Are you on a low carb, paleo diet… and looking for a way to still eat your sandwiches too?
The first step is to turn your low carb sandwich into a wrap. It’s easy to find paleo wraps online (or sometimes at your local grocery store) that are made with coconut flour. Not only are they low carb and paleo, but some brands are also low fat, low calorie, raw and alkaline. Plus, you don’t have to make them yourself.
Another option is to make lettuce wraps, which is much cheaper, a source of raw greens and virtually no calories at all. You probably have some in your fridge already so there’s no need to go out and buy it. Either option is good in my opinion, although the ones made with coconut flour travel better.
So What Do You Put in a Paleo Wrap?
One option is to turn a salad into a low carb wrap. There are lots of options here, but usually the smaller you chop the vegetables, the better they will work in the sandwich. Also, don’t be afraid to include a few nuts and seeds – like sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sliced almonds or pine nuts. They add texture and substance to a vege wrap, so you’ll be satisfied and feel full after your meal.
A second way to build your sandwich is to go with good ol’ meat, or bacon for that matter. Add cheese if you are a cheese-eater. Go raw with lettuce (ie. turkey with avocado – or swiss cheese) or warm grilled meat (roast beef and onions – or cheddar) with a coconut wrap.
A third option is fish. Canned tuna is super easy, but any kind will work. You could even do shrimp. For this, I recommend using Paleo Mayonnaise from Mark Sisson’s Primal Kitchen (using avocado oil). You could also mash up your own avocado with a little lemon juice.
Adding the Superfood
Not that you’re not already eating healthy, but you can take your low carb sandwiches to the next level by adding a superfood. You probably already know what I am going to suggest since you’re on this site, but I will say it anyway. Broccoli Sprouts.
Not only are they considered a superfood due to their sulforaphane content, but they are easy to pack into a sandwich. They squish down quite easily, and you don’t have to eat very many to get a good amount of nutrition.
Although I am a fan of broccoli sprouts for their health benefits, there’s no reason why we can’t mix it up and throw in other types of sprouts. The easiest and cheapest way to do this is to grow your own and get a mixed pack of organic sprouting seeds. This way, we increase the umber of nutrients we get in our diet while also varying up flavors.
Below are a few of my favorite recipes. I’ll assume you know how to make a sandwich, so I just listed ingredients and nutritional content. As you can see from the caloric content, you can easily make and eat 2 sandwiches without feeling like a glutton.
Low Carb Sandwich Recipe
- Paleo Coconut Wrap
- Turkey (2 slices)
- Tomato (2 slices)
- Avocado (1/4 medium)
- Broccoli Sprouts (small handful)
- Salt & Pepper to Taste
- Optional: Chopped Fresh Sage Leaf
Calories: 196, Net Carbs: 14g, Fat: 9.5g, Protein: 11g
Low Carb Tuna-in-Lettuce Wrap with Sprouts
- Canned Tuna in Water (3 oz)
- Celery (1 med stalk)
- Primal Mayonnaise (1 tbsp) – or substitute with 1/3 of an avocado
- Lemon Juice (1/4 tsp)
- Broccoli Sprouts (small handful)
- Lettuce for Wrap
Calories: 176, Net Carbs: 0g, Fat: 12g, Protein: 15g
Sprouted Paleo BLT
- Bacon (2 slices)
- Tomato (2 slices)
- Primal Mayonnaise (1 tbsp) – or substitute with 1/3 of an avocado
- Broccoli Sprouts (small handful)
- Lettuce for Wrap
Calories: 286, Net Carbs: 3g, Fat: 26g, Protein: 11g
