, sauce, dressing, marinade, topping, and spread is just a matter of thickness. In our case, if it tastes delicious and you can spread it on a slice of bread, then we call it spread.

What's wrong with commercial products?

Classic spreads like butter or mayonnaise come with many calories and a high content of saturated fats. But also, store-bought cheese, ranch dressing or meat spreads can pack too many calories and unhealthy fats, not to mention the long list of additives and preservatives that can trigger allergies and food intolerances.

A glance at the sweet corner doesn't look much healthier. Just think of the sugar-packed Nutella, marmalade, or jam that can wreck havoc on your blood sugar system. With just a little time in your kitchen, you can make your sandwiches soar to new culinary delights.

Healthy sandwich recipes for smarter choices in your fridge

No matter if hearty, hot or sweet, spread recipes bring variety to your nutrition. In fact, you can find creams of all imaginable colors, tastes, and ethnic origins. And they can be used so easily for clean eating; all you need is a fresh slice of whole grain bread and a butter knife.

The here presented healthy recipes offer several benefits. They…

• are all made of fresh, clean, and basic ingredients
• can be varied endlessly
• are filling and satisfying
• are sugar-free and figure-friendly if eaten in moderation
• are ready within a couple of minutes
• can be unpredictable, original delicacies for your guests

Some of them you can create in large batches and freeze. Many of them are universal enough to be loved by all.

Hint: I use a reliable food processor to create those delicious toppings, that's what I recommend to you too.

1) With herbs and spices

If you followed my healthy spices and herbs challenges, then you already have all you need available for most of these yummy homemade culinary delights.

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In my second recipe, oregano dominates the scene.

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And here comes a quick and easy arugula butter recipe packed in a short video tutorial.

=> Coming soon: Pesto Spread Recipe

More ideas:

Garden cress spread, red or green curry paste, chili pesto, Indian Harissa, roasted pepper spread, or coriander chutney are other recipes with herbs and spices used as their main ingredients. But usually, the recipes that need plenty of ingredients are more complicated to prepare than the two above presented.

Is store-bought honey mustard or any other mustard clean?

The most famous of all spreads in this category is mustard, based on mustard seeds. Yellow mustard is the only spread clean enough for you to buy directly from the store. If you are, however, following a sodium-restricted diet, please read nutrition labels carefully for salt content.

I use store-bought yellow mustard (medium spicy) often as a replacement for butter.

2) With nuts and legumes

If you are looking for alternative protein sources to animal meat, then spread recipes with nuts or legumes come in handy like for example my mint pea dip or my avocado cashew cream. Another avocado spread better known as guacamole I make most often when I get fresh avocados in my weekly vegetable box. It is also a great addition to any Tortilla wrap.

Click through for my top 12 easy guacamole recipe ideas!

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More ideas

Hummus, lentils, peanut butter, pine nut butter, tofu, or walnut spread are other recipe examples with nuts and fiber-rich legumes as their main components.

Find here our beloved clean eating hummus recipe including a short video. Click here!

I freeze hummus spread up to 3 months. It’s worth mentioning also that green lentils spread can be frozen for up to six months. I will add the recipe as soon as I can.

And here comes our brand new lentil spread recipe. Click here!

3) With Dairy

Cheese, mayonnaise, and butter fall into the dairy spread category. In refrigerator sections of supermarkets, commercial cream or blue cheese spreads are tempting, but if you want to save money and calories then you’d better opt for my cool and creamy yogurt spread below.

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On a side note: The egg sandwich spread is another very popular relish in the dairy category. As it usually contains mayonnaise, it doesn't fit in our lean recipe collection.

4) With vegetables

The following vegetable based recipes are not only suitable for vegetarians or vegans but are also loved by all body-conscious foodies.

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More ideas:

Cucumber, sun-dried tomato, or pumpkin spreads are other recipes with vegetables playing the main role. Aioli, a typical garlic spread recipe that is traditionally used in France and Spain, is part of this category too. Although it is a creamy and aromatic condiment, it is heavy, like chipotle mayo but goes especially well with a grilled chicken sandwich.

A special favorite of mine in this category is this easy baba ganoush recipe, a flavorful eggplant dip.

5) With fruits

Most sweet spreads are not clean and need white sugar like jam, jelly or preserves.
If you are a sweet tooth and still want to eat clean check you will love my sugar-free chia seed jam recipe.

5 steps to implement healthy creams into your nutrition

This week, take the chance to broaden your horizon on spreads.

1. Make some of the healthy recipes I presented above. Store them in glass containers with tight lids in your fridge.
2. Use them on different sandwiches throughout the week.
3. Decide upon your 2-3 favorite sandwich spread recipes, or research other recipes on the web until you find your favorites.
4. Adopt the recipes you and your family like best and incorporate them in your weekly meal planning. Use them for your whole grain lunch sandwiches or dinner bread.
5. After doing so for a while, reward yourself with a new set of glass jars or clear-glass storage containers (freezer-safe) e.g. from Pyrex, Glasslock or Kinetic for your spreads.

Prepare to be enticed…Guten Appetit!

Do you have a favorite, clean recipe?

Please leave a comment – I look forward to reading your spread inspirations.