How to Use Leaves as Wraps (2024)

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How to Use Leaves as Wraps (1)

When prepping for a recent visit from a gluten-sensitivefriend, I decided to prepare a meal that was naturally wheatless instead of reaching for a gluten-free facsimile.

I could have centered the main dish around rice, millet, or even quinoa, but rather than go the predictable route, I opted to use a collard leaf as a wrap, filling it with sprouted sunflower-seed paté, thick slices of avocado, homegrown sprouts, shredded carrot, and thin slices of spicy red pepper. I topped it with a simple oil-and-vinegar dressing and rolled it, burrito-style, into a manageable envelope that could be eaten out of hand or with a knife and fork. (We chose the former.)

Whetheryou are avoiding gluten or not, using leaves as wraps is a great way to cut calories and liven up your lunch or dinner. Kale or collards make super stand-ins for tortillas whileIceberg or butter lettuce leaves make great taco shells or “cups” for Asian-style fillings.

Watch “Kitchen Tricks: How to Use Leaves as Wraps” to learn how to roll your own from organic foods chef Ani Phyo.

Try these recipes from the VT vault that make creative use of leaves as wraps:

Raw Swiss Chard Veggie Wraps with Creamy Pecan Spread

Rice and Chickpea Kale Rolls with Pineapple Salsa

Soy-Sesame Bok Choy Rolls(pictured)

Ginger-Miso Yam WrapsCurry and Chickpea Lettuce Wraps

How to Use Leaves as Wraps (2024)

FAQs

How to Use Leaves as Wraps? ›

Whether you are avoiding gluten or not, using leaves as wraps is a great way to cut calories and liven up your lunch or dinner. Kale or collards make super stand-ins for tortillas while Iceberg or butter lettuce leaves make great taco shells or “cups” for Asian-style fillings.

Can you use a leaf as a wrap? ›

Whether you are avoiding gluten or not, using leaves as wraps is a great way to cut calories and liven up your lunch or dinner. Kale or collards make super stand-ins for tortillas while Iceberg or butter lettuce leaves make great taco shells or “cups” for Asian-style fillings.

What leaves can I use to wrap food? ›

Leaves that are more well-known are lotus, banana, grape and bamboo leaves. The purpose for wrapping food in leaves before cooking is multifold: The leaf-wrapped package not only protects the food inside from direct flame, it also forms a tight package to hold in heat and allow the food to steep in its own juices.

What are the best leaves for wrapping? ›

Selection of perfect leaves - any leaves will work. I find that the tougher leaves like fig, ivy and magnolia keep their colour best, but some like sweet Cicely will turn a lovely buff brown. For some leaves like maple and oak you might want to wait and catch them as their colour turns.

What are the best green leaves for wraps? ›

I tried making lunch wraps with a variety of different greens—chard, raw lettuce leaves, kale—but collard greens were the hands down winner. They're sturdier and more flexible than any others. But to get them easier to wrap and easier to eat, you need to quickly blanch the leaves.

What leaves are used for wrapping purpose? ›

Answer: Banana leaves are the leaves most often used to wrap traditional foods and cakes such as lemper, bugis bathing, there are also pepes, botok, and others.

What leaf is used for blunts? ›

The practice of smoking cannabis in a blunt, or hollowed out cigar leaf, gained popularity in 1980s New York City. The melting pot of Caribbean immigrants and Black Americans made natural fronto leaf, Dutches, and Phillies an essential part of the East Coast smoker's experience over the decades.

What leaves are food safe? ›

Know About 20 Super Healthy Leaves You Must Eat!
  • Spinach. Spinach is rich in iron and fibre, low in fat and cholesterol. ...
  • Parsley. Parsley is packed with vitamins A and C. ...
  • Mint. ...
  • Cabbage. ...
  • Mustard greens. ...
  • Lettuce. ...
  • Curry leaves. ...
  • Red amaranth.
Apr 10, 2024

How do you preserve leaves for eating? ›

One of the most popular methods is also one of the simplest: sandwich leaves in between two sheets of wax paper and then iron on high. Flip over your "sandwich" of leaves and paper, and iron on high again. Make sure that the wax has transferred to the leaves. Let cool, and voila!

Which leaves are edible? ›

Some of the leaves we consume as vegetables include spinach, lettuce, and cabbage. The majority of leaf vegetables are produced by annual herbaceous plants. Healthy diets should contain leafy green veggies. They are low in calories and high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

How do you store shredded leaves? ›

You can store your shredded leaves in large plastic trash bags or simply corral them inside a wire fence or other structure. Easier yet, is to just make a big pile and cover it with a tarp. Once you have a ready supply of shredded leaves, you'll find dozens of ways to use them.

How do you keep dried leaves from breaking? ›

Press the dry leaf between two sheets of non glossy paper in between pages of a heavy book . The weight will keep the leaf flat and the paper will absorb any moisture in the leaf .

Are spinach wraps inflammatory? ›

There are many additions for sandwiches that add the benefit of anti-inflammation: Spinach has a good source of nutrients to reduce inflammation, with its Vitamin B & E compounds and omega-3 fatty acids.

What is the best leaf lettuce for wraps? ›

Here are some of my favorite lettuce types for making wraps:
  • Romaine. Romaine is nice and thick, with big leaves. ...
  • Iceberg. Iceberg lettuce doesn't have much flavor, but I just love the texture. ...
  • Butter lettuce leaves. Butter lettuce has a natural bowl shape, so it can hold a lot of ingredients. ...
  • Endive.
Mar 7, 2023

Are spinach wraps healthier than flour? ›

Taylor recommends choosing 100% whole-grain products whenever available. “Spinach wraps may look and sound healthier,” she notes, “but they contain only trace amounts of spinach and are typically made with refined grains — meaning no calorie or carb savings. And no added fiber.”

Can leaves be used for packaging? ›

Plant and tree leaves belonging to a variety of families of the plant kingdom are used as single leaf plates, stitched dining leaf plates, food wraps, and food packing materials.

Can you use leaves as insulation? ›

It is possible to collect tree leaves in the autumn during dry periods and get a basic raw material of heat insulation. Used innovative heat insulation materials of tree leaf-lime mixture can be recycled into the environment by using them as a fertilizer for soil fertility improvement.

Can leaves be used as rolling paper? ›

While lettuce and cabbage leaves may not burn as slowly as some other alternatives, they can still work in a pinch. Use large, sturdy lettuce or cabbage leaves as a rolling surface and fill them with your cannabis just like you would with a traditional rolling paper.

Can you use leaves as ground cover? ›

Leaves can be used as a mulch in vegetable gardens, flower beds and around shrubs and trees. As an option to raking, a lawn mower with a bagging attachment provides a fast and easy way to shred and collect the leaves.

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