Sandwiches often get the bulk of their carbohydrate from the bread that they use for a base. To lower the carb count, get rid of the bread! One way to do this is to use a low-carb and high fiber tortilla. La Tortilla Factory makes a tortilla that has only three net grams of carbohydrate and 50 calories per small tortilla. A large one has 6 net grams of carbohydrate and 80 calories. I can’t tell you that I love them as much as a fresh flour tortilla from a Mexican bakery. However, dressed up with roasted veggies, cheese, sauce, and other condiments, they are a wonderful, satisfying, low-carb meal.

I’ve listed combinations of roasted vegetables, cheese, sauce, and other condiments below the main ingredient recipe. Add meat to any of them to satisfy those meat lovers in your life!

Roasted Vegetables
To make two pans full of roasted vegetables, I used eggplant, zucchini, onion, and peppers. You choose what vegetables you want to roast. This recipe makes enough roasted vegetables for at least 5-6 hearty sandwiches. Other selections for roasting might include portabella mushrooms, tomatoes, yellow squash, and peeled garlic cloves. These vegetables may be made ahead of time, cooled, and stored in covered containers in the refrigerator.

Here is a recipe for the ingredients for the basic sandwich. Low-carb sandwich ideas will follow the main recipe.

Basic Roasted Vegetables Sub

Ingredients:

2 unpeeled zucchini squash cut into 3 inch long pieces, then cut lengthwise into ¼ inch pieces
1 onion, peeled and cut into ¼ inch round pieces (I used Vidalia)
2 peppers cut into quarters (Use any color that you want.)
1 unpeeled eggplant cut into ¼ inch rounds
½ cup of extra virgin olive oil (I use the Kirkland brand.)
4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Sea salt
Pepper
1 jar of spaghetti sauce(I like to use Newman’s Own Sockarooni spaghetti sauce. It’s a chunky sauce that contains tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, and olive oil. The profits are donated to charity, too! )
2-3 tablespoons to ¼ cup of grated cheese per sandwich (You can use an Italian blend, which includes Mozzarella, Provolone, Parmesan, Asiago, Fontina, and Romano cheeses or a cheddar based blend.)
Low -carb tortillas (I use La Tortilla Factory tortillas. They are a high fiber, low carbohydrate alternative to traditional flour tortillas.)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Spray two shiny jelly roll pans or cookie sheets with non-stick cooking spray.
Cut the vegetables and set aside. In a flat bottomed container, whip the olive oil and balsamic vinegar until thoroughly mixed. Dip each piece of vegetable in the oil and vinegar mixture. If you are using smaller vegetables like mushrooms or garlic, you may save them for last. Add them to the bowl, and use a fork to toss well to coat them with oil and vinegar. Eggplant soaks up oil, so dip it quickly.

Arrange the vegetables on the baking sheets as you coat them in oil, so that they barely touch. Salt and pepper the vegetables to taste. I like to use a garlic sea salt and freshly ground pepper. It takes 30 minutes to one hour to roast the vegetables. The timing depends on how well done you want the vegetables. I cook mine for 20 minutes, turn them over, and cook them for another 20-25 minutes. Test the vegetables with a fork. It should slide in easily with no resistance. Take the cooked vegetables out of the oven and set them aside while you assemble the sandwiches. I like to use the large pieces for sub sandwiches. For quesadillas, wraps, and burrito-type sandwiches, they should be coarsely chopped. One great thing is that each sandwich can be made to satisfy the unique tastes of your family and friends.

Variations:

Low-Carb Sandwiches
These are instructions for making a sandwich for one. Feel free to adapt these directions to suit your own tastes. If you don’t like something, use something that you enjoy. Use more vegetables or fewer vegetables, as you like. Add a little chopped chicken, some cooked shrimp, or Italian sausage.

Warm Italian Veggie Wrap
Use a low-carb tortilla. I used the Multi-Grain from La Tortilla Factory In a dry heavy skillet, heat the tortilla, evenly sprinkled with about ¼ cup of Italian blend cheese until it becomes pliable, about 30 seconds. The cheese will also be melted. Microwave chopped veggies- ½ cup of mixed onion, pepper, and zucchini. Spoon these down the center of the tortilla. Add chopped fresh spinach, to taste. Drizzle with Newman’s Own Sockarooni spaghetti sauce. Roll up like a burrito. Eat this with a sturdy paper towel close by. These are amazingly flavorful, even if they are messy!

Warm Pepperoni Veggie Wrap
In a dry heavy skillet, heat the tortilla, thinly sprinkled with about 2 tablespoons of cheese. Add a layer of thinly sliced pepperoni. Heat the tortilla, covered, until it becomes pliable, about 30 seconds. The cheese will also be melted. I used an Italian blend of cheeses. Microwave chopped veggies- ½ cup of mixed onion, pepper, and zucchini. Spoon these down the center of the tortilla. Add chopped fresh spinach, to taste. Drizzle with spaghetti sauce. I used Newman’s Own Sockarooni. Roll up like a burrito. Eat this with a sturdy paper towel close by. These have a lovely Italian flair!


Low-carb can be full of flavor! Play with the combination of ingredients of these sandwiches. Healthy ingredients, creatively blended can make a special sandwich that satisfies the most finicky appetite. Enjoy these Italian inspired low-carb treats.

When I mention products by brand name, these are the ones that I use. I have not received free products from the manufacturers, nor have I been paid to mention the products by name.


If you want to play with some wraps in the summer heat, this is the book for you. The author teaches us how to make wrappers to go with delicious fillings. This book is a practical way to make good use of your time as you prepare nutritious meals for your family.

Wrapping It Up!: Making Sensational, All Occasion Wraps