Wraps can be a quick, easy, and delicious option for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. But finding a healthy wrap (or tortilla) can be challenging. Wraps and tortillas can be super helpful for making a quick and healthy breakfast or dinner. The key is finding a healthy wrap (or tortilla) and also using the right ingredients inside the wraps and tortillas. Wraps and tortillas are made from a wide variety of ingredients, so they also vary widely in their healthiness. Finding a healthy wrap can be challenging. It doesn’t do any good to buy a healthy wrap or tortilla only to fill it with unhealthy ingredients.
Understanding Tortilla Types and Their Impact on Weight Loss
When choosing tortillas for weight loss, it's important to consider the different types available and how their nutritional profiles align with your goals. Generally, tortillas can be categorized based on their primary ingredients and processing methods.
Flour Tortillas
Most white tortillas are basically made with white flour (enriched bleached flour), water, and shortening. Enriched means some vitamins added back in -so that’s words like niacin, iron, thiamine, riboflavin, and folic acid. These tend to be higher in calories and lower in fiber than other options. Whole wheat tortillas are a better choice, offering more fiber and nutrients.
Corn Tortillas
The ingredients in corn tortillas are fairly simple - usually just corn/masa and water plus a little bit of a thickener like guar gum. They also tend to be gluten-free. If GMO’s are a concern for you, you can look for brands made with non-GMO corn. If you’re looking for fewer preservatives, hard shell corn tortillas tend to be made with just corn and oil or look for soft corn tortillas with a simple ingredient list. Corn tortillas are also typically a little less sturdy. They don’t always roll as well as flour tortillas. For a lot of people, corn tortillas come down to taste. They’re one of those things you have to try for yourself and figure out which has the flavor you love.
Low-Carb Tortillas
Low-carb tortillas have become increasingly popular, offering a way to enjoy wraps without significantly increasing carbohydrate intake. Many keto tortillas fall into the “dirty keto” category. There are some cleaner almond flour tortillas available, like Siete, but they add tapioca flour which significantly brings up the carb count.
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Gluten-Free Tortillas
There are way too many gluten-free varieties out there now to cover in this post. But I will tell you that two brands I’ve tried are Siete Foods and Maria Ricardo’s.
Key Considerations When Choosing Wraps for Weight Loss
Several factors should influence your choice of tortillas when aiming for weight loss:
Calorie Content
The interesting thing in looking at calories on packages of tortillas is that most promoted as “low carb” are also low in calories. It just must not be trendy to advertise low calorie yet! As you can see, the tortilla can have a big impact in your overall calories for your meal!
Fiber Content
I tend to encourage people to choose whole wheat varieties over white if they can find them.
Sodium Content
Tortillas are a store-bought item that can add a sneakily high amount of sodium to a meal if you’re not paying attention. Most nutrition label info is for one tortilla so if you’re eating multiple tortillas, or a larger burrito or fajita-sized tortilla, that’s something to be aware of. Some of these are a little higher in sodium than I’d like but remember that you can also control what you put in the tortillas.
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Ingredient Quality
Tortillas are made with a wide variety of fat sources, typically shortening or oil. Soybean, cottonseed and palm oil seem to be the most popular, which may impact your choices. For example, some people may be avoiding palm oil for ethical/environmental reasons. Others may be avoiding soybean oil and want to choose palm oil or avocado oil etc. So are tortillas healthy?
Protein Content
The nutritional value varies by brand. Some offer a few grams of protein or fiber depending on the ingredients.
Top Store-Bought Tortilla Options for Weight Loss
Here are some of the top store-bought tortilla options, categorized by their key features:
Low-Calorie Options
- Maya Brand Tortillas (80 calories): One of my favorite tortillas for the best price.
- La Banderita Low Carb Tortilla (50 calories): Only 50 calories, and the perfect size.
- Ole Mexican Foods Xtreme Wellness Tortillas (50 calories): Only 50 calories in the Ole’ high fiber tortillas.
Low-Carb Options
- Mission Carb Balance Tortillas: Taste like they are fresh off the tortilla press. You can find them at most grocery stores these days and are a good option for making quesadillas and even Mexican pizza!
