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Are Corn Tortillas Gluten Free?

Written by:

Obi Obadike

Obi Obadike

Celebrity Fitness & Nutrition Expert, CFT, SFN, M.S. Founder & CEO – Ethical Inc.
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Are corn tortillas gluten free? Corn tortillas are gluten free and contain a good source of fiber and magnesium.

Here are the nutritional profiles of one yellow corn tortilla:

  • Calories- 95.9
  • Carbs- 19.6 grams
  • Protein- 2.51 grams
  • Fat- 1.25 grams
  • Fiber- 2.77 grams
  • Calcium- 35.6 grams
  • Iron- 0.54 grams
  • Magnesium- 31.7 mg
  • Sodium-19.8 mg
Are corn tortillas gluten free? Photo credit: iStock-miflippo

A Medium Flour tortilla:

  • Calories- 138 calories
  • Carbs- 22.2 grams
  • Protein- 3.69 grams
  • Fat- 3.6 grams
  • Fiber- 1.58 grams
  • Calcium- 65.7 grams
  • Iron- 1.63 mg
  • Magnesium- 9.9 mg
  • Sodium- 331 mg

The difference between corn vs flour tortillas is the following. Corn tortillas are considered whole grain which is lower in carbs, calories, and fat. Flour tortillas contain more fat because they have lard in them. It is one of the reasons why corn tortillas are healthier than flour tortillas. If you want to choose between which is the healthier route than corn tortillas are the best thing.

One of the negative drawbacks to flour tortillas is it contains gluten. So, if you have celiac disease then eating any type of food that has gluten can cause stomach issues. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease response to gluten that can cause damage to your digestive system.

If you have celiac disease, then you should never eat flour tortillas and corn tortillas should be your alternate. Corn tortillas are smaller in diameter as they are about 6 inches and flour tortillas are about 8 to 10 inches diameter. So, corn tortillas are built in for more portion control.

It is always important to look at the product ingredient lists especially if you have celiac disease. So you don’t accidentally buy tortillas when it comes to gluten.

“Corn tortillas are gluten free and contain a good source of fiber and magnesium.” Celebrity Fitness & Nutrition Expert Obi Obadike

The Bottom Line is corn tortillas are healthier than flour tortillas. It delivers fiber, whole grains and other important nutrients. It is also lower in fat than flour tortillas.

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https://offer.ethicalinc.com/suppressant-offer/ ?utm_source=blog 

References

  1. Zhu L, Adedeji AA, Alavi S. Effect of Germination and Extrusion on Physicochemical Properties and Nutritional Qualities of Extrudates and Tortilla from Wheat. J Food Sci. 2017 Aug;82(8):1867-1875. doi: 10.1111/1750-3841.13797. Epub 2017 Jul 11. PMID: 28696546.
  2. Lewis D, Haridy J, Newnham ED. Testing for coeliac disease. Aust Prescr. 2017 Jun;40(3):105-108. doi: 10.18773/austprescr.2017.029. Epub 2017 Jun 1. PMID: 28798516; PMCID: PMC5478399.
  3. Zhu L, Adedeji AA, Alavi S. Effect of Germination and Extrusion on Physicochemical Properties and Nutritional Qualities of Extrudates and Tortilla from Wheat. J Food Sci. 2017 Aug;82(8):1867-1875. doi: 10.1111/1750-3841.13797. Epub 2017 Jul 11. PMID: 28696546.
  4. Biesiekierski JR. What is gluten? J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2017 Mar;32 Suppl 1:78-81. doi: 10.1111/jgh.13703. PMID: 28244676.
  5. Aune D, Keum N, Giovannucci E, Fadnes LT, Boffetta P, Greenwood DC, Tonstad S, Vatten LJ, Riboli E, Norat T. Whole grain consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and all cause and cause specific mortality: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. BMJ. 2016 Jun 14;353:i2716. doi: 10.1136/bmj.i2716. PMID: 27301975; PMCID: PMC4908315.
  6. USDA- https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/1100857/nutrients
  7. Abbaspour N, Hurrell R, Kelishadi R. Review on iron and its importance for human health. J Res Med Sci. 2014 Feb;19(2):164-74. PMID: 24778671; PMCID: PMC3999603.
  8. de Baaij JH, Hoenderop JG, Bindels RJ. Magnesium in man: implications for health and disease. Physiol Rev. 2015 Jan;95(1):1-46. doi: 10.1152/physrev.00012.2014. PMID: 25540137.
  9. Montemayor-Mora G, Hernández-Reyes KE, Heredia-Olea E, Pérez-Carrillo E, Chew-Guevara AA, Serna-Saldívar SO. Rheology, acceptability and texture of wheat flour tortillas supplemented with soybean residue. J Food Sci Technol. 2018 Dec;55(12):4964-4972. doi: 10.1007/s13197-018-3432-3. Epub 2018 Sep 22. PMID: 30482992; PMCID: PMC6233435.

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