Are Wraps Healthier than Bread – Which One Is Better?
Wraps can be considered healthier than bread. The healthy one between wraps or bread depends on their types, nutritional content, and how a person consumes them. However, both wrap and bread are used to contain ingredients and provide a delicious meal, so it’s not only about a single slice of bread or wrap that makes things healthy or unhealthy. You also need to stay conscious about the ingredients that you get in wrap or bread.
Wraps
A wrap is a soft flatbread made from dough. It holds the ingredients and provides delicious meal options in the form of chicken wraps, vegetarian wraps, and many more. Wraps are large and come in different types, including whole wheat wrap, whole grain wrap, plain flour wrap, spinach wrap, tomato wrap, etc.
Bread
A leavened bread, usually made of flour dough, water, and salt. It provides a similar base as wraps to carry ingredients. Bread is often used to prepare snacks and breakfast meals, including sandwiches, bread, pizza, bread rolls, etc. Along with that, there are different kinds of breads available on the market, such as whole wheat bread, white bread, cornbread, pumpernickel bread, multigrain bread, rye bread, etc.
Wraps vs Bread – Which one is healthier?
Wraps are often considered a healthier option than bread, but it’s important to know which kind of wraps are healthy to consume. However, both wraps and bread can be part of a healthy diet, but the main thing that makes every wrap or bread a healthy choice is how it is made, what its portion size is, and the person’s dietary needs.
Talking about wraps first, they are flat and don’t have yeast in them. Along with that, most wraps are thinner compared to bread, which means wraps contain low amounts of calories. On the other side, bread is leavened with yeast and thicker than wraps. If we look at the bigger picture, so there is a slight difference that makes wrap a little better than bread, but still, their types, portion sizes, and ingredients vary a lot.
Which types of Wraps Are Healthy?
While choosing a healthy wrap, make sure to know about the ingredients that a wrap contains. You have to avoid wraps with hydrogenated oil and trans fats. The spinach and tomato wraps may not be the best choice as they are made with tomato or spinach powder and don’t provide any nutritional benefits.
Between whole wheat, whole grain, and flour wraps, whole wheat and whole grain can be healthier options due to their high nutrition and calorie content. However, the quantity of sodium is almost the same in whole wheat, whole grain, and flour wraps, but there is a high amount of fibre in whole wheat and whole grain wraps as compared to flour wraps. McDonald’s wrap is healthy because it is made with good-quality ingredients.
| Nutritional value | Whole wheat wrap (41g) | Whole grain wrap (41g) | Flour wrap (41g) | Spinach wrap (49g) | Tomato wrap (49g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 127 | 127 | 133 | 159 | 159 |
| Carbs | 19g | 19g | 23g | 27g | 27g |
| Protein | 4g | 4g | 3.6g | 4.3g | 4.3g |
| Fat | 4g | 4g | 2.9g | 3.5g | 3.5g |
| Sodium | 210mg | 210mg | 196mg | 234mg | 234mg |
| Fibre | 4g | 4g | 1.4g | 1.6g | 1.6g |
How to make Wraps Healthy?
You can get a healthy wrap without compromising the texture by making smaller changes during preparation. Listed below are some tips for making your wrap a healthy one.
Use whole-grain wraps
As we know, whole-grain wraps are a healthier choice among all wraps due to their low-calorie count and high protein and fibre intake, so make sure to use a whole-grain wrap. It couldn’t be healthier than adding high-protein ingredients and vegetables in whole grain wraps.
Portion size
Portion size varies a lot, and it doesn’t matter how healthy the wrap is. A large-size wrap will have a high-calorie intake along with a high amount of fat, so It’s better to have a small-size wrap. An ideal serving size would be between 70g to 80g.
Avoid using highly processed foods
Avoiding highly processed foods is as important as adding healthy ingredients to the wrap. Highly processed foods often have exceeded amounts of salt, sugar, and saturated fat. Try to avoid using supermarket wraps or ingredients in your wrap because they are highly processed foods that contain additives.
Add healthy ingredients
While having a whole grain wrap and a small portion size, adding healthy ingredients is a must in your wrap. Your wrap should consist of lean or plant-based protein like fish, chicken breast, and eggs, along with tofu, seitan, and tempeh. Don’t forget to include vegetables such as lettuce, tomato, cucumber, or any of your favourite ones.
Which wrap is best for weight loss?
When it comes to losing weight or maintaining your body weight, make sure to look at protein and fibre content while choosing a wrap. Losing weight doesn’t mean removing every food from your diet, but it does mean making better choices regarding the nutritional value of whatever you consume.
Whole wheat and whole grain wraps contain high protein, low-fat content, and a decent amount of fibre, which will help reduce body fat. Along with that, You have to be conscious of the portion size of the wrap; a smaller wrap would be low in calories and good for weight loss.
