The China bistro, P.F. Chang's, describes its chicken lettuce wraps as "quickly-cooked spiced chicken served with cool lettuce cups." Providing a balance of carbohydrates, protein and other nutrients, lettuce wraps were traditionally served in Asian restaurants but have grown to be included as appetizers and entrees at mainstream American restaurants. The nutrition information, however, can vary among recipes, based on the serving size and ingredients.
Features
The basic components of lettuce wraps include large leaves of lettuce, lean meat, stir-fry vegetables and sauce. Large iceberg lettuce or romaine lettuce leaves are preferred. Chicken or steak are common meat choices and vegetables can include any traditional stir-fry vegetables such as mushrooms, celery, carrots, peppers and water chestnuts. Soy sauce is the primary sauce with oyster sauce and sesame oil commonly added to taste.
Size
Changing the ingredients and serving size can significantly change the amount of calories, protein, fat and carbohydrates. Chicken lettuce wraps from P.F. Chang's contain 160 calories per serving including 7 g of total fat, 17 g of total carbohydrates and 8 g of protein. Pei Wei minced chicken in cool lettuce wraps contain 155 calories per serving with 5.5 g of total fat, 18 g of total carbohydrates and 8.5 g of protein.
Benefits
Lettuce wraps will commonly contain vitamins and minerals from the vegetables and lean meat. One serving of the Pei Wei and P.F. Chang's lettuce wraps, for example, contains 2 g of dietary fiber, for 8 percent of the daily recommended intake. Vegetables such as celery and water chestnuts add taste and texture to the lettuce wraps without adding calories, sodium, fat or cholesterol. Other vegetables, such as mushrooms, add potassium, folate, niacin and copper that regulate body functions and promote a healthy lifestyle.
Identification
Look for sauces with low sodium amounts to reduce the overall sodium content. Lettuce wraps may contain significant amounts of sodium from the soy sauce. For example, one serving of Pei Wei lettuce wraps contains 490 mg of sodium, or 20 percent of the daily recommended intake. You can also reduce the amount of sauce used to reduce sodium content. Choosing lean meat can reduce fat and calories.
Considerations
Lettuce wraps recipes can be customized to match individual dietary requirements. For example, someone requiring gluten-free foods can use gluten-free oyster sauce and soy sauce. Vegetarians can exclude the lean meat and substitute additional vegetables.
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