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Wraps are one of the best food ideas for a meal on a boat, a beach picnic or road trip. They’re easy to make in advance, portable and mess-free!
There’s also no limit to the delicious flavour combinations. From burritos to spring rolls, almost every world cuisine has a wrapped food of some sort!
Why We Love Wraps for Easy Meals on a Boat
If there’s one thing I’ve learned since we bought our boat (I’m still working on rope knots!) is that planning for a meal on a boat is quite different than planning a patio party.
Our pontoon boat seats 8-10 people — it’s a bit like a party barge — but with just a tiny table there’s not much space for meal prep or buffet-style lunches.
Dining on deck means eating with fewer utensils, serving platters and plates. This is where wraps come to the rescue!
Tortilla wrap meals-to-go are definitely one of the best foods to take on a boat (or a road trip) because:
- They’re compact! You can roll them up individually and pack dozens into a soft-sided cooler bag, saving room for floating noodles, towels, fishing gear, you name it!
- Unlike sandwiches they don’t get soggy.
- Another beauty of a wrap is that they chill easily and stay cool longer than sandwiches and many other foods.
- They’re not messy! Traditional picnic foods like fried chicken or hot dogs slathered with mustard can easily stain the plush upholstery on a pontoon boat.
- Wraps are easy to eat if you’re bobbing around on the water. No worries about spills.
- A wrap is a super versatile food to eat on a boat. There are so many variations of fillings for wraps you can sample global flavours with very little effort.
- For another nutritious lunch idea, try our recipe for a Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl. It’s also super portable so perfect for a meal on the go.
🌟 Related: If you’re looking for ideas for meals to cook at a cottage or Airbnb rental, check out our guide to How to Cook in an Airbnb (Without Losing your Mind).
Planning For Boat Lunches – Food Safety, Packing and Serving
- When planning a meal on a boat, one major consideration is the number of people. Everything really does taste better outdoors! So with appetites in overdrive, it’s a good idea to make more food than usual. When we’re boating on Rice Lake where there aren’t any places to easily pick up extra food, I usually count on 1.5 portions per person.
- Bring snacks to fill in the gaps so people don’t get famished. Check out this list of our favourite 15 Healthy Boat Snacks for fun and tasty ideas.
- If you have a crowd, it’s easiest to roll the wraps individually in plastic film, chill and stack inside a soft-sided cooler lined with an ice-pack. In addition to using ice packs, keep your cooler out of the sun.
- Our Bennington pontoon came with a collapsible cooler that fits perfectly in the seat storage area, but any insulated bag will do. They take up a lot less space than a hard-sided cooler with wheels. Some insulated coolers even come with a 12 volt battery that can be plugged in and keep food cold even longer.
- Keeping food cold is important for food safety. Chill your food thoroughly at 4°C (40°F) or colder in the refrigerator until ready to pack it.
- Another option is to use a divided plate with a cover. These bento box style containers are really handy. Food cools faster in shallow containers plus you can put a wrap in one section, a salad in the other and a snack in the other. They’re also environmentally friendly.
- To reduce reliance on single-use plastic, I’m a big fan of the GoSun collection of cutlery. Their flatware combo of knife, fork and spoon in stainless steel is so compact, it’s actually smaller than a credit card.
Tips on How to Fold a Tortilla Wrap
- Begin by warming the wrap so it doesn’t tear. There are several methods of warming a wrap. You can warm a stack of wraps in the microwave ( 10 seconds on high), in a 350 F oven wrapped in foil for 15 minutes or individually in a dry skillet until soft.
- Once warmed, place the filling in the middle of the tortilla wrap. Fold the right and left sides over the filling, then fold the bottom edge over the centre and roll it upward until the sides and filling are enclosed.
- While every wrap recipe is different, avoid using too much filling or they’ll tear or overflow. Generally one cup of filling plus lettuce and/or other veggies is plenty.
20 Globally-Inspired Wraps - Best Boat Food Ideas for Summer
Whether you call them tortilla wraps, burritos or handheld meals, these wrap recipes are among the best boat food ideas for lunch on the water.
Discover a world of flavour in this collection of easy tortilla wraps to take boating, on a road trip or picnic!
Italian Wrap Recipe the Perfect Antipasto Lunch
Yum! This Italian wrap recipe features antipasto like salami, mozzarella, artichoke hearts and kalamata olives in one delicious handheld meal. The garlic basil cream cheese spread really takes it to a new level of flavour.
Cucumber and Cream Cheese Sandwich Rolls (with Lavash Bread)
Everyone loves these easy cucumber and cream cheese roll ups! Only three ingredients and easy to transport! This is one of the easiest boat food recipes ever!
Easy recipe for kathi roll with paneer
This popular Indian street food is a meal everyone loves. One of the lesser-known paneer recipes, these paneer rolls are packed with flavour and made entirely of home-made, natural ingredients.
