This California Turkey Wrap recipe features a spinach wrap filled with delicious turkey, bacon, creamy avocado, tomato, and lettuce. Makes easy, healthy, and satisfying lunch wraps that are tastier than store-bought options. When you only have 15 minutes to eat, this quick and easy wrap recipe is the way to go!
Turkey wraps have become an increasingly popular meal option for those looking to lose weight. With the right ingredients and preparation turkey wraps can be a nutritious and waistline-friendly lunch or dinner choice. In this article, we’ll look at how turkey wraps can aid weight loss efforts the best ingredients to use, and some healthy recipes to try.
How Can Turkey Wraps Help With Weight Loss?
There are a few key reasons why turkey wraps are a smart choice if you’re trying to shed pounds
High in Protein
Turkey is a lean source of protein. A 3-ounce portion contains around 25 grams of protein for less than 200 calories. Protein helps keep you feeling fuller for longer after eating, which can prevent overeating later in the day. The high protein content of turkey wraps helps control hunger and cravings.
Lower in Calories
Using a wrap or lettuce leaves rather than bread slashes the calories in half compared to a traditional sandwich. Avoiding high-calorie sauces and fillings keeps the calorie count down. A turkey wrap made with light ingredients clocks in around 300 calories, while a turkey sandwich can easily top 500-600 calories.
Nutrient-Dense Ingredients
When you build your turkey wrap, you can pack it with nutritious ingredients like veggies, beans, avocado, hummus, and more. The vitamins, minerals, and fiber in these foods provide nutrients to fuel your body, and the volume helps fill you up.
Portable for Meal Prepping
Turkey wraps are grab-and-go friendly, making them perfect for meal prepping. Having healthy portion-controlled meals ready to eat makes sticking to your diet much more manageable. Preparing turkey wraps ahead of time helps prevent poor spur-of-the-moment food choices when hunger strikes.
The Best Fillings for Weight Loss Turkey Wraps
While the turkey provides protein, the fillings you pair with it make all the difference when it comes to keeping calories low and nutrition high. Here are some of the best options:
- Vegetables: Spinach, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, bell peppers, mushrooms, sprouts, roasted veggies
- Fruit: Grilled pineapple, mango, apple, grapes, dried cranberries
- Beans and legumes: Black beans, chickpeas, lentils, edamame
- Healthy fats: Avocado, hummus, olive oil, nuts and seeds
- Dairy: Greek yogurt, feta, low-fat cheese
- Whole grains: Brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat wrap
When building your wrap, pile on the veggies and include fiber-rich beans and healthy fats to help keep you satisfied. Limit high-calorie ingredients like fatty sauces, bacon, deli meats with nitrates, fried ingredients, and sugary fruits.
Healthy Turkey Wrap Recipes for Weight Loss
To get you started, here are some tasty and nutritious turkey wrap recipes that can help you reach your weight loss goals:
1. Greek Turkey Wrap
- Flour tortilla
- 3-4 oz sliced turkey
- Lettuce
- Chopped cucumber
- Tomatoes
- Red onion
- Feta cheese
- Hummus
- Lemon juice
Spread hummus on the tortilla and top with turkey, lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, and feta. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over top. Roll up and enjoy this flavorful Mediterranean-style wrap.
Nutrition per serving: 343 calories, 29 g protein, 33 g carbs, 12 g fat
2. Southwest Turkey Wrap
- High fiber whole wheat tortilla
- 3-4 oz sliced turkey
- Shredded lettuce
- Black beans
- Roasted red peppers
- Avocado
- Low-fat pepper jack cheese
- Greek yogurt lime dressing
Pile lettuce, turkey, beans, peppers, avocado, and cheese into a whole wheat tortilla. Drizzle on the tangy dressing. This wrap packs in fiber, protein, and healthy fats.
Nutrition per serving: 401 calories, 29 g protein, 33 g carbs, 20 g fat
3. Turkey Club Wrap
- Spinach tortilla
- 3-4 oz sliced turkey
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- Avocado
- 2 slices bacon
- Light mayo
Layer the turkey, lettuce, tomato, avocado, and bacon in the spinach wrap. Spread on a bit of light mayo. You get a flavorful club sandwich feel in a lighter wrap form.
Nutrition per serving: 354 calories, 29 g protein, 13 g carbs, 24 g fat
4. Turkey & Apple Wrap
- Whole grain flatbread
- 3-4 oz sliced turkey
- Spinach
- Sliced apple
- Walnuts
- Low-fat balsamic vinaigrette
Pile the spinach, turkey, apple slices and walnuts into the flatbread. Drizzle the balsamic dressing over top. The apples and walnuts add great texture and flavor.
