Healthy Eating Tips: Vegetarian Wraps

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Vegetarian wraps are a popular solution for people who want to enjoy tasty and nutritious food, that will fill them up and keep them going while they are on the move. Wraps are better than sandwiches – if they are made properly – because they are lower in calories and carbohydrates, and they tend to be higher in protein and in micronutrients, because they are more full of filling (the good stuff!) than they are of just grains. The wrap part itself is there just for something to hold on to, so that you can eat them without needing cutlery.

If you’re vegetarian, then you can enjoy wraps that contain vegetables and cheese (and even egg – if you are a lacto-ovo vegetarian). If you’re vegan, however, then you will need to be a little more careful with the ingredients you add, because many spreads, sauces and dressings contain animal products.

There are a few ways of getting nice texture in your wrap. Onions and peppers are crunchy, and you can add red pepper hummus or grilled zucchini to give the wrap a bit of extra flavour, and a nice juicy texture. Quinoa can go in a wrap too, adding bulk and a nice flavour. Some people use soy or tofu as a meat substitute, but this is a personal thing and not everyone agrees with the idea of adding meat-like dishes if you’re not really a fan of meat.

You may be wondering if it’s really healthy to “cut out an entire food group”, and it’s true that vegetarians do have to monitor their diets closely to make sure that they are getting enough protein – but if you’re someone who usually eats meat and you are just looking for some portable, healthy lunch ideas then there’s nothing wrong with doing the vegetarian thing for a single meal. Indeed, it could well do you good. Vegetarian wraps are crunchy and delicious – they’ll keep well compared to trying to keep a meat sandwich fresh until lunch time, and they’re satisfying to eat. They’ll help you get your five a day, and you’ll save calories (veegetables are less calorie dense than meat) for a later meal.

Don’t write off veggie wraps as being all about lettuce and tomato – it can be if you want – but hummus, cous cous, coleslaw, potato salad, peppers, falafel, chick peas, zucchini – they’re all options for adding to your wraps, and they’re tasty and nutritious.

Get creative. A little cheese, some herbs and some fresh vegetables can fill out almost anything. You can even make sweet wraps with bananas and cinnamon if you want – there’s no need to limit yourself to savories.

Buy smaller wraps to make snacks for the kids, or slice tortillas in half for portion control. Try whole grain, brown wraps as well as white ones for a little different texture and flavor, and remember that a wrap can go with something else (soup, or fries if you’re treating yourself) for a main meal.

Burritos and fajitas are based on wraps, with warm ingredients such as black beans or fried onions and peppers. Be aware, though, that a burrito can have as much as 800 calories in it – which is great if you’re a man who leads an active lifestyle, but it is a large chunk of the daily calorie allowance for a smaller woman who works a desk job. It’s important to use common sense when you are working out how much to eat at each meal – vegetarian food, especially if it has avocado in it – can be very calorie dense.

Are Wraps Really Nutritionally Good For You?

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A lot of people like to eat wraps, thinking that they are somehow better for them than eating a traditional sandwich instead, but is that really true? Well, as with so many other conundrums, the answer is “it depends”.

Wraps can be good for you, but they can sometimes actually be a worse choice. If you’re buying a wrap in a restaurant or a deli, then you should look at the calorie count and the ingredient list. The ‘theory’ about why wraps are good for you is that they are lower calorie, lower in carb, and therefore better balanced than a stodgy sandwich which will leave you feeling hungry after an hour or so.

Many wraps are calorie dense and full of trans fats, rather than being the wholesome high fiber solutions that people think they’re getting when they opt to avoid taking in two slabs of bread.

If you’re making a wrap at home though, you could well be making the better choice.

The reason for this is simple – if you buy a good, high quality wrap made of whole wheat or whole rye flour, then fill it with lean meat and fresh vegetables, you’re getting a fiber and protein rich meal. In addition, a single tortilla is going to be far lower in calories than two heavy slices of bread or a huge bun.

You need to be careful with the size, though bigger wraps can accommodate more fillings, and if you’re loading the wrap up with cheese and dressing, then you will end up taking in a huge amount of calories – and those dressings could be full of sugar. Wraps, like any other food, can be good or bad – depending on how much of them you have, and what you add to them.

A large wrap, like the ones that Mission makes – can contain 210 calories. If you buy a sandwich made from two slices of bread, the bread could be 120 calories per slice, so you’re saving a small amount on calories by buying the wrap. But, if the wrap gets filled to overflowing with tuna mayo, then you could end up taking in those calories and more, which undoes the benefit of the wrap.

Really, the most sensible solution could be to focus on eating at home, instead of eating out. When you prepare wraps at home you know exactly what is going in them, so you are less likely to over-eat. When you buy something in a takeout, it will be laden with salts, sugars and fat in order to make it as appealing as possible.

That’s not to say that the occasional calorie bomb will do you a lot of harm – although there is evidence to suggest that trans fats can be bad for you. The main problem is that it’s so easy to over-indulge and end up still feeling hungry later, because the food that you take in is so quickly digested, and your blood sugar spikes and then crashes again.

Cooking at home keeps you in control and it means that whether you decide to eat a wrap or a sandwich, you will be able to enjoy it guilt free, safe in the knowledge that it is made from wholesome ingredients and that if you have decided to treat yourself, it’s an educated decision made because it’s what you want to do. You aren’t just putting food in your mouth with no idea or care about what the food actually is. It’s a liberating feeling to be informed about nutrition and to make the right choices.