Low Carb Thai Chicken Wraps + Meal Prep
These Thai Chicken Wraps are one of the best ideas for a healthy meal on a boat. Packed full of veggies like carrots, bell pepper, and cucumber, they’re also very easy to prepare ahead of time.
Easy Halloumi Wraps [Vegetarian]
Make the halloumi wraps that everyone loves - kids and foodies included! With halloumi cheese, red pesto (store-bought is fine), avocado and walnuts these wraps are packed with flavor, done in 20 minutes and super easy to make.
Fresh Vegan Spring Rolls
This Asian version of a wrap is satisfying, colorful and loaded with veggies. Dip it in a delicious peanut sauce with ginger and garlic for the perfect healthy mess-free portable snack everybody will love!
Caprese Salad and Prosciutto Wrap
Enjoy a taste of Italy in this delicious wrap! It's packed with slices of fresh tomato and mozzarella, fresh basil, and prosciutto with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It's a healthy wrap that's both healthy and filling.
Veggie Wrap with Apples and Spicy Hummus
For a healthy boat lunch idea, this Middle Eastern inspired veggie wrap ticks all boxes. It's packed with healthy veggies and features crunchy apples, and a spicy hummus for kick. It makes a super quick and easy meal on a boat.
Greek Chicken Wrap Recipe
This family-friendly boat lunch idea features grilled white meat chicken, veggies, feta cheese, and a house made Greek dressing in one easy hand-held meal.
The 5 Minute Turkey Club Ranch Wrap
This healthy turkey wrap is so quick and easy! You can use either leftover turkey or deli meat to make this delicious lunch. It's the ultimate portable food for boating or a road trip.
Plant-Based Collard Green Wraps with Millet & Veggies
When it comes to healthy boat lunches, you can't go wrong with this meal prep-friendly plant-based wrap. It's the perfect grab-and-go meal and features crunchy collard greens, millet, roasted veggies and a fruity sauce.
Buffalo Tahini Quinoa & Rice Wraps (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
This Buffalo Tahini Quinoa & Rice Wrap recipe is proof that boat lunches don't have to be boring! In addition to being delicious, it also happens to be gluten-free, vegan, top 8 allergy-free, and freezable!
Cranberry Chicken Salad Spinach Wraps
Keep some canned chicken in your pantry and you'll have a head start on whipping up a last minute food for boating. These Cranberry Chicken Salad Spinach Wraps are a quick and easy lunch that's perfect for a hot summer day.
Keto Cheese Wraps Recipe: Chicken Bacon Ranch Wraps
With just 6 ingredients and 5 minutes prep this ranch chicken bacon wrap is the easiest boat lunch ever! It also happens to be the best keto sandwich wrap too boot!
Southwest Chicken Wraps
This boat lunch is full of nutrients and the vibrant flavours of the Southwest. It's so easy to make too! It begins with leftover chicken - then corn, black beans, lettuce, tomato and a special sauce round out this delicious meal.
Chicken Shawarma Wrap
The aromatic flavours of this globally-inspired wrap will vault it to the top of your must-try list. Not only is this grilled chicken wrap big on flavour but it's budget-friendly!
Mediterranean Smoked Turkey Wrap
For a Mediterranean inspired boat lunch idea, try this wrap slathered with hummus and packed with fresh greens, tomatoes, matchstick carrots and feta cheese. Healthy and delicious!
Tortilla wraps with turkey and beans – Turkey recipe
Say ole to the Mexican flavours of this spicy turkey and bean tortilla wrap. You can make the filling in advance for easy meal prep for boating.
Chicken Strawberry Salad Wrap
While fresh berries can sometimes be messy on a boat, this ingenious Chicken Strawberry Wrap with Mexican flair features ripe strawberries tucked inside a tortilla wrap. Not only is this tidy but the strawberries marry well with the chicken and avocado to result in a bright and delicious portable lunch.
You Might Also Like: Best Boating Drinks to Try This Summer
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Dividing her time between Canada, Guatemala and Mexico (or the nearest tropical beach), Michele Peterson is the founder of A Taste for Travel. Her award-winning travel and food writing has appeared in Lonely Planet’s cookbook Mexico: From the Source, National Geographic Traveler, Fodor’s and 100+ other publications.
Read more about Michele Peterson.
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Beth
We love going out on the river and we always make a lunch a ahead of time. These wraps are perfect for those kind of days and I can’t wait to try these soon! Excited!
Pam
What a great collection of wrap ideas! I’m especially intrigued with the Collard Green Wraps.
Michele Peterson
It’s so creative and healthy isn’t it?
Jessica Formicola
We go boating a lot over the summer, so I can’t wait to try all of these wraps- especially the Thai Chicken Wraps!
Julia
So many delicious options! It’s hard to choose a favorite 🙂
veenaazmanov
These wraps look so good. Love that they are cheesy, creamy and meaty too. Love the collection of recipes.