Whether you need to whip up a quick dinner or want something perfect for a healthy alternative to a tailgate staple, these pulled pork sandwiches are sure to make your mouth water! And don't worry, you don't have to cheat on your diet in order to enjoy these since they are weight conscious as well as being very healthy for you.
Let's take a look at what makes these pulled pork sandwiches so much healthier for you compared to others. Here are some of the yummy and healthy ingredients you can find in this recipe that make it so great:
- Instead of using regular buns for your pulled pork, this recipe calls for whole wheat buns that are better for diets and not as full of starches that are bad for your heart health.
- Apple cider vinegar is great for flavor as well as for your skin and ensuring you don't have to call off your diet.
- Coleslaw has a mixture of lettuce and carrots for a nice serving of vegetables and leafy greens.
Altogether, the serving calorie size for these sandwiches is around 300 calories. And when you consider just how much smoky flavor you're getting out of the sandwiches, this is a perfect solution compared to a pulled pork sandwich that might be closer to 500 or 600 calories at a restaurant. Also, you can make smaller portion sandwiches out of this recipe and turn them into healthy sliders for the family or yourself.
Here is the full ingredient list:
- One and one-half teaspoons of salt-free chili powder
- One teaspoon of smoked paprika
- One teaspoon of dry mustard powder
- Dash of salt and pepper
- One pound of pork tenderloin
- Three cups of shredded cabbage and carrot
- Two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
- Two tablespoons of fresh chive
- One tablespoon of spicy brown mustard
- One third cup of barbecue sauce
- One tablespoon of water
- Four whole wheat buns, lightly toasted with light butter
Directions
- Fill small saucepot with 1 in. of water and place the steamer insert in it. Cover and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium.
- Combine the chili powder, paprika, dry mustard, ¼ t. salt and ¼ t. pepper in a bowl, and rub all over the pork.
- Add the pork into the steamer and cook until the pork is 145 F in the middle, approx. 20 minutes. Make sure to turn over once.
- In the meantime, toss cabbage mixture with 2 T. vinegar, chives, 1 T. mustard and 1/8 t. salt in a bowl and set aside.
- When the pork is done transfer it to a plate and shred it. Remove the water and steamer insert from the saucepan.
- In the saucepan, add the shredded pork, BBQ sauce, 1 T. water, 2 t. mustard and 1 t. vinegar. Cook until heated through.
- Serve and enjoy!