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Switch up the usual sandwich for these easy turkey pinwheels!
If you’ve had pinwheels before, you know how popular they can be with kids and adults, and I’ve spruced up the classic recipe with fresh ingredients and creamy hummus for a healthy lunch option that fits perfectly in a lunchbox.
Healthy Turkey Pinwheels Recipe
Healthy turkey pinwheels are made with fresh veggies, sliced turkey, and creamy hummus rolled into a soft flour tortilla.
To make this recipe more nutritious than the original version, I swapped out the cream cheese for hummus, which is lower in fat and more flavorful. The addition of carrots and spinach brings volume and fiber to every bite.
Even with the extra greenery, these turkey pinwheels still disappear quickly from the lunchbox. And if this recipe is a hit with your family, give the Avocado Bacon Pinwheels a try!
What are Pinwheels
Classic pinwheels consist of a cream cheese base, deli meat, and more cheese rolled up tightly in a tortilla, then sliced into rounds.
Pinwheels have a small, round shape, making them easy to pick up and eat with your fingers, which makes them a great option for party appetizers and, in this case, packed lunches.
If this recipe is a breath of fresh air, you’ll love what’s inside the 101 Packed Lunches eBook. You’ll find much more than sandwiches and wraps; it includes hot lunch ideas, soups, epic salads, and incredible power bowls- all of which anyone can enjoy from school or the office.
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Turkey Pinwheel Ingredients
The ingredients for these healthy turkey pinwheels are simple; you’ll need the following items:
- large tortillas: whole grain, white, spinach, whatever you keep on hand.
- hummus: acts as a “glue” and holds the pinwheels together.
- spinach: for extra fiber and vitamins.
- deli turkey: provides these pinwheels with satiating protein. Swap it out for deli ham or chicken.
- shredded carrots: for extra crunch and veg.
How to Make Turkey Pinwheels
Pinwheels are just as easy to make as the usual wrap and burrito. The only extra step is slicing them into the rounds or “wheels” let me show you how it’s done.
- Make a base
Spread the hummus over the tortilla. - Add the fillings
Top the tortilla with spinach, sliced turkey, and shredded carrots. - Roll and slice
Beginning on one end, tightly roll the tortilla. Slice in half, and then in 1-inch pieces.
You can also watch this quick video to see the entire process from start to finish:
Can You Make Turkey Hummus Pinwheels Ahead?
Pinwheels are a great lunch to make the night before, and I find they taste even better the next day. Over time, the tortilla absorbs the hummus flavors while the ingredients ‘meld’ together.
If you want to make this recipe ahead, don’t slice the wrap until you are ready to pack it into a lunch container. The sliced pinwheels will dry out overnight. Instead, cover the wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the next morning.
How to Pack Pinwheels for Lunch
To keep pinwheels fresh and intact, pack them into a small compartment of a lunch container. Otherwise, it’s easy for them to get smashed or jostled when packed in plastic bags or large containers.
Easy Lunchboxes or bento boxes come with compartments and are what I typically use to pack this recipe and all sorts of lunches.
Easy Turkey Pinwheels
Ingredients
- 1 large whole grain tortilla
- 1 tablespoon hummus
- 1 handful Handful spinach or mixed greens
- 2-3 slices deli turkey
- Shredded or matchstick carrots
Instructions
- Place the tortilla on a flat surface. Spread hummus, top with field greens, place turkey slices on top and sprinkle carrots over the turkey.
- Beginning on one end, roll the tortilla tightly. Slice in half, and then in one-inch pieces.
Melanie Hawk says
Thank you so very much for the opportunity to enter you awesome giveaway! My kitchen tip is that I reuse (only once) my dryer sheets on hard to clean pans… anything from oily spaghetti sauce to cleaning pans that I cooked sausage in, etc… It is a great way to pre-clean before putting my pots and pans in my older dishwasher. I spread the words years ago throughout my family and I know that this tip is used all of the time. For lunches for my kiddos, age 14 and 8, it is pretty complicated for each child. My oldest loves turkey or chicken rolled into pinwheels with poppy seed dressing and any veggies shredded (or using a vegetable peeler) into the pinwheel that I have available. My youngest is straight up peanut butter and jelly or honey. They both love cut up fruits: apples, strawberries, bananas, kiwis, oranges, etc… I alway include carrot or celery sticks with peanut butter and often ritz crackers with cheese or peanut butter. Yogurt is always and option as well as hard boiled eggs. Of course there is always my homemade chocolate chip cookies or magic cookie bars or cookie of some sort. Water. Water, water, water. No juices. Just water. 🙂 Thank you for sharing your recipe. 🙂
Dawn T says
I just started packing lunches towards the end of last school year. I’m using your Grain Free meal plan, as we’re trying to go Primal. What I found works best for MY kids, is to get them to help pick the things that go into their lunch boxes and to let them help make them. They’re 6 and 8, so it’s done with quite a bit of guidance.
I have boys and they’re ALL BOY so they aren’t really interested in pretty food. They’re getting more independent and are both cooking things for themselves. Anything they make themselves doesn’t ever make it back home.
So far, their favorite thing has been the Blender Bread. My 6 year old asks for “cashew bread” and my 8 year old loves the idea of having bread again.
Rima says
Since my eldest daughter is diabetic and lactose intolerant, and my youngest daughter is a pickie eater, and my son has nut allergy making thier lunch is challenging but fun. Most days it is a bento style and full of whole foods with everything home made from scratch. And if i put one or two things they like, they are most likely to eat their lunch. They all love fruits and home made muffins which I hide the veggies in. Also a note that has a question of the day, they can answer it themselves or get a friend or a teacher to help. Sometime a joke or i love yous They love that part. My eldest still looks for ward to her notes even though she is 19.
P.s. love your blog…
Anna says
My favorite way to fill the lunchbox is to supervise! My son is 12 and I found that he was not really interested in the lunches that I was packing. Call it pre-teen indecision, but if I packed tuna, he wanted peanut butter. Now, I watch him pack his lunch and give suggestions instead of taking over. He makes the choices and packs it up. I find that he empties the box every day and gives me tips about new combinations to try. He will love to try these wraps. although he will change up the ingredients, I am sure.
Tracey says
For lunches I make my own peanut free trail mix with dry cereal, pretzels, hemp hearts, sunflower seeds, craisins and a few chocolate chips to keep it interesting. Also love Squoosh organic apple/veggie sauce, sugar free in pouches (and when I have time I make my own and put it in reusable Little Green Pouches. Also for a treat now and then I put cold cereal (Cheerios or Shreddies) with some brown sugar in a Ziploc, add a thermos of milk and they have cold cereal for lunch and are the envy of all their classmates.