Lettuce wraps are a low-calorie and low-carb alternative to sandwich wraps, using lettuce instead of flatbread. Different types of lettuce can be used, with iceberg and romaine being popular options. The concept has been around since the 1970s, with many types of fillings suitable for lettuce wraps.
Lettuce wraps are similar to sandwich wraps, but use lettuce instead of flatbread to hold the other ingredients. Alternatively, any type of sandwich can be made such as a lettuce wrap, and different types of lettuce can be used. Iceberg lettuce is a popular option, as the leaves tend to be firm and crunchy, although large, pliable romaine leaves are also suitable to use as a wrap. Other lettuce varieties, such as the somewhat bitter escarole, may also suit certain types of wraps. Due to the fact that no bread products are used in the preparation of a lettuce wrap, these sandwich substitutes tend to be lower in calories and carbohydrates than other similar options.
Sandwich wraps have been popular since the 1980s, although in some cases lettuce has been used as a substitute for bread for even longer. The term wrap wasn’t used until the 1980s, but some restaurants were serving hamburgers with lettuce instead of buns as early as the 1970s. These early examples typically used two lettuce leaves that weren’t necessarily wrapped around the fillings, although the basic concept was the same. Many products sold as lettuce wraps still use this sandwich-like method, especially when certain varieties of lettuce are used.
There are many different types of lettuce wraps, as nearly all types of sandwiches, or sandwich wraps, can use lettuce instead of bread. Traditional sandwich materials, such as meat and cheese, can be used to make a lettuce wrap, as well as chicken salad and other foods that are commonly used as sandwich fillings. A wide variety of different lettuces can also be used, although iceberg is one of the more common options. Iceberg lettuce tends to be stiff and crunchy, which may allow it to be a good substitute for bread. More traditional wraps that actually involve lettuce around the fillings, instead of just using two leaves to make a sandwich, typically use romaine and other leafy varieties.
The two main differences between a lettuce wrap and a sandwich, other than taste, are the calorie and carbohydrate content. Lettuce is very low in both calories and carbohydrates, while bread tends to be much higher on the glycemic index. This means that a lettuce wrap can often be a good substitute for someone who is on a low-carb diet or needs to watch their carbohydrate or calorie intakes for other reasons.
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