Bread. With all the craze over low-carb, no carb and gluten-free diets in recent years, bread has become quite the hot topic. If you have a gluten allergy (known as Celiac Disease), you simply cannot eat any products that contain gluten like most breads, sandwich wraps and tortillas on the market, or you will become violently ill. If you have a gluten intolerance or sensitivity like me, you can eat gluten but you will pay for it dearly with side effects like a painfully bloated belly, horrendous gas, fatigue and breakouts on your face.
Even if you don’t have any adverse reactions to eating gluten or are able to search out gluten-free bread, most commercial bread products are so highly processed and full of unnatural ingredients that it’s best to avoid them anyway. So what is one to do? It’s simple…go breadless!
(GLUTEN 101: Gluten is a family of proteins found in grains like wheat, rye, spelt and barley. When mixed with water, gluten proteins get sticky and form a glue-like consistency. This is what makes bread dough elastic and gives it a chewy texture.)
TWO EASY WAYS TO GO BREADLESS
You can still enjoy sandwiches, wraps and tacos without using bread products:
BREAD SUBSTITUTE #1: LARGE LETTUCE OR CABBAGE LEAVES
Large lettuce or cabbage leaves work awesomely well for making sandwiches, wraps and tacos. The cool crunch of the leaves provide a hydrating and refreshing way to enjoy your meal while also getting health benefits like added vitamins, minerals and fiber. The types of leaves that work best and are the easiest to find in grocery stores are:
Romaine lettuce
Red or green cabbage
Iceberg lettuce
Romaine lettuce and cabbage leaves are the most healthful choices, because they are very nutritionally dense and excellent sources of antioxidants known to fight diseases like cancer by lowering inflammation in the body. Iceberg lettuce is fine, too (and it’s super affordable)…it’s just not as loaded with nutrition. Focus on buying organic lettuce and cabbage if you can, so you know they were grown without pesticides, herbicides or other toxic treatments.
The other awesome thing about using lettuce and cabbage leaves in place of bread products is that you can have multiple sandwiches, wraps, tacos, etc. instead of just having one like you would when using bread. SCORE!
Below are some tasty examples of how I’ve used this technique:
Tacos with organic, free-range ground chicken and organic salsa using romaine lettuce wraps
Veggie wraps with hummus, cucumbers, tomatoes and natural olives using red cabbage leaves
BLTs with uncured turkey bacon, organic cherry tomatoes and all-natural avocado oil mayo using romaine lettuce leaves
BREAD SUBSTITUTE #2: HEALTHY PIECES OF MEAT OR MEATLESS BURGERS
Instead of making meat the inside feature of your sandwich, make it the outer layer! Opt for meat products that come from organically-fed animals that were allowed to roam free (known as “free range”) and weren’t given any hormones or antibiotics, so you don’t compromise your health. If you’re using lunch/deli meat, make sure the only ingredients are the meat and recognizable seasonings like sea salt or rosemary – no nitrates, nitrites or other chemical preservatives.
Here’s one of my favorite sandwiches to make using this method. I use slices of organic turkey breast, smear them with all-natural avocado oil mayo, cover them with organic spinach and then roll them up. They are so delicious, and so quick and easy to make!
If you don’t eat meat, you can use two thin meatless burger patties and fill them with healthful and delicious ingredients like veggies and avocado. Or, just have one patty and cover it with the ingredients to eat it as an “open faced” sandwich. Click here for a great black bean burger recipe that’s easy and super yummy!
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Cheers to enjoying breadless sandwiches, wraps and tacos that will rock your health and your taste buds at the same time!
With love and gratitude,
Kandi
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