- La Tortilla Factory Low Carb Tortillas: Can be found in most grocery stores these days and are a good for quesadillas, enchiladas, and tacos.
- Mr. Tortilla Keto Tortillas (1g net carb): These cute little low carb tortillas are actually really good! ☺️ They only have 1g net carb per tortilla but note that they are street taco-sized tortillas. They do make bigger tortillas, but I just happened to get these on Amazon as they are the #1 best seller for keto tortillas. Another win for these tortillas is that they’re made with avocado oil, which is great for keto!
Whole Wheat Options
- 365 Whole Wheat Tortillas: This brand, sold at Target has a fairly simple ingredient list and offers a whole wheat version.
- Food For Life Brand: I prefer the Food For Life brand for high-protein wraps, which I usually pick up at Whole Foods Market or HyVee, though most grocery stores carry them.
Other Notable Options
- Siete Tortillas: I would fit Siete Tortillas more into the paleo category, but still an option. The Cassava Flour variety are the tortillas we use for our 1 year old son who is not eating nuts yet. If you’re looking for something that you will recognize as your typical soft shell taco then this is it.
- NUCO Coconut Wraps: NUCO Coconut Wraps have the best ingredients of any keto tortilla on this list. This might be the best option as far as ingredients and nutrition goes.
- Crepini Egg Thins: What Crepini Egg Thins really lack is flavor. They don’t taste great, and they are on the thin side. Usually whatever you’re filling your soft taco with will break right through these. They are still a great option that we regularly buy though.
- Joseph’s Lavash Bread: Joseph’s Lavash Bread is similar to an Arabic flatbread. This is an option that is much higher in carb, but is made up for by the fact that the ingredients are top notch.
Making Your Own Healthy Tortillas
In my opinion, the easiest way to get tortillas made with just a few simple ingredients is to make them yourself. You really only need 4 ingredients to make flour tortillas- flour, water, salt and a fat source. In most tortillas, this comes from either shortening or oil. They’re actually super easy to make and if you’re willing to try, definitely try my Homemade Whole Wheat Tortillas.
Low Calorie Tortilla Recipe
- All-purpose flour.
- Baking powder.
- Salt.
- Olive oil. My preferred oil to use for homemade wraps.
- Warm water.
Instructions:
- Mix the dough. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
- Knead. Lightly flour a flat kitchen surface.
- Rest. Divide the dough into 24 portions.
- Shape. Roll out each dough ball to 7 inches in diameter.
- Pan fry. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add a wrap and cook for 1 minute, then flip and cook for another minute.
Tips:
- Don’t make the dough in advance.
- Grease the pan VERY well.
- Place a lid on the pan.
Keto Tortilla Recipe
Add egg whites, coconut flour, baking powder and water in a bowl. Combine well (should be a uniform, watery mixture).Optional: add seasonings and mix.Heat a skillet (any size you want your tortillas to be) to low heat. Wait until the pan is hot, spray with cooking spray, and drop some of the mixture into the center (i like to use a 1/4 measuring cup).As quickly as possible tilt the skillet on all edge to spread the batter as thin as possible. You can always add more in the areas not covered.Allow it to cook for a couple minutes until it starts to rise/bubble or you lift it up and the other side has browned. Flip and cook for 1 additional minute.Repeat process until all the batter is cooked.
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High-Protein Wrap Ideas
Some of my favorite high-protein ingredients include grilled chicken, tuna, salmon, shrimp, turkey, eggs or even plant-based proteins like black beans, lentils or hummus.
High-Protein Wrap Recipes
- Veggie Scrambled Tofu
- Buffalo Chicken Wrap
- Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Southwest Chicken Wraps
- Honey Mustard Chicken Wraps
- Greek chicken wrap
- Asian chicken lettuce wraps
- Tuna Wrap
- Spinach and Feta Wrap
Tips for Storing and Reheating Tortillas
Whenever making this recipe we always make enough for leftovers. As with most keto recipes you are going to want to store these in the refrigerator. They should last for 3-4 days.
Reheating: Place the wraps on a microwave-safe dish and place a paper towel over it. Microwave for 30 seconds until warm and soft.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Choosing tortillas with unhealthy fats like soybean or cottonseed oil.
- Failing to consider sodium content.
- Overlooking the importance of fiber.