Can You Eat Tortillas on Keto? Low-Carb Choices
Common flour and corn tortillas aren’t keto pleasant – a single 8-inch flour tortilla packs round 24g internet carbs, which is sort of a whole day’s price on a 20-30g keto funds. However the excellent news is you don’t have to surrender tacos, wraps, and quesadillas. Low-carb tortillas from manufacturers like Mission and La Banderita deliver the web carbs all the way down to 0-5g per tortilla, and alternate options like cheese shells and lettuce wraps work even higher in some instances.
I’ve been doing keto for over a decade, and tortillas had been one of many issues I found out early. Taco night time is a weekly factor at my home, and I’ve examined nearly each low-carb tortilla on the shelf. Right here’s what truly works – and what to skip.
Bounce to a bit:
The Carb Drawback with Common Tortillas
The problem with customary tortillas is fairly easy: they’re largely refined starch, and that starch converts to glucose quick. Right here’s how the widespread choices evaluate primarily based on USDA diet information:Diet information sourced from USDA FoodData Central entries for flour tortillas, corn tortillas, and comparable merchandise.
| Tortilla Kind | Measurement | Complete Carbs | Fiber | Internet Carbs | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flour tortilla | 8″ (1 tortilla) | 25g | 1g | ~24g | 146 |
| Flour tortilla | 10″ burrito dimension | 36g | 2g | ~34g | 218 |
| Corn tortilla | 6″ (1 tortilla) | 11g | 1.3g | ~10g | 52 |
| Mission Carb Stability | 8″ delicate taco | 19g | 15g | ~4g | 70 |
| La Banderita Carb Counter | 8″ delicate taco | 16g | 16g | 0g | 60 |
Have a look at that first row. One common flour tortilla – not even a burrito-size one – makes use of up 24 of your 20-30g every day carb funds. Eat two for taco night time and also you’re at 48g internet carbs earlier than you’ve even added the fillings. That’s a assured exit from ketosis for most individuals.
Corn tortillas are higher at 10g every, however they’re nonetheless not sensible. Two corn tortillas for tacos would run you 20g internet carbs – your whole every day restrict for those who’re on the stricter finish, and that’s with out counting the rest you eat that day. If you’d like the total breakdown on why corn is so carb-heavy, try our information on whether or not corn is keto.
The underside two rows are the place it will get attention-grabbing. Low-carb tortillas obtain their decrease internet carb counts by changing a lot of the starch with fiber (normally wheat fiber or oat fiber) and protein. The whole carb depend seems excessive, however most of these carbs are fiber that your physique can’t digest into glucose, in order that they don’t depend towards your keto funds.
Greatest Low-Carb Tortilla Choices
After years of testing, these are the choices that really maintain up for style, texture, and keto macros.
Retailer-Purchased Low-Carb Tortillas
Mission Carb Stability is essentially the most extensively obtainable choice. You’ll discover these at most grocery shops, they usually are available in each delicate taco (4g internet carbs) and burrito sizes. They style near an everyday flour tortilla – barely extra chewy, however shut sufficient that most individuals don’t discover as soon as they’re loaded with fillings. These are my go-to for quesadillas as a result of they crisp up properly in a skillet.
La Banderita Carb Counter takes it a step additional with their zero-net-carb tortilla. At 0g internet carbs and 60 energy per tortilla, these are about as keto-friendly as a tortilla can get.Diet information per La Banderita Carb Counter product label, 8″ flour tortilla: 16g whole carbs, 16g fiber, 0g internet carbs. The feel is a little more dense than Mission, however they’re completely good for wraps and delicate tacos. They’re obtainable at Walmart, Kroger, and on Amazon.
A couple of different manufacturers price realizing about: Mr. Tortilla has a 1g internet carb choice that’s widespread in keto circles, and Maria & Ricardo’s makes an almond flour tortilla at 4g internet carbs per tortilla that’s gluten-free if that issues for you.
Non-Tortilla Alternate options
Cheese shells are my favourite swap for onerous taco night time. Unfold shredded cheese (cheddar, Parmesan, or a mix) in small circles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 375°F for about 7 minutes till bubbly and golden. Drape them over a wood spoon deal with or the sting of a muffin tin whereas nonetheless heat they usually’ll harden into taco shell shapes. Zero carbs, tons of taste, they usually maintain fillings higher than you’d anticipate.
Lettuce wraps work nicely for lighter fillings. Butter lettuce and romaine are the very best selections – butter lettuce cups type pure bowls that maintain floor beef or rooster with out falling aside, and romaine leaves are sturdy sufficient for heartier builds. Not the identical expertise as a tortilla, however for a fast lunch they’re onerous to beat.
Egg wraps are another choice. Beat a few eggs skinny, cook dinner them crepe-style in a nonstick pan, and also you’ve received a versatile wrap with zero carbs and stable protein. They work particularly nicely for breakfast burritos.
