Are Tostadas Healthy? A nutrition breakdown of tostadas.
Written by Isabel Vasquez RD, LDN
Tostadas are delicious, crunchy, Mexican staple foods, but are they healthy? Especially since tostadas are often fried, you may wonder if they’re good for you or not.
It may surprise you, but tostadas can absolutely be a healthy meal. It’s easy to top them with nutritious ingredients that provide carbs, protein, fat, fiber, and plenty of vitamins and minerals.
Keep reading to learn the nutritional value, health benefits, and potential drawbacks of tostadas. Plus, we share tips for assembling a nutritious tostada.
Tostadas Nutritional Value
According to the USDA, one tostada shell has the following nutrition profile:
Protein: 0.8 grams (g)
Fat: 3 g
Saturated fat: 0.9 g
Carbs: 8 g
Fiber: 0.7 g, or 3% of the daily value (DV)
Sodium: 81 milligrams (mg), or 4% of the DV
Magnesium: 9 mg, or 2% of the DV
Phosphorus: 25 mg, or 2% of the DV
Vitamin B6: 0.05 mg, or 3% of the DV
Thiamin: 0.04 mg, or 4% of the DV
As you can see, tostada shells are primarily a source of carbs and fat. They also have some fiber, which can help you meet your overall daily fiber needs.
Keep in mind, you probably eat more than one tostada in a sitting so you’re probably getting two or three times as much nutrition as is listed above. And that’s just from the shell. The toppings add protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals to make for a nutritionally well-rounded meal.
Health Benefits of Tostadas
Full of Fiber
Tostadas are made from whole grain corn tortillas, which provide a few grams of fiber per serving. In the example above, you’ll get 3% of the DV of fiber per tostada shell, but most people eat more than one tostada in a sitting. So you’ll probably get 5 to 10% of your daily fiber needs from the shells alone.
Most tostadas use beans or avocado as the base spread, which contributes more fiber. Just ½ cup of refried beans or ½ avocado has over 4 grams of fiber—16% of the DV.
If you add extra veggies on top like peppers, onions, salsa, and radishes you’ll get even more fiber.
Fiber is important for blood sugar regulation, cholesterol management, gut health, and more, per the CDC, but most Americans don’t eat enough of it. Cultural foods like tostadas can help you meet your fiber needs.
Well-Rounded Macronutrients
Tostadas have a good balance of macronutrients (carbs, protein, fat), which is the basis of a well-rounded meal. You get carbs from the tostada shell and beans, protein from the beans and meat, and fat from the avocado, meat and/or crema.
Eating well-rounded meals help you meet your nutrient needs, feel satisfied until your next meal or snack, and balance your blood sugars.
Good Source of Iron
Most tostadas are also a good source of iron. About 13% of females in the US have anemia, per the CDC, which is most commonly caused by iron deficiency. So it’s important to get enough dietary iron, especially if you have iron-deficiency anemia.
What tostada ingredients have iron? Well, just ½ cup of refried beans has about 10% of the DV of iron, per the USDA. If you top it with ground beef, you’ll get another 2.25 milligrams of iron (13% of the DV) per 4 ounces of meat.
You need iron to make hemoglobin and myoglobin, which carry oxygen from your lungs to other parts of your body. If you’re deficient, you might feel weak, tired, or struggle to concentrate, per the NIH.
Potential Health Drawbacks of Tostadas
Tostadas may be high in saturated fat, particularly if you cook the beans using lard or butter and use fatty meat as a topping. Cheese also adds saturated fat.
Eating a diet high in saturated fat can raise LDL cholesterol (the “bad” kind), per the American Heart Association, so it’s best to be mindful of your saturated fat intake especially if you already have high cholesterol.
That’s not to say you should avoid tostadas. You may simply want to be mindful of how many you eat, add more veggies for flavor, or use less ingredients high in saturated fat.
Assembling a Nutritious Tostada
1.Whole Grain Tostada Shell
Of course, the first step of assembling a tostada is deciding on the shell. Tostada shells are made using corn tortillas, which are technically a whole grain. The corn used to make them is rich in fiber.
Baking them will result in a lower-fat option, while frying them helps them get crispier.
2. Fiber-Rich Beans
Next, it’s time to add beans, typically refried beans. If you’re trying to limit saturated fat, you can make or buy refried beans with oil instead of lard or butter. You could also use another type of stewed beans.
Either way, the beans add lots more fiber, vitamins, and minerals to the dish!
Some people like using avocado instead of or in addition to beans as a base layer. This is another fiber-rich option that’s full of heart-healthy fats.
3. Lean Protein
After you have your base spread, it’s time to add the protein. Many times tostadas are topped with ground beef. However, you can also use pork, chicken, or just rely on the beans for protein for a vegetarian option.
For a heart-healthy tostada, choose a lean protein like chicken breast, beans, or fish. These are lower in saturated fat—the type that can raise your cholesterol. But they still have plenty of protein to support satiety, muscle health, and balanced blood sugars.
4. Load up the Veggies
Finally, add plenty of veggies for fiber, vitamins, and minerals! Popular ones include salsa, onions, tomatoes, avocado, lettuce, cabbage, and jalapeños. Not only do they add nutrition, they add a beautiful pop of color and plenty of sabor.
Final Thoughts
Tostadas aren’t only a tasty cultural staple, they’re a nutritious one too! Like many of our Latine cultural dishes, they’re a well-rounded source of carbs, protein, fat, and fiber.
They’re also a good source of iron thanks to the beans and meat.
For the most nutritional benefits, focus on lean proteins and load them up with beans and veggies!
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.
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