Introducing Jess our new Dietitian !
As summer heats up, my go to for a quick and easy lunch is a DIY wrap. They’re convenient and the potential for tasty flavour combinations is endless… Plus they’re an easy way to get in a couple of serves of vegetables. Wraps are an ideal lunch idea, especially if you have training later on in the day, as depending on the ingredients you choose, they contain carbohydrates for energy and protein for muscle recovery.
The beautiful things about DIY wraps is that the flavour combinations are up to you. My go to combinations at the moment are:
Turkey slices or smoked salmon with raw spinach, cucumber and cream cheese or avocado
Falafel with shredded carrot, tomato, cucumber, slice of cheese, handful of mixed salad and avocado
Grilled tofu or chicken, shredded carrot, bean sprouts and coriander with a smear of crunchy peanut butter
As you can see, I pick a protein option, lots of vegetables and finish off with a flavour boost, such as the avocado or peanut butter. I’ve added a list below for some inspiration and I strongly believe in getting a little MasterChef-y and experimenting to find out what tickles your taste buds and fuels you well.
My top tips for wraps are:
Look for a wrap that contains more than 3g of fibre per serve as the fibre will keep you fuller for longer and plays an important role in keeping our digestive system healthy
Balance it out by choosing an ingredient from each of the category above to help keep your body fuelled to take on the rest of the day
If you’re making your wrap the day before, to avoid it getting soggy, add your leafy greens first, then your protein and any ingredients with a high water content (eg. tomatoes and cucumber) in the middle. Alternately, if you prefer, slice and dice all your ingredients the night before and pop them into a container with sections and construct your wrap at lunch
Wraps are prone to tearing if you’re too enthusiastic on the fillings front. I’ve found that a handful of leafy veggies, a couple of slices of cucumber/carrot and a couple of slices of my protein stacked neatly in the middle works best for me to keep my wrap intact. Since I can’t always get all the veggies I want in without destroying any wrapability, I pair my wrap with a side salad or punnet of cherry tomatoes to get in an extra serve of veg (I promise you can make friends with salad)
With the weather heating up, food safety is key. Keep your food cool by adding an ice block or frozen water bottle to your lunch bag
I’ll be sharing more quick and easy food ideas in the weeks to come, so keep an eye out! In the meantime, if you’d like to have a one on one chat about all things food and nutrition, book in to see me by e-mailing jessica@risehg.com.au or calling 03 9763 9233. Happy wrapping!