The way to Use Keto Tortillas
The most important mistake I see individuals make with low-carb tortillas is consuming them straight out of the package deal chilly. They’re superb that approach, however they’re noticeably higher with 20-30 seconds of warmth on either side in a dry skillet. That’s how I serve them each time – it makes them extra pliable and brings out extra taste.
That is the obvious use, and it really works completely. Season floor beef or rooster with cumin, chili powder, garlic, and paprika. Load up a low-carb tortilla with the meat, some shredded cheese, bitter cream, and diced avocado. Two tacos on Mission Carb Stability tortillas would run you about 8g internet carbs whole for the shells – leaving you loads of room for the fillings and the remainder of your day. In case you’re consuming out as a substitute of cooking, test our guides on ordering keto at Taco Bell and Chipotle.
Wraps and Burritos
Low-carb tortillas deal with wrapping simply in addition to common ones. My go-to lunch wrap is deli turkey, avocado, bacon, and a smear of cream cheese rolled up in a La Banderita Carb Counter tortilla – 0g internet carbs from the tortilla, so I’m solely counting the fillings. For burrito-style builds, Mission makes a bigger Carb Stability tortilla that works for stuffing with meat, cheese, salsa, and bitter cream.
Quesadillas
That is the place low-carb tortillas actually shine. Fill one with shredded cheese (and rooster or steak in order for you), fold it in half, and cook dinner it in a buttered skillet till the cheese melts and each side are golden and crispy. The added fiber in low-carb tortillas truly helps them crisp up nicely. Minimize into wedges and dip in bitter cream or guacamole. It’s one of many best keto meals you may make in underneath 10 minutes.
Enchiladas
Roll your protein and cheese inside low-carb tortillas, line them up in a baking dish, cowl with a keto-friendly enchilada sauce (test the label for added sugar), prime with extra cheese, and bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes. That is a kind of keto consolation meals strikes that doesn’t really feel like a compromise in any respect.
Key Takeaways
- Common flour tortillas (24g internet carbs) and corn tortillas (10g internet carbs) are too excessive in carbs for keto.
- Low-carb tortillas from Mission Carb Stability (4g internet carbs) and La Banderita Carb Counter (0g internet carbs) are extensively obtainable and work nicely as replacements.
- Cheese shells, lettuce wraps, and egg wraps are zero-carb alternate options that work for tacos and lighter meals.
- Heat low-carb tortillas in a dry skillet for 20-30 seconds per aspect earlier than serving – it makes an actual distinction in style and texture.
- All the time test the diet label for internet carbs (whole carbs minus fiber) quite than trusting front-of-package claims.
Regularly Requested Questions
Are flour tortillas keto pleasant?
No, common flour tortillas will not be keto pleasant. A normal 8-inch flour tortilla has about 24g internet carbs, which might burn up practically your whole every day carb funds on keto. Nevertheless, low-carb flour tortillas from manufacturers like Mission Carb Stability (4g internet carbs) and La Banderita Carb Counter (0g internet carbs) are stable keto-friendly alternate options that style near the true factor.
Are corn tortillas higher than flour for keto?
No, corn tortillas are literally not significantly better. A 6-inch corn tortilla has about 10g internet carbs – decrease than a flour tortilla, however nonetheless too excessive for many keto budgets when you think about you’d most likely eat two or three in a sitting. Neither common flour nor common corn tortillas work nicely on keto. Low-carb specialty tortillas are a significantly better choice.
What number of low-carb tortillas can I eat per day on keto?
It is dependent upon the model and the remainder of your meals. With a zero-net-carb tortilla like La Banderita Carb Counter, you could possibly have two or three with out affecting your carb depend in any respect. With a 4g internet carb tortilla like Mission Carb Stability, two or three would use 8-12g of your 20-30g every day funds – nonetheless workable for those who maintain your different meals low carb. Simply issue the web carbs into your every day whole like another meals.
What’s the very best tortilla substitute for keto tacos?
Cheese shells are the best choice for taco night time. Simply bake or pan-fry shredded cheese till crispy, form it whereas heat, and also you’ve received a taco shell with basically zero carbs and a ton of taste. Butter lettuce cups are nice for lighter fillings. And in order for you the pliability of a delicate tortilla, low-carb store-bought tortillas within the 0-5g internet carb vary work nicely for folding and wrapping.
Do low-carb tortillas style like common tortillas?
They’re shut however not equivalent. Most low-carb tortillas use wheat protein and added fiber to exchange the starch, which supplies them a barely totally different texture – a bit extra chewy or dense than a normal flour tortilla. Mission Carb Stability and La Banderita Carb Counter are the 2 that most individuals discover closest to common tortillas in style and adaptability.
