Tacos and burritos are popular Mexican foods. Do you love these meals and other versions of tortillas? If so, you might have thought about the differences between corn and flour tortillas. Whiletortillasare common in most kitchens for Mexican cuisine, individuals have preferences when choosing which is better.
Are you a tortilla lover, and you’re disturbed toknow if you should choose corn over a flour tortilla, or vice versa? If so, you’re not the only one. Many others have the same concern. Both corn and flour tortillas are important ingredients for burritos, tacos, tostadas, and the list continues. Even though they’re all commonly used, significant differences exist between them. Here is the comparison between corn and flour tortillas.
What are corn tortillas?
You guessed right!Corn tortillas are made from corn and water. They are whole grains. However, be careful when purchasing it in the supermarket. Only buy a product with the label ‘Whole grain corn’ and avoid the ones labeled ‘degermed corn.’ A whole-grain corn tortilla is healthy and nutritious. Regarding its texture and taste, it’s chewy, grainy, and has a somewhat earthiness sweetness. It’s best preferred for taquitos, enchiladas, and chilaquiles.
What are flour tortillas?
Flour tortillas need more ingredients than corn tortillas. It’s prepared by combining flour, water, oil, salt, and baking powder. It’s a thick and soft type of tortilla. When it comes to taste, most people may choose corn tortilla over it. Still, some are loyal lovers of flour tortillas despite their strong, doughy tasteresulting from their ingredients. It can be a great substitute for most corn tortillas in Mexican recipes, especially burritos. When purchasing flour tortillas,ensure you opt for options that have less sodium, less fat, and have gone through less processing.
Nutrients profile for corn tortillas;
One 100gram corn tortilla has the following;
- Calories-159
- Cholesterol-0mg
- Protein-4.55 grams
- Total Fats-2.27grams
- Sugars-2.27grams
- Carbohydrate-43.18grams
- Fiber-4.5 grams
- Sodium-136mg
- Iron-3.27mg
- Calcium-45mg
- Saturated fats-1.14 grams
- Vitamin A-227 IU
- Vitamin c-2.7mg
Nutritional profile for flour tortillas
From 100 gramsserving of flour tortilla, you’ll get;
- Total calories-304
- Cholesterol-0 grams
- Proteins-8.93grams
- Total Fats-8.04 grams
- Sugars-0 grams
- Carbohydrate-48.21 grams
- Fiber-1.8grams
- Sodium-732 mg
- Iron-0.64mg
- Calcium-179mg
- Saturated fats-1.79grams
- Monosaturated fats-2.68 grams
- Polyunsaturated fats-1.79 grams
- Vitamin A- 0 IU
- Vitamin C- 0 mg
Is corn better than flour tortilla?
This question may be difficult to answer because corn and flour tortillas serve the same purpose, yet they have some differences. Their taste andtexture vary. Soit’ll all depend on your preferred flavor andconsistency in tortillas. Their nutritional facts also differ. What will work best for you depends on your health needs, taste preferences, and cooking recipes. You may as well choose to introduce both of them in your meals so that you benefit from both.
Which is gluten-free between the two?
A corn tortilla is the best option for individualsintolerant to gluten. Generally, they’re gluten-free. However, always check the packaging because some corn tortillas are mixed with wheat flour, making them have traces of gluten.Flour tortillas are not gluten-free. They’re made from wheat, which has decent amountsof gluten. Therefore, a corn tortilla is the best alternative if you want to consume a gluten-free tortilla, whether for medical reasons or because of personal motives.
Which has more carbs?
Flour tortillas contain more carbsthan corn tortillas. Also, tortillas from corn contain fewer calories than the number of calories found in flour tortillas because of the high carbs content. Even though corn tortillashave low carbs, they don’tqualify to be considered a low-carb keto diet because their carbs are not low enough to be regarded keto-friendly.
Are corn tortillas helpful in losing weight?
Any meal with few calories and low carbhelp to lose weight, and if not, it’ll help you maintain your current body mass. Corn tortillas have fewer calories, so replacing flourwith it will assist you in reducing the calories you’ll consume in a meal.More so, corn tortillasare small in size. As long as you’re mindful of the portion size, it’s guaranteed you’ll take fewer calories overall by consuming corn tortilla. It’s about how you balance. So, don’t eat ten corn tacos to replace one flour buritto and expect toreceive great results. That will double yourweight instead of helping you lose some fats.
Positives and negatives of corn tortillas
As mentioned earlier, corn tortillas are manufactured from whole grains, with fewer sodium, calories, and cabs. Also, they have more fiber compared to flour tortillas.When it comes to preparing and eating, some individuals complain corn tortillas are easy to break. That’s the main reason they’re mostly preferred for tacos and not burritos. Also, some people are irritated by the taste of corn tortillas, particularly the store-bought types, because of their dryness. Individualswho have been using flour their whole life may especially hate corn’s taste.
Corn tortillas exist in many varieties, but yellow, blue, and white are the most common types. As their names indicate, they differ in color, depending on whether they’re prepared withyellow, blue, or white corn kernels. Blue type is considered the healthiest version of corn tortillas.
Positives and negatives of flour tortillas
Calories and fats in flour tortillas are almost twice what is found in corn tortillas.These extreme fats and calories, combined with insufficient fiber, may cause heart illnesses, diabetes, and certain cancers. It’s a big no for individuals with celiac disease.Despite these nutrition gaps, flour tortillas are not entirely bad. Its plus benefitis that it hasmore calcium and iron than corn tortillas. Also, they’re fluffierand serve better as toppings in dishes because of theirsoftness and long-lasting texture. If you despise corn’s unusual taste, whole-wheat tortillas are great alternatives.
What are the effects of corn and flour tortillas?
No matter the food product, there’ll always be a difference between homemade and store-bought items. It’s the same case for tortillas. Whether they’re made from corn or wheat, homemade version is healthier. Generally, mass-manufactured tortillas have preservatives and other unhealthy ingredients. The best way to be sure of what’s in your tortillas is to prepare them yourself.
Conclusion
Is corn tortilla better than flour tortilla? Only you can answer. This article has provided all the differences between the two. Now it’s up to you to determine what will work best for your recipes. Whatever your choice is, ensure you make it yourself. Homemade tortillas are healthier.
I believe that nutrition science is a wonderful helper both for the preventive improvement of health and adjunctive therapy in treatment. My goal is to help people improve their health and well-being without torturing themselves with unnecessary dietary restrictions. I am a supporter of a healthy lifestyle – I play sports, cycle, and swim in the lake all year round. With my work, I have been featured in Vice, Country Living, Harrods magazine, Daily Telegraph, Grazia, Women's Health, and other media outlets.
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