There is much to love about different kinds of grain products. They are soft, filling, and go with almost anything, not to mention there are hundreds, if not thousands, of different kinds of grain products out there to enjoy.
One of the most beloved types of grain products throughout the Americas – both North and South – is that of the tortilla, and of those the most favored kind of tortilla in the United States is that of the flour tortilla.
This product has grown in strength over the years as an alternative to bread and as a way to have a small amount of grains with each meal.
However, when you are trying to keep the amount of carbs in your diet down, it does beg the question: how many carbs are in a flour tortilla? Today we seek to find this out.
What Is A Flour Tortilla?
A flour tortilla is a type of soft, very thin, and rounded flatbread that is made from very finely ground wheat flour. The flour is mixed with water, a fat, and some salt to create an easy dough that is then pressed into a flat round shape.
The dough is then cooked until brown spots appear on the surface, then it is flipped over. Once both sides have spots, then it is taken off the heat ready to serve.
If the tortilla is commercially made then it will probably have a chemical leavening and other ingredients included in the dough, like baking powder, to help it retain its softness for a longer period of time.
The corn tortilla is actually incredibly old, with evidence for their consumption dating back to 10,000 BC, making it one of the oldest foods still in production, and was originally made from maize and dried kernels.
Over time, the production was refined, and it became the principal food of the Aztec and Mayan civilizations.
The flour tortilla only came about because of the European empire’s colonization of the Americas. They brought with them wheat, which could be turned into flour and over time, in areas where wheat could be grown more successfully, the flour tortilla replaced the corn one.
We can see this today in Mexico, where the northernmost states – whose environment is more suited to wheat production – eat more flour tortillas, whereas most of the other states eat more corn tortillas.
How Many Carbs In A Flour Tortilla?
A flour tortilla generally has more carbs than other foods and could be counted as a high carb product.
For an average tortilla – about 50 grams – the amount of carbs in the tortilla is about 24 grams. Although that is only 8% of your daily intake of carbs per day, that is roughly 50% of the tortilla, which makes it mostly carbs.
Since most meals can go for between 300 and 700 grams in weight, you are probably going to consume a few tortillas in a single sitting.
Let’s say the average is about 3 tortillas, those 3 tortillas will have 24 grams of carbohydrates each, which amounts to 72 grams of carbohydrates in total.
Per meal, we should eat 45 to 60 grams of carbohydrates, and anything more than this is an excessive amount. With just 3 relatively small pieces of flatbread, you have eaten beyond your meal’s intake of carbohydrates.
As such, while flour tortillas are an incredible form of carbohydrates, it can easily be overdone with them. Not only that, but if you are on a low-carb or keto diet, you should avoid them like the plague.
There are more carbohydrates in one tortilla than in a slice of bread – granted they are heavier, but still.
If you still want to eat tortillas, but want a less carbohydrate filled option, then we would suggest going for a corn tortilla. Compared to flour tortillas, they have maybe 20 grams of carbs which is only a little lower, but it is still lower.
Health Benefits Of A Flour Tortilla
With what we said earlier, it may be difficult to see the benefits of eating flour tortillas over other available options. However, we are here to tell you that you should consider it, as they are not as unhealthy as they first appear.
Carbohydrates
We know we said that they are high in carbs and that can be a bad thing. But if you manage your diet well, that can be incredibly good for you.
For starters, carbs are the starches and sugars our bodies use up for energy when we want to do things.
Since a single tortilla can give you enough to get through a meal, you can fill it with other healthier foods without becoming too full and without worrying about not meeting your carb intake.
Fats
Although tortillas have some fat, they are very low in fats in general. This is because they only use a little bit in the creation of the tortilla itself to bind the mixture together.
As such, they are a great low fat carb to introduce to your diet without too much worry.
Vitamins And Minerals
While there are not too many vitamins and minerals to scream home about, flour tortillas do have some. Two of these are calcium and potassium.
While they only make up 2% to 3% each of your daily intake, they can be really helpful to add to a meal, just in case you need a pick me up.
Can I Make A Low-Carb Flour Tortilla?
You absolutely can, though it won’t taste exactly the same. The way to go about this is to make the tortilla from almond flour and coconut flour.
Neither of these ingredients contain much in the way of carbs, and both will give you a lovely soft and pliable tortilla to eat.
Conclusion
Carbohydrates make up about 50% of the entire nutritional value of a tortilla, meaning they are a high carb product.
If you need to eat less carbs, we would suggest that you avoid eating tortillas or making them yourself, so you don’t have to worry about the impact on your diet.
One of the most common things I talk to my clients about is calories, but so few of them actually know anything about them.
Calories is not a dirty word. If you remove emotion from it, it is simply a unit of energy.
We need calories to live and thrive, and knowing how many to consume is important to ensure that you’re living a healthy lifestyle.
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Reading your article helped me a lot, but I still had some doubts at the time, could I ask you for advice? Thanks.