It always cracks me up when people ask, “How do you resist eating all the things you bake??!” Um, I don’t. I eat the things I bake (and have gotten good at sharing), but I eat plenty of healthy foods too. It’s all about balance.

I’m lucky to live with a roomie who is a registered dietitian, so basically I watch what she eats and try to copy her. Girlfriend eats a LOT of raw veggies. A lot a lot a lot ALOT. Since living with SarBear the Veggie Queen, I’ve tried to sneak more raw foods and whole grains into my diet, and I’ve found that once I made a habit out of it, it started to be really easy to eat healthy things [most of the time].

I’m also lucky to have a job where I spend half my day running around after little munchkins, so that helps too. Keeping up with four-year-olds = burning mad cals.

After a weekend spent consuming 1298512721 gazillion chocolate bunnies and malted eggs and jellybeans, I wanted to share my favorite go-to healthy lunch. It’s quick AND good for you AND delicious. I probably make these Mediterranean chickpea wraps once a week! The chickpeas take a quick roll in a pan with spices and olive oil to get all crispy and flavorful, then you stuff ‘em into a wrap with plenty of fresh veggies and voila…lunch! Eating a rainbow of veg TOTALLY negates any chocolate/baked good calories consumed.

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

serves two

Ingredients

• 1 16 ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon garlic powder, depending on how much you like garlic!
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon salt, depending on taste
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2 whole wheat or whole grain tortillas
• 2 handfuls romaine lettuce
• 1/4 bell pepper, chopped
• handful grape tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 cucumber, cut into slices then quartered
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• feta cheese as desired

Directions

In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium for about a minute. Stir in the spices and allow them to infuse the olive oil for 10 seconds. Add the chickpeas and cook for 10 minutes, or until they begin to pop and brown. Assemble your tortillas (or leave out the tortilla to make a salad), lettuce leaves, and chopped vegetables. Divide the cooked chickpeas evenly over the two tortillas. Sprinkle with feta cheese. Wrap ‘em up or leave the tortillas flat and eat with a fork!