Ideas for wheat-free lunches
Last Updated on 12/1/2008
Published on 5/6/2008
Maybe the low-carb folks had the right idea after all. With increasing wheat and grain prices threatening to turn our daily bread into something like a luxury item, it might be time to revisit some of those flour-free lunch ideas we wagered our waistlines on a few years ago. Here are a few simple ideas:
* Lettuce wraps: A giant leaf of lettuce will never be as satisfying as a crusty baguette or a soft flatbread, but it is a healthy and inexpensive way to eliminate the bread from you lunch.
Use any large-leaf lettuce, such as Boston or Romaine, as you would flatbread to wrap around sandwich fillings, such as deli meat and cheese, chicken or tuna salad, or thinly sliced leftover steak or other meat.
The bonus here is that you can eat more fillings (even two wraps) because of the calorie savings from bread.
* Rice salads: Though a grain, brown rice remains a relative bargain. Make it at night, then refrigerate. In the morning, toss it with chopped vegetables, cheese, canned beans and vinaigrette dressing for a salad sans croutons.
For a sweet touch, mix in some diced apples (toss them with lemon juice to prevent browning) or pears, orange segments or dried fruit, such as cranberries, golden raisins or chopped apricots.
* Eggs: Make a vegetable-packed frittata the night before and cut it into slices. These travel and reheat easily, and can be filling (especially when bulked with vegetables and topped with a bit of cheese). Hard-boiled eggs also travel well. Eat them with a side of chopped vegetables.
* Soups: A soup or stew jammed with vegetables, beans and meat will leave you satisfied, and you'll never miss the noodles.