5 Simple and Tasty Wrap Recipes

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When you are hungry for lunch or a snack, a sandwich might fit the bill. Why bother with the extra calories from bread though when you can just as easily have a tasty wrap?

Wraps are easy to make, and with whole wheat tortillas or a lettuce leaf, they can be healthy, light, clean and completely satisfying. Here are five simple recipes to go to when hunger hits.

These are not really recipes in that you need to measure or portion out ingredients. You can reach for items you have around the kitchen and add them onto your tortilla or lettuce leaf and then roll everything up and eat!

Chicken Salad Wrap

You can substitute tuna for this one if you like. Take some salad and place it onto your tortilla. For extra flavor you may want to have some spinach tortillas on hand for the chicken version. Place some lettuce onto the tortilla, a scoop of salad and, if you like, drizzle with Cesar salad dressing.

Turkey and Bacon Wrap

A tortilla works great for this wrap when you spread some ranch dressing over it. Layer a piece of lettuce and a slice or two of cheddar cheese on it. Follow this with a few slices of turkey and sprinkle in some crumbled bacon. Roll it all up and enjoy it!

Super Salad Wrap

You can have your salad and eat it, too with this wrap. For this particular recipe, Cobb Salad is recommended but you can choose whatever you have around. The idea is to bulk up the salad enough to make it filling and still healthy with the help of a whole-wheat tortilla.

Grainy Health Wrap

The star of this one is quinoa. Combine it with chickpeas, dried cranberries, and raisins. Add some dill and lemon before wrapping it up and make extras. You will want to share it you’re your vegan friends. It has 20 grams of protein to keep you going all day long.

Plain Old Turkey Sandwich Wrap

All you need for this is a tortilla, some turkey slices, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato and ranch dressing. Slather the dressing onto the tortilla, place lettuce and two tomato slices down next and follow them with the Swiss cheese and the turkey. This one is perfect for kids and makes a welcome lunch box addition.

The above are just five different wrap recipes you can try. One more that might work is the morning wrap. Sometimes you want breakfast for lunch or for a snack.

Heat your tortilla on the stove and allow it to get a bit blackened on the edges. Cook an egg and then spinach leaves. Layer hummus onto your tortillas and then add the spinach and egg along with some tomato. You can make this with a poached egg or a scrambled egg. It is healthy and delicious all day long.

Wraps can be made with anything you have around. Think of creating them using tortillas or large lettuce leaves as your fill-in for bread. Then, add a spread or dressing of some kind. Add it first so that the other ingredients can bind on top of it.

Choose a meat or vegetable along with a cheese for a protein or healthy carb. You can also make veggie wraps by adding lettuce around carrot sticks. The key to making wraps like this tasty is adding the right flavoring with a combination of ginger and sesame. Keep dressings of all kinds on hand so that you always have the flavoring needed for any type of tasty wrap you want.

5 Best Meals Workers Should Start Eating

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Workers need all the energy they can get, especially if they work long hours. Many workers eat poorly due to time, but it is possible to eat healthier meals. With that said, here are the five best foods for staff.

1. Porridge or oatmeal are high in good carbs, which provides you with lasting energy. Feel free to mix some avocado with your oatmeal or porridge. If you need energy to get you through the day, then make this meal for breakfast or have it for lunch. It is quick and easy to make and it is a meal that can be consumed within a short period of time.

Also, don’t add sugar to your oatmeal. This is counter-productive and will likely lead to a sugar crash. If you feel like adding something sweet to your oatmeal or porridge, then add a few strawberries, grapes or blueberries to it. Most fruit are packed with good carbs, so you’ll enjoy having a bunch of energy.

2. Keep things basic by making 1-2 scrambled eggs and include a side of toast, spinach and banana. If you feel like you’re not full or you’d like even more energy, then make a watercress smoothie and drink it alongside your meal. Better yet, after you’ve ate your meal, bring your smoothie on the go.

If a watercress smoothie doesn’t sound good to you, then make another one. In fact, place a little bit of natural peanut butter, half a cup of oatmeal, a banana and a cup or two of milk in a blender and have that as your smoothie. After washing your eggs down with it, you’ll have more energy to get you through the work day.

3. Tuna is packed with a lot of protein and there’s many ways to eat it, such as straight out of a can, but if you want something more filling, then make a tuna wrap and add some hummus to it. If hummus isn’t your thing, then add low fat mayonnaise to it, but this may not be the healthiest option. Also, you can add some chicken into the mix and have a chicken and tuna wrap, which will provide your body with even more protein.

Adding brown rice is a good idea too. You can either add it to the wrap or eat it on the side. This meal is cheap and easy to make, so feel free to have it daily.

4. A lot of workers don’t get the nutrients they need throughout the day and when they start to get cravings, they reach for chocolate, chips and other types of junk food. They don’t really turn to fruit because they don’t consider it a meal. However, it can be a meal, but you want to eat multiple fruits.

Buy some bananas, apples, grapes and strawberries. Cut them all up and you’ll have a meal. Eat this for a lunch or when you need an energy boost.

5. Blueberry smoothies are considered meals, so prepare a few and have one daily. Add some spinach and nuts to the smoothie. This will provide you with good carbs, protein and a moderate amount of healthy fats, which is just want workers need to help them be more efficient.

Workers can and should eat the right meals in order to get the energy they need to get their jobs done in an efficient way. If you’re a hard worker and you want to eat good meals, then give the above ones a try. As time goes on, you will start to feel the benefits of eating them on a regular basis.