Which came first, chicken or egg? That’s not really the question. The question is, why do they make a healthy lunch? The answer is that they are both sources of complete protein.
When we eat lunch, our goal is to get energy. On top of that, adding complete protein can sustain that energy. Why? It is because protein does not make our blood sugar and insulin level rise sharply. That rise will ultimately result in an energy “crash” as the levels drop. So, eating carbohydrates gives you initial energy. But mixing in protein can sustain it.
Like everything else, there are good and bad proteins. According to ChooseMyPlate.gov, the smart way to eat protein is to choose lower-fat protein.
The secret of this recipe lies within the tofu dressing. To find out how to make this dressing, visit Fools You Tofu Veggie Dip. This time, I added lower-fat proteins from chicken breast and egg white to show you how to make a high-octane, low-fat protein lunch wrap that allows you to keep up with work demand.
- 1 pack whole wheat lavash bread (to be used as wraps)
- 1 cucumber, thinly sliced 2 to 3 cups dry day-old bread, broken into large chunks 1 garlic
- 6 oz silken tofu 2 tsp sriracha hot chili sauce
- 3 Tablespoon lemon juice 2 teaspoon mustard or horseradish
- 6 Tablespoon olive oil
- 6 Hard-boiled egg, yolks removed, halved
- 1 Whole breast from store-bought rotisserie chicken, skin-off, roughly separated
- Salt to taste, added last depending on the saltiness of the store-bought chicken
Almost all the preparation was done in my Cuisinart Prep 9 food processor (show me what it is
Pulse together day-old bread and garlic. Then add tofu, sriracha, lemon juice, mustard/ horseradish and blend until smooth. Drizzle olive oil into the mixture to thicken the sauce. Next, add chicken and egg white and pulse a few times, retaining the chunks.
On a flat surface, lay down one lavash wrap with the short side facing you. Using a spatula, spread the mixture over the wrap close to the side-edges, but stop at about 1/4 towards the top edge. Lay the cucumber slices onto the mixture. Next, starting from the bottom edge, roll the wrap up tightly like a jelly roll where the bottom edge will eventually become the center of the roll.
Wrap the rolls in plastic wrap and chill them in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to set. Then unwrap the rolls, cut away the ends, cut the roll into 1-inch slices, and you are ready to eat. This roll is easy to pack for lunch. You can arrange the slices cut side up and placed in a lunchbox, or just eat the roll uncut like a traditional wrap sandwich. Shh! my added secret is to squeeze sriracha sauce onto the roll once every few bites. That truly adds some nice zing! I find that this roll pairs nicely with tomato soup too.
Once made, enjoy the wrap within a day before the lavash bread becomes too moist. There you have it! What a fun way to eat protein.
~Lunch on.
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Reference:
- Nutrition basics: Protein (2011). Nutrition for everyone. Retrieved May 5, 2012 from CDC, Web site: http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/protein.html
- New research shows high-quality protein in eggs contributes to power, strength and energy: Eggs provide affordable source of high-quality protein for sustained energy (2009). Nutrition Today. Retrieved May 5, 2012 from Eurekalert, Web site: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-02/epr-nrs021309.php
- Food groups: Protein foods, ChooseMyPlate.gov. Retrieved May 5, 2012 from USDA, Web site: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/protein-foods.html
- Rones, N. (March 1 2007). Your Guide to Never Feeling Tired Again. Retrieved May 5, 2012 from WebMD, Web site: http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/your-guide-to-never-feeling-tired-again
Further reads on incorporating protein in your diet
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