Are Pupusas Healthy? A nutrition breakdown of pupusas.

Written by Isabel Vasquez RD, LDN

Pupusas are the most iconic cultural food from Honduras and El Salvador. These masa cakes are filled with ingredients like cheese, beans, pork, or veggies and then cooked on a griddle. 

They’re usually served with curtido, a fermented cabbage slaw that brings an acidic, refreshing flavor to this savory dish. It also adds extra nutrition!

Especially if pupusas are one of your beloved cultural foods, you may wonder whether they offer any nutritional value. After all, many of our Latine clients here at Your Latina Nutrition have cut out their cultural foods out of fear that they’re harming their health.

However, we’re here to assure you that your cultural foods absolutely deserve a place on your plate. They’re typically full of nutrition and can be used to help promote your health!

Keep reading to learn about the nutrition facts, health benefits, and potential health drawbacks of pupusas. 

Pupusas Nutrition Facts

Pupusas’ nutritional value depends on what they’re filled with. They’re all rich in carbs because of their main ingredient— corn masa—, but their protein, fat, vitamin, and mineral content varies based on whether they also have meat, beans, and/or cheese.

That said, most pupusas are also rich in fiber, a key nutrient for gut, heart, and metabolic health, per the CDC. 

Below is the nutritional value of three different types of pupusas.

Pupusas con Frijoles

According to the USDA, one restaurant-prepared bean pupusa (126 grams) has the following nutrition profile:

• Protein: 7 grams (g)

• Fat: 11 g

• Saturated fat: 2.8 g

• Carbohydrates: 40 g

• Fiber: 7 g, or 25% of the daily value (DV)

• Sodium: 384 milligrams (mg), or 17% of the DV

• Iron: 1.8 mg, or 10% of the DV

• Magnesium: 68 mg, or 16% of the DV

• Zinc: 1.2 mg, or 11% of the DV

• Copper: 0.18 mg, or 20% of the DV

• Selenium: 8.8 micrograms (mcg), or 16% of the DV

• Manganese: 0.4 mg, or 19% of the DV

Pupusas con Queso

According to the USDA, one restaurant-prepared cheese pupusa (117 grams) has the following nutrition profile:

• Protein: 14 g

• Fat: 15 g

• Saturated fat: 8 g

• Carbohydrates: 26 g

• Fiber: 3.4 g, or 12% of the DV

• Sodium: 468 mg, or 20% of the DV

• Iron: 0.7 mg, or 4% of the DV

• Magnesium: 42 mg, or 10% of the DV

• Zinc: 2.2 mg, or 20% of the DV

• Copper: 0.04 mg, or 5% of the DV

• Selenium: 18 mcg, or 32% of the DV

• Manganese: 0.15 mg, or 6% of the DV

Pupusas del Cerdo

According to the USDA, one restaurant-prepared pork pupusa (122 grams) has the following nutrition profile:

• Protein: 14 g

• Fat: 13 g

• Saturated fat: 4 g

• Carbohydrates: 28 g

• Fiber: 3 g, or 11% of the DV

• Sodium: 520 mg, or 23% of the DV

• Iron: 1.2 mg, or 7% of the DV

• Magnesium: 46 mg, or 11% of the DV

• Zinc: 2 mg, or 18% of the DV

• Copper: 0.08 mg, or 9% of the DV

• Selenium: 22 mcg, or 40% of the DV

• Manganese: 0.2 mg, or 9% of the DV

Health Benefits of Pupusas

Good Source of Fiber

Technically, pupusas are made with a whole grain—corn masa. Since it’s a whole grain, it’s a good source of fiber. In fact, the USDA recommends that at least half of your grains be whole grains because they’re richer in fiber and micronutrients than refined grains. 

Fillings like beans or loroco can add even more fiber, as can eating pupusas with curtido or salsa. 

Fiber is important for so many aspects of health. It helps regulate blood sugars, prevent cardiovascular disease, and promote gut health, per a 2020 study in Nutrients. 

Most Americans don’t eat enough fiber, but Hispanics in the US tend to eat more fiber than other racial or ethnic groups, per the USDA. All the more reason to celebrate our cultural foods like pupusas! 

Well-Rounded Meal

Pupusas contain carbs, protein, fat, and fiber—the basics of a well-rounded meal. This promotes steady energy levels to stave off hanger until your next meal or snack. It helps you feel full so you’re not hungry again in an hour.

Eating well-rounded meals, especially ones rich in protein and fiber, is also important for blood sugar regulation. Although pupusas have about 25–40 grams of carbs, they also have over 10% of the DV for fiber and a decent amount of protein. 

Rich in Vitamins and Minerals

Pupusas are also full of vitamins and minerals that support various aspects of health.

Bean pupusas in particular are rich in iron—a nutrient that helps transport oxygen throughout your body, per the NIH. They could help boost your iron intake if you’re iron deficient.

Pupusas are also rich in magnesium, which is important for muscle and nerve function, blood sugar regulation, and blood pressure, per the NIH. 

Other nutrients in pupusas (copper, selenium, manganese, zinc) support energy production, immune health, DNA production, thyroid health, and bone health.

As you can see, the nutrients in pupusas promote so many aspects of health!

Potential Health Drawbacks of Pupusas

Pupusas can be high in saturated fat, a type of fat that can raise LDL cholesterol (the “bad” kind). Having high cholesterol increases your risk of heart disease and stroke, per the American Heart Association, so it’s important to be mindful of not overdoing your total saturated fat intake.

For reference, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend no more than 10% of your total calories come from saturated fat. For a 2,000-calorie diet, that’s a recommended max of 22 grams per day.

The amount of saturated fat in pupusas depends on the filing and preparation method. For example, in the examples we shared above, a bean pupusa only has 2.8 grams of saturated fat, but a cheese one has 8 grams. 

That’s not to say you should avoid certain pupusas entirely, but be mindful of other sources of saturated fat in your diet, especially if you have high cholesterol.

The other main health consideration for pupusas is their sodium content. The pupusas we listed above are restaurant-prepared, so they may be higher in saturated fat and sodium than homemade versions.

However, pupusas can be high in sodium because the dough is often salted for flavor during preparation. Ingredients like cheese also contribute sodium to this dish. 

Eating too much sodium may raise your blood pressure—another risk factor for heart disease and stroke—per the CDC.

That said, freshly made pupusas tend to be lower in sodium than pre-made ones since they don’t need added sodium for a preservative.

How to Eat Pupusas

Pupusas are often paired with curtido and/or salsa. This adds a refreshing bite that complements pupusas’ savory flavor. 

Pupusas are meant to be eaten with your hands. So pick that corn cake up and enjoy!!

One or two pupusas makes for a great meal since they’re a well-rounded source of nutrition. 

You can even make pupusas and freeze them for a quick meal that’s easy to reheat later on. They can be reheated in an air fryer, oven, microwave, or on a skillet.

Final Thoughts

Pupusas are a nutrient-dense, well-rounded cultural food. They have carbs, protein, fat, fiber, and plenty of vitamins and minerals, making them a great meal on their own. 

Bean pupusas tend to be lower in saturated fat and higher in fiber, while cheese or pork pupusas are higher in protein. 

Either way, pupusas can absolutely fit into a healthy eating pattern to promote health and manage chronic diseases like diabetes or high cholesterol. 

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.