Spinach Salad Pocket

There are certain ingredients that go together as if they were made for each other, like peanut butter and jelly or macaroni and cheese. Well, spinach, bacon, red onion, and sweet orange are another classic. Try it in this pocket salad combo!

Servings: 1

Equipment: none

How long does it take?

10 minutes

What's in it?

1 medium whole-wheat pita bread
2 cups fresh spinach
2 thin slices of red onion
2 Tablespoons soy bacon bits
6 mandarin oranges (from a can)
1 Tablespoon low-fat poppy seed dressing

How to make it:

Step 1: Make the salad.
Wash the spinach and tear it into bite-sized pieces. Toss all of the salad ingredients (not the pita bread) into a medium bowl and mix it up.

Step 2: Stuff the pita.
Slice the pita in half lengthwise, making two pockets. Fill each pocket with half of the salad.

Wrap your pita pocket up and you're on the go or munch it right away. This sandwich will keep for up to 3 hours without refrigeration.

Nutrition breakdown:

Calories 214, Protein 10 g, Carbohydrate 42 g, Fat 2 g (saturated fat 0 g), Vitamin A over 100% of RDA, Vitamin C over 100% of RDA, Iron 7 mg (50% of RDA), Calcium 667 mg (56% of RDA), Niacin 4 mg (25% of RDA), Thiamin 42% of RDA, Vitamin B6 1 mg (38% of RDA)

What's in it for you?

Did you know that not all greens are equal? Darker greens, like spinach, tend to be much richer in vitamins and minerals than their paler sister iceberg lettuce. So choose those dark green greens next time you're tossing a salad.

Bacon tastes great, but it's high in fat and other body-unfriendly things. For the taste of bacon without all the fat, try soy-based "bacon" bits. You can tell if a product is soy based by reading the ingredients list on the label. Look for soy as one of the first ingredients listed. Soy is a great source of protein and other nutrients your body needs.

Chef's tip:

Don't happen to have mandarin oranges on hand? Any fresh orange, peeled and sliced, can pinch-hit in this recipe.