Are Fajitas Healthy? A nutrition breakdown of fajitas.
Written by Isabel Vasquez RD, LDN
Nothing compares to the sizzling sound of fajitas. I can still hear and smell the fajitas from my favorite Tex-Mex restaurant growing up as they came out on a hot-to-the-touch cast iron skillet.
Fajitas are a true Tex-Mex food. They originated in Southern Texas and Northern Mexico.
They may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of “healthy” food, but as a Latina dietitian, I’m here to tell you that they are in fact quite nutritious.
Especially if you load them up with onions, peppers, lean protein, and avocado, they make for a well-rounded, health-promoting meal.
Keep reading to learn the nutrition facts, health benefits, and potential health drawbacks of fajitas.
Fajitas Nutritional Value
Shrimp Fajitas
Here are the nutritional facts of one shrimp fajita (made with flour tortillas, vegetable oil, shrimp, bell peppers, and onions) per the USDA:
Protein: 8 grams (g)
Fat: 8 g
Saturated fat: 2 g
Carbohydrates: 17 g
Fiber: 1.4 g, or 5% of the daily value (DV)
Iron: 1.3 mg, or 7% of the DV
Phosphorus: 162 mg, or 13% of the DV
Sodium: 433 mg, or 19% of the DV
Selenium: 18 mcg, or 33% of the DV
Vitamin C: 23 mg, or 25% of the DV
Shrimp fajitas are also rich in B-vitamins including niacin, thiamin, folate, and vitamin B12.
Chicken Fajitas
Here are the nutritional facts of one chicken fajita (made with flour tortillas, vegetable oil, chicken, bell peppers, and onions) per the USDA:
Protein: 11 g
Fat: 9 g
Saturated fat: 2 g
Carbohydrates: 17 g
Fiber: 1.4 g, or 5% of the daily value (DV)
Iron: 1.4 mg, or 8% of the DV
Phosphorus: 141 mg, or 11% of the DV
Sodium: 428 mg, or 19% of the DV
Selenium: 14 mcg, or 25% of the DV
Vitamin C: 23 mg, or 25% of the DV
Like shrimp fajitas, chicken fajitas are also rich in B-vitamins.
Vegetable Fajitas
Here are the nutritional facts of one vegetable fajita (made with flour tortillas, vegetable oil, bell peppers, and onions) per the USDA:
Protein: 3 g
Fat: 9 g
Saturated fat: 2 g
Carbohydrates: 19 g
Fiber: 1.9 g, or 7% of the daily value (DV)
Iron: 1.3 mg, or 7% of the DV
Phosphorus: 78 mg, or 6% of the DV
Sodium: 428 mg, or 19% of the DV
Selenium: 7 mcg, or 12% of the DV
Vitamin C: 45 mg, or 50% of the DV
Note that veggie fajitas that include beans will have more protein and fiber than this example, which only has peppers and onions.
Steak Fajitas
Here are the nutritional facts of one steak fajita (made with flour tortillas, vegetable oil, flank steak, bell peppers, and onions) per the USDA:
Protein: 12 g
Fat: 12 g
Saturated fat: 3 g
Carbohydrates: 17 g
Fiber: 1.4 g, or 5% of the daily value (DV)
Iron: 1.9 mg, or 11% of the DV
Phosphorus: 120 mg, or 10% of the DV
Sodium: 436 mg, or 19% of the DV
Selenium: 17 mcg, or 30% of the DV
Vitamin C: 23 mg, or 25% of the DV
Steak fajitas are another option rich in B-vitamins including folate, niacin, and vitamin B-12.
Health Benefits of Fajitas
Well-Rounded Meal
Fajitas make for a nutritionally well-rounded meal. They typically include a source of protein (meat or beans), carbohydrates (tortillas), fiber (veggies), and fat (oil, avocado).
This is important for overall health, satiety, and energy. It’s also important for stable blood sugars. The carbs energize you, but the protein, fat, and fiber help slow digestion to prevent a big blood sugar spike.
Of course, the exact breakdown of carbs, protein, fat, and fiber in fajitas depends on what ingredients you choose to include and how much of them you add.
For example, the veggie fajitas nutrition facts we listed above were made without a protein source, so each fajita only has 3 grams of protein. We recommend adding beans so you can get enough protein to make them a well-rounded but still plant-based meal.
Fajitas are also full of vitamins and minerals, like vitamin C, iron, B-vitamins, and phosphorus. Vitamins and minerals like these are essential for everything from immune health to bone health.
Source of Fiber
Another asset of fajitas is that it’s easy to load them up with fiber. Fiber is a nondigestible carb with a number of proven health benefits. It can help prevent blood sugar spikes, lower cholesterol, and protect your digestive tract, per the CDC.
Veggies are an excellent way to get in fiber, and there are a few easy ones to add to fajitas. For one, fajitas almost always have peppers and onions. They may also have beans, another fiber-rich veggie.
You may also choose to add avocado or guacamole to your fajitas for extra flavor and fiber. Just ⅓ of an avocado has over 3 grams of fiber, per the USDA. That’s about 11% of the DV!
Easily customizable to Your Health Needs
We also love that fajitas are easily customizable. Therefore, they can be used to help manage a variety of health conditions or special dietary needs.
For example, you can use beans in addition to or instead of steak if you have high cholesterol since beans provide protein without saturated fat. You can add extra veggies and beans if you’re struggling with constipation or high blood sugars. You can swap corn tortillas for flour tortillas if you can’t eat gluten.
Just like tacos, it’s easy to add or remove ingredients to fajitas based on your taste preferences and health needs.
Potential Health Drawbacks of Fajitas
Although they’re an overall healthy option, there are a couple potential health drawbacks of fajitas to consider.
For one, fajitas can be high in sodium. The examples we listed above have about 20% of the DV of sodium per fajita. That’s notable because consuming too much sodium can raise your blood pressure, per the CDC.
To reduce the sodium in fajitas, you can use less salt and add more flavor with things like lime, cilantro, and garlic.
Fajitas can also be a significant source of saturated fat, depending on the ingredients you use. Fatty cuts of meat, sour cream, and cheese are the most common sources of saturated fat included in fajitas.
Saturated fat can raise cholesterol levels, increasing your risk for heart disease, per the American Heart Association. If you have high cholesterol and are trying to be mindful of your saturated fat intake, you can opt for proteins like beans, fish or lean cuts of chicken or pork.
You can also be sure to add plenty of fiber, which can help lower cholesterol, along with avocado—a source of both fiber and heart-healthy unsaturated fats.
Final Thoughts
Fajitas are a versatile, delicious meal that’s full of nutrition. While some fajitas are high in sodium and saturated fat, it’s easy to customize them to be rich in fiber and lean protein by adding beans, veggies, and avocado.
Remember, our cultural foods do not need to be restricted. In fact, most of them are full of nutrition and deserve to be celebrated for the joy, connection, and health benefits they bring us!
For education on how to ADD nutrition to your favorite Latine cultural dishes, make peace with food, and focus on your health without dieting, join our nutrition library for just $27/month.
If you liked this post, you may also like:
Are Tamales Healthy? A Nutrition Breakdown Of Tamales.
Are Burritos Healthy? A Nutrition Breakdown Of Burritos.
Are Quesadillas Healthy? A Nutrition Breakdown of Quesadillas.
