Prize sandwich stacked with nutrition

Sara’s sandwich has won her some dough.

Sara Collins, a student at Deer Ridge Elementary School, is the second runner-up among U.S. fourth-graders in the seventh annual Ziploc National Sandwich Day Contest. Her sandwich, the Hollywood Blazer, earned her a $50 savings bond and $50 for Deer Ridge to use for educational equipment.

The sandwich, which features honey ham, turkey, tomatoes, peaches, pickles and strawberries, was chosen from more than 4,000 entries from schoolchildren in grades one through six. The sandwiches were screened for creativity, nutritional content and the use of the five food groups by members of Golin/Harris Communications in Chicago and Instructor Magazine. After finalists were chosen in each grade, the sandwiches were made and judged by students.

Sara and her classmates were entered in the contest by teacher Carol Nine as part of a lesson on nutrition. Nine was “a little surprised and excited and happy” to hear Sara had placed in the competition.

Sara may have been most surprised. She sent in her recipe, then promptly forgot about the contest. In fact, she wasn’t sure if she could remember what was in her recipe. “I just picked the fruits I like and what I like to eat, and put them all together,” she said.

She did remember the lesson on nutrition. “I learned not to put a lot of fat into my sandwich. I put a lot of nutritious things into it.”

Sara, daughter of Lee and Jill Collins, named her sandwich with the help of her grandmother, Gail Maier. “I wanted it to be a big sandwich, and Hollywood sounded big,” Sara said.

Hollywood Blazer

Miracle Whip Light

2 slices white sourdough bread

2 slices honey ham

3 slices turkey breast

2 slices Swiss cheese

4 slices bologna, thinly sliced

4 sweet gherkin pickles

2 tomatoes, sliced

15 strawberries, freshly sliced

3 peaches, freshly sliced

Spread Miracle Whip on each slice of sourdough bread.

Place one slice of honey ham on each slice of bread. Place three sliced of turkey breast on either slice of bread. Place Swiss cheese on both slices of bread. Place two slices of bologna on each slice of bread.

Place two sliced tomatoes on either slice of bread. Place four pickles on tomatoes. Place peaches and strawberries on top of pickle.