Are corn tortillas healthy? Anna Rios, a Mexican-American registered dietitian will walk you through the nutrition of tortillas! The days of thinking that Latin American food is not healthy are over. Although it is slowly changing, there was never much representation of our food in the health industry.
How “Healthy food” is Perceived
When visiting the doctor’s office or watching advertisements for healthy food, we mainly see salads, steamed vegetables, and comida sin sazón. Anytime we learn about healthy eating we see photos of boring salads or foods that do not represent our culture. I remember being a teenager thinking that I had to eat boring salads and foods outside of my culture for them to be considered “healthy”. Now, as a Mexican-American dietitian, I can say with confidence that Latin American cuisine includes some of the most nourishing foods in the world!
Are Corn Tortillas Healthy?
Could it be that our food is just so delicious that it’s hard to believe it can be part of a healthy diet? There are lots of theories about why our food started getting demonized but today I want to bust these myths by showing you how to enjoy tu comida favorita every day in a balanced way.
Let’s talk about the infamous tortilla! Tortillas have been getting a bad wrap for as long as I can remember. During an initial appointment with me, some of my patients will proudly tell me “I stopped eating tortillas” or “I swapped out tortillas for whole grain bread”. As if our bodies could tell the difference between 30 grams of whole-grain bread and 30 grams of corn tortillas. The truth is that our bodies need carbohydrates, especially complex carbohydrates that come from whole grains like corn tortillas and whole-grain bread.
Tortillas can be part of a balanced diet and can be eaten daily. The key to making a nourishing meal is learning how to make it balanced. A balanced meal contains protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats, and lots of vegetables. Here are a few examples of nourishing and balanced meals that include tortillas:
Corn Tortillas in a Balanced Meal
The amount of carbs/tortillas you can have at each meal depends on your body size, your current health conditions, and how physically active you are. A good rule of thumb is to try and have one type of carbohydrate at each meal. For example, if tortillas are your choice of carb try to avoid having rice in the same meal. To learn more about carbohydrates for people with diabetes or those who are trying to lose weight, check out my ebook Diabetes 101. Here are a few examples of how to include tortillas in a healthy and balanced way:
Frijoles de la olla:
- Carbohydrate: 2-3 corn tortillas
- Protein: 1 cup frijoles de la olla
- Veggies: 1 cup of pico de gallo with shredded cabbage
- Healthy fats: avocado, queso fresco o cotija
Caldo de pollo:
- Carbohydrate: 2-3 corn tortillas
- Protein: 1-2 pieces of chicken
- Veggies: lots of chayote, carrots, calabacitas
- Healthy fats: Avocado
How to Eat Healthy and Delicious
The goal is to balance our meals with each food group and try to add as many vegetables as we can. Many of our cultural dishes are already packed with nutrients and contain vegetables. Some of these dishes include calabacitas a la Mexicana, rajas con crema, ceviche, aguachile, caldo de pollo, picadillo, chiles rellenos, ensalada de nopal, verdolagas, pepino y jicama con chile y limon, and many more!
Some dishes aren’t originally balanced such as sopa de fideo. However, we can add vegetables and protein to make it a balanced meal. I love adding garbanzos for protein, carrots for extra vegetables, and avocado for healthy fat. Avocados are a unique and healthy fruit because they contain unsaturated fat — and can act as a nutrient booster by helping increase the absorption of fat-soluble nutrients like vitamins A, D, K, and E. So remember that adding avocado and healthy fats to a bowl of nourishing vegetables is so important!
Which Tortillas are Healthier?
Try to choose corn tortillas over flour whenever possible as they have more fiber. Store-bought tortillas are totally fine, just try to choose corn tortillas with simple ingredients, the less the better! Some of my favorite tortillas include Mi Rancho, La Tortilla Factory, Trader Joe’s corn tortillas, and Mission. The best kind of tortillas are homemade of course. Homemade corn tortillas are like gold in a Mexican household! They truly take your meal experience to the next level. My grandma used to make them from scratch all the time. My grandpa grew corn and brought it home for my grandma to grind down and make into corn flour to make tortillas. Now that is homemade!
Ingredients
Luckily, you don’t have to grind your own maize to make your corn flour nowadays! You only need 2 ingredients to make these tortillas: masa harina, and water.
Corn Flour
Harina de maíz (corn flour) – also known as masa harina and not to be confused with cornstarch. You can get this at any Mexican grocery store or large grocery such as Foodmaxx, Lucky’s, Albertson’s, Safeway, and Whole Foods. Brands that are Mexican-mom-approved include Maseca, Minsa, and Goya. If you’re looking for a fancy heirloom masa that is non-GMO, I recommend Masienda.
Making tortillas de maiz is easier than you think and also very rewarding! check out my homemade corn tortilla recipe to make them right at home.
So are Corn Tortillas Healthy or not?
In conclusion, corn tortillas are not only a staple of Mexican cuisine but also a nutritious choice that aligns with a healthy diet. Rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, they offer a wholesome alternative to other types of tortillas, especially when made from whole corn. As a Mexican dietitian, I encourage you to embrace corn tortillas as part of a balanced diet, enjoying their authentic flavor while reaping their nutritional benefits. Whether you’re making tacos, enchiladas, or enjoying them on the side, corn tortillas can be a delicious and healthful part of your meals.
Corn tortillas can be part of a balanced and nutritious diet, no matter your health conditions. Latin American food is delicious, nourishing, and can always be made in a balanced way. Enjoying the meals we eat is important and so is keeping our culture alive so always feel proud to bring your cultura to the table.
