“I’m trying to cut calories without giving up sandwiches. Can’t I use corn or flour tortillas to make low calorie wraps instead of using bread to make sandwiches?”
Nope.
Take a look at your average fajita sized corn or flour tortilla package. You’ll find that each serving, one tortilla, is loaded with starchy carbohydrates and calories and extremely low in protein and fiber. In fact, many wraps have far more calories and carbohydrates than two slices of bread would have! Something that is very misleading about tortillas and wraps is the fact that they don’t take up a whole lot of space. Think about it. It is like wrapping a sandwich in a piece of paper. Sadly, we often assume it has the same amount of calories as a piece of paper which is so not so. (I do not recommend using sheets of paper for wraps.) If you are trying to lose weight, stay as far away from tortillas and wraps as possible.
Unless…
If you buy low-carb wraps (like the Flat Out brand) or low-carb tortillas (like Mission brand) then you’ve got a fantastic alternative to bread or other wraps. These wraps and tortillas have much more protein and fiber and far fewer calories per same sized serving than the usual corn or flour tortilla or wrap. The additional fiber and protein also make them part of a very satisfying meal.
Personally, I buy the Mission brand Carb Balance flour tortillas and love them. I use them for peanut butter sandwiches (when I’m craving sweets), burritos and chicken fajitas. Since I grill my chicken ahead of time and buy bagged, frozen bell pepper strips, whipping up a chicken fajita takes all of about 30 seconds for assembly and another 30 seconds to microwave.
If you’re trying to lose weight, I strongly recommend staying away from regular tortillas but highly recommend experimenting with low-carb wraps and tortillas. You just might hit on something tasty!