Collard Green Wraps

Small steps add up in a big way for both physical and mental health, which is why you can still treat your inner child to plant-based nuggets in superfoods. It’s the ideal balance of taste and nutrition that you’ll want for grab-and-go meals, quiet nights at home, and random snack attacks.

This delicious healthy hack is my go-to for an extra nutritious take on the quick lunch wrap classic. Flour tortillas are the conventional choice for an edible wrapper, but you can ditch most of the carbs and calories when you swap them with collards instead.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Adaptable for any diet. Vegan or vegetarian? Of course, we’ve got you! Gluten-free? Check labels for your nuggets and you’re good to go! Whole foods, no salt, no oil? Use this formula with your own homemade staples! Anyone and everyone can enjoy this recipe.
• Super satisfying. While traditional flour wraps are high in carbs, they’re mostly empty carbs that will leave you hungry again in no time. Collard greens, on the other hand, are high in fiber and complex carbs to keep you full for hours.
• Make-ahead masterpieces. We’re all busier than ever but that doesn’t mean you can’t take time to eat well. These collard green wraps can be prepared up to 2 days in advance so they’re ready to roll anytime.
• Kid-friendly. Granted, it might be tough to convince super picky eaters to take that first bite, but they’ll be hooked on the crispy crunch of meatless nuggets smothered in creamy ranch dressing. This is a great way to ease them into eating (and loving) their veggies.

Key Ingredients

The beauty of such a flexible formula is that anything can be replaced, swapped, or modified based on what you have on hand! Use this opportunity to clear out the vegetable crisper, freezer, and pantry for a super thrifty meal. These are my favorites if you need some inspiration:

• Collard greens: While you can eat collard greens raw, they’re more flexible and better for wrapping once lightly blanched. Collard greens are healthy superfoods full of antioxidants, in addition to being a good source of iron, vitamin B-6, and magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and calcium. Don’t have collard greens? You can make something similar with vegan lettuce wraps.
• Quinoa: This quick-cooking complete protein source is my go-to for any whole grain needs, but cooked brown or white rice, Spanish rice, couscous, or even cauliflower rice would be great ideas for shaking up the routine.
• Shredded cabbage, carrots, and sliced tomatoes: Go ahead, veg out! You can add as much as you’d like here, including thinly sliced bell peppers, olives, avocado, snow peas, sprouts, mushrooms, and more.
• Plant-based nuggets (or tofu!): There’s no shortage of plant-based chicken nuggets available in most supermarkets these days. You can always have some ready to go in the freezer for quick-fix meals, or go the extra mile to make your own vegan nuggets from scratch. These tofu fries or tofu cubes also would make a great addition!  
• Vegan ranch: Everything tastes better with creamy, tangy ranch dressing on it, right? Drizzle and dip to your heart’s content! But if you don’t have ranch, you can use any dip or dressing—hummus (or our colorful pink beet hummus), creamy white bean dip, and beyond. It’s a healthy indulgence that makes he whole meal more satisfying.

Tips For Success

You probably don’t even need to read through the instructions to understand how this effortless recipe comes together. Before you dive right in though, here are a few tips to ensure the best results possible.

1. Cleaning collard greens properly is critical for full enjoyment. It’s hard to recover from a big clot of dirt or grit in your meal, no matter how fresh and beautiful it is otherwise. To do so, fill up a large bucket or pot with cool water and swish the whole collard greens around in it. Let them soak for 10 to 15 minutes, give each one a light scrub, and pull them out. Dump out the water and all the dirt that’s collected at the bottom. Gently rise the leaves to remove any remaining grit and dry thoroughly before using.
2. Raw collards a bit too fibrous for your tastes? Blanched collard wraps are just as healthy, tasty, and more easily digestible. To blanch the leaves, simply drop them into a wide skillet or large pot of boiling water for a couple minutes, until they turn bright green. Drain and immediately drop them into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Swish them around to thoroughly chill. Drain and pat dry before using.
3. Don’t limit yourself to just one leafy green wrap; there are plenty of other plants in the garden! Try Swiss chard, whole cabbage leaves, sweet potato leaves, taro leaves (ALWAYS blanched), or large mustard greens as alternative wrappers.

How To Serve Healthy Collard Wraps

Each little bundle of joy is a complete meal in and of itself, but that doesn’t mean you can’t dress up your plate further. Here are some ideas to add balance and bulk for those with especially hearty appetites:

• Fruit for dessert, like cut melon, apples, and/or berries
• Crackers or nuts for crunchy contrast
• Soup, especially on cold days, to stay warm