Every season has its personality, and what I notice most about summer is the laziness (in a good way!). People slow down with the heat, and meals are easier. No one wants to switch on a heated stove or oven so there’s less cooking. Out comes summer food: salads, sandwiches and grilling.

Sometimes I use bread for sandwiches but when the ingredients are finely chopped and fall out too easily, I rely on wraps or tortillas. They’re delicious and a perfect holder, but nutrition-wise wraps can be loaded with calories and sodium…sometimes more than three slices of bread! Maybe food manufacturers have noticed this with poor sales, because lately I’ve seen many new wraps in the supermarket advertising “low carb.” A particular brand I found at Wegmans was also surprisingly very low in sodium. I like that they’re big enough to hold enough yummy nutritious fillings, and also stretchy enough that they don’t rip after rolling up. Note that they’re not entirely “natural,” as they contain preservatives and some gums (to add fiber and stabilize the texture so they don’t break apart) but these are often found in commercial breads as well. My Mom used to scrutinize packages for preservatives, but I think these products are fine a few times a week, especially when factoring in all the nutrients you’ll get from your healthy fillings 😊🥗

Per wrap: 70 calories, 13 grams carb (6 net carbs because of the high fiber), and only 65 mg sodium

Because they’re in season, I easily found very fresh green leaf lettuce, vine-ripe tomatoes and corn. Then, on my George Foreman I grilled sliced tempeh marinated in BBQ sauce. We don’t have an outdoor grill because we don’t eat much meat, so the Foreman does the trick and with easier clean-up! I blended a really ripe avocado with almond milk (just enough to thin out), garlic powder, sprinkle of lemon juice, and a dash of salt to make a creamy sauce.

Everything tasted SO amazing and fresh. Light for summer but filling because of the high protein in tempeh and healthy fats in the avocado. I prepped extra ingredients and stored in containers so I could easily assemble more wraps later in the week—ready in 5 minutes!

Because the wraps are low carb, they’re perfect for a diabetic meal. In case you didn’t know, tempeh and avocado are also low in carbohydrate. One whole medium avocado has only 12 grams of carb—and no one usually eats a whole one, right? 😉

Enjoy!

The perfect portable meal for outdoor eats