Flatouts Aregood

Lately I have been very into Flatout wraps.. these things are amazing.  They're slam-packed full of fiber (which I just love in my carb choices as you well know), for under 100 calories (or darn close to it), they are BIG so you can jam them full of fillings, and they taste good.  Great option for lunchtime on the run or at home.  All week I've been packing them full of leftover cooked chicken, or taco meat, or salmon to get a filling lean protein source in midday.  One day, I even cooked an egg sunnyside up and snuck that into a wrap with some spinach, hummus, and sliced kalamta olives.  These wraps are a great way to work on that goal of eating healthier lunches at the office.  ..You are working on that, like we discussed, right?


Flatouts are giant in size but not in calories.  So far I have tried all of the light varieties I could get my hands on at Wegmans, including multigrain with flax, sundried tomato, and italian herb. YUM!  The nutritional breakdown is as follows (using a sample multigrain with flax flavor):
Calories 100, Total Fat 2.5g, Trans Fat 0g, Sodium 380mg, Carbs 17g, Fiber 8g, Sugars 1g, Protein 9g

That is a breakdown I can make some room for in my day.  I only take issue with the sodium, and really people, unless we can really avoid all processed foods including breads, 380mg isn't so bad.  So what should you fill it with?

Well.. I would recommend following a basic macronutrient breakdown for the meal and you'll be heading in the right direction.  Fill one light Flatout wrap, which we'll count as one fiber-filled carb serving, and add: 1 serving of lean protein, a handful of veggies, and 1 MUFA, aka monounsaturated fat.  This is a super basic blueprint that you can tailor to your tastes.

For protein, you can use 3-4 oz of cooked chicken or turkey, canned tuna, or salmon.  You could even cook up a mini omelet of egg substitute and fold it into the wrap.  If you use a whole egg, remember that it is higher in fat content, though chock full of vitamins and minerals.  I was out of handy protein a few days ago and I cooked up a Bruschetta Boca Burger, chopped it into strips and tucked that into a wrap with some light swiss cheese.  Delicious!

Most of the time, I like to use the MUFA as whatever spread I need, like Wholly Guacamole, or Smart Balance Light Mayo.  Or, you could slice up some kalamata olives as the fat serving and use hummus as the spread.  The hummus in this case might be an extra carb-y serving, but you're getting some extra fiber as well.  Plus it works great as a "glue" to hold the end of the wrap to the rolled part.  Good trick.  If you use hummus, you have a little more freedom to add a fat serving - like I said, sometimes I'll use a 1/4 cup light shredded cheese or half a slice of swiss cheese and really live it up, Flatout-style.

Here are some favorite combinations for my Flatout Lunches:

BBQ Chicken Wrap:  3 oz homemade chicken fingers (baked sliced chicken breast coasted in egg beaters and whole wheat bread crumbs), 1/2 slice Land o' Lakes Swiss cheese, about 1/3 serving Famous Dave's Rich n' Sassy BBQ Sauce, spinach leaves in a light sundried tomato Flatout

Italian Veggie Burger Wrap:  1 Boca Bruschetta burger, sliced, with 1/2 slice Land o' Lakes Cheddar cheese, a little bit of diced tomatoes, arugula leaves in a light italian herb Flatout

Chicken n' Sprouts Wrap:  3-4 oz sliced chicken breast, 3 sliced kalamata olives, 1 tbsp hummus, clover sprouts, spinach leaves in any flavor Flatout wrap

Tarragon Chicken Salad Wrap: 1/2 cup tarragon chicken salad (made with sliced chicken breast, Smart Balance Light mayo, chopped fresh tarragon, and candied pecans) with spinach leaves, extra tarragon, and 1 tbsp hummus on a light multigrain with flax Flatout

Italian Tuna Wrap:  1 can Bumble Bee very low sodium albacore tuna in water, mixed with 1 tbsp Smart Balance light mayo, 1/2 tsp dried dill weed, and 1 oz sliced roasted red peppers in a light italian herb Flatout

Mexican Wrap:  3 oz (leftover) very lean low-sodium taco beef, with 1/4 cup shredded light colby-jack cheese, 2 tbsp salsa, spinach, and sprouts in a light multigrain with flax Flatout

Give these a whirl if your lunch needs some pizazz!  More and more ideas will come to you as you stare at the leftovers in your fridge.  "hmm.. what else can I take out of that tupperware and stuff into this thing?"  Cream cheese?  Tofu?  Cooked egg beaters?  Or you could try a sweet version with fruit and greek yogurt.  I know a lot of Flatout fans make awesome pizzas out of these!  The possibilities are a mile-long.  Let me know what you come up with and what combo I should try next.  Enjoy the weekend!

And if there's any UFC-fans out there,  let's go Georges St-Pierre!!