The Rap On Wraps

These days more and more people are skipping the burger and fries routine in favor of wraps, one of the hot new trends in fast food.

Restaurants based on these big burritos are popping up all over. And so are those featuring another new favorite: fruit smoothies.

Consumer Correspondent Herb Weisbaum reports wraps and smoothies can be good for you if you watch what you order.

Wrap regulars say they are quick, tasty and better than a burger.

They should be better than a burger because they're full of things like grilled chicken breast and broccoli. Health food, right?

According to the Tuft's University Health and Nutrition Letter, that's not always the case.

"When we looked at the nutrition information behind several kinds of wraps, we found that they can actually be just as high in fat and calories as many kinds of fast foods," says Christine Perry of Tufts University.

How can that be? Well for one thing, ingredients like sour cream and cheese can quickly push up the fat content.

And then there's size - a lot of these wraps are pretty big. One wrap weighs in at 22 ounces. That's almost one and half pounds of food! That is why a wrap can be loaded with calories: 500, 800, in some cases, 1,400 calories.

Now how about a nice fresh fruit smoothie to go with your wrap?

Like wraps, smoothies are full of good things and better for you than a soft drink or milkshake.

"Oh, definitely. Definitely. You're getting a lot of whole fruits and juices," says Drew Jackson of Juice Planet.

Most smoothies are low fat, or even no fat. But no fat does not mean no calories. The fruits and juices and other things that go into smoothies contain sugar and that translates into calories.

"These all add up, and just because you put the food into a blender doesn't mean the calories evaporate," Perry says.

How many calories are there? More than 500 in some smoothies and that's for a 24-ouncer. Many shops now offer much larger sizes.

How do we make sure we're not getting too much of a good thing? When it comes to wraps, see if there's a smaller size or have them cut it in half so you can make two meals out of that giant helping of food.

And instead of having a smoothie with your meal, drink it as your meal or share one with a friend.

For those watching how much fat they eat, go easy on the full-fat sour cream. And ask about fat when you order. Lots of wrap places highlight their low-fat offerings.

Just remember, if you're not sure, ask. Two similar-sounding wraps can have vastly different amounts of fat based on what sauces or condiments are used.

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