Nutrition per serving: 352 calories, 25 g protein, 33 g carbs, 17 g fat
Tips for Making Weight Loss Turkey Wraps
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Use a lot of fresh veggies for volume and nutrients. The more you pile in, the more satisfied you’ll feel.
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Spread hummus, mustard, or avocado on the wrap instead of regular mayo or creamy dressings to cut calories.
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If using deli meat, choose lower sodium options to avoid excess salt. Or use leftover roasted turkey.
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Swap the tortilla for lettuce leaves to slash more carbs and calories.
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Measure your portions of cheese, nuts, dried fruit, and other high-calorie accompaniments. It’s easy to overdo it on the extras.
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Cook lean ground turkey breast and add taco seasoning or fajita veggies for a Mexican turkey wrap.
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Whip up a big batch of turkey wraps on your day off so you have grab-and-go lunches ready for the week.
Are Turkey Wraps Actually Healthy?
While turkey wraps can be a smart choice when you’re controlling calories for weight loss, not all versions of the sandwich are diet-friendly. Some common pitfalls include:
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Large flour tortillas add 200+ calories. Opt for smaller whole grain wraps.
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Prepackaged lunchmeat is high in sodium. Use freshly sliced turkey.
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Tons of cheese ramps up the fat and calories. Stick to 1 ounce or less.
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Sugary dressings like honey mustard or cranberry sauce drive up carbs and calories.
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Frying the turkey or adding bacon negates the health benefits of the lean protein.
As long as you choose whole grain wraps, pile on the veggies, and avoid fatty, sugary add-ons, turkey wraps can be a nutritious lunch. But an overstuffed turkey wrap from a restaurant or deli can easily derail your diet if you’re not careful.
Turkey wraps made with the right ingredients and proper portion sizes offer a tasty meal that provides satiating protein and nutrients to support your weight loss goals. Follow the healthy recipes here and stick to wholesome fillings to make the most of turkey wraps for slimming down.
What Makes This Turkey Wrap Recipe Great
I could eat a wrap for every single meal. Breakfast wraps, sandwich wraps, salad wraps, you name it. I really love effortless, easy lunches, especially when it involves a wrap! The best part? Healthy wraps are easy to make, easy to eat, and super filling.
This easy Turkey Wrap is one of my favorite lunches. Sandwiches just taste better in wrap form. There’s less bread, so all the delicious sandwich ingredients get to shine through.
Filled with turkey slices, bacon, tomatoes, lettuce, and avocado, and stuffed in a delicious spinach flour tortilla, these tasty and balanced turkey club wraps will be on your lunch rotation in no time! Serve this delicious wrap with a side of fresh fruit– a great way to have a healthy, quick lunch with minimal effort!
Turkey Club Sandwich Wrap | Keto Option!
To make this turkey wrap Keto, choose one of these options!
- Skip the tortilla and sandwich your ingredients in between two leaves of butter lettuce! It won’t be a turkey “wrap”, but you’ll get the satisfying crunch of the lettuce, and the feeling of a sandwich with all the yummy fillings!
- Grab a pack of low-carb, tortillas and substitute them instead of the regular Mission spinach wrap. Keep your eyes out for “Carb Smart” tortillas, which are a great option for this turkey wrap. Keep in mind that they are a bit smaller than regular burrito-size tortillas, but they will still work, just might not wrap as well.
- Meal Prep: This spinach wrap recipe is perfect to make ahead because the tortilla doesn’t get soggy as bread does.
- To meal prep, make 3 turkey wraps at a time, eat one, and then cover and refrigerate the other two.
- Cover the extra turkey wraps tightly in plastic wrap, keeping them completely covered.
- Store them in an airtight container so everything stays super fresh!
- Tomato: After slicing tomatoes, pat them dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture so the tortilla won’t get soggy.
- Lettuce: Shred your lettuce. It makes it much easier to get in an even row in the turkey wrap because the lettuce is all an even size. You must try it.
- Toasted: If you prefer this wrap warmed up, I recommend warming the tortilla on the stovetop over medium heat. You can also use the microwave if preferred.
- Gluten-Free: If you are gluten-free, feel free to make the keto version or use your favorite gluten-free tortilla.
- Additional Ingredients: If you want to switch things up, feel free to add additional ingredients that you have on hand, like red peppers, sun-dried tomato, swiss cheese, additional slices of turkey, other fresh vegetables, and more!
Cover tightly in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If making it in advance, I love to squeeze lemon juice on my avocado to prevent it from browning.
This turkey wrap does not freeze well, I do not recommend freezing it.
Unfortunately, no. While they are a super healthy and balanced lunch option, if you’re eating Keto or Low carb, follow the simple steps above to make this delicious spinach wrap keto-friendly!
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FAQ
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