Traditionally, a wrap (also called a tortilla) is made from corn or wheat flour. Nowadays, you’ll also find wraps made with vegetables like beetroot, carrot, or bell pepper. Sounds healthy — but are they really?
To clear up the illusion right away: veggie wraps are not healthier, and they definitely won’t help you reach the recommended daily vegetable intake of 250 grams. In fact, they’re often twice as expensive as regular wraps!
Packaging can be misleading
Many veggie wrap packages claim that the product contains 35% vegetables — which sounds like a lot, but that only equals about 20g of vegetables per wrap (roughly 2 cherry tomatoes).
Here’s the catch: the vegetables are weighed before being processed into powder or purée, meaning much of the water content — and nutrients — is lost. Legally, the packaging may still refer to the original (pre-processed) weight.
Lower in fiber
Since the veggies are turned into powder or purée, much of the good stuff — vitamins, minerals, and especially fiber — is lost. Fiber is essential for healthy digestion and gut flora.
A regular whole wheat wrap (60g) contains about 5g of fiber, while a veggie wrap only has 2–3.5g, depending on the type. For comparison, two slices of whole wheat bread (70g) provide about 4g of fiber.
What’s the healthiest wrap?
It mainly depends on what you put inside the wrap. We recommend choosing a whole wheat wrap and filling it with plenty of fresh vegetables. Why?
-
Whole wheat wraps contain more fiber than veggie wraps
-
Fresh vegetables contain more vitamins, minerals, and fiber than the powdered veggies in a veggie wrap
-
Whole wheat wraps are cheaper than veggie wraps
Want to learn more about “fake veggies” in products? Watch this video (in Dutch) from Keuringsdienst van Waarde.