Corn vs Flour Tortillas: Which is Healthier?
Written by Isabel Vasquez RD, LDN
Corn and flour tortillas are both Mexican food staples. You might even have a personal favorite. If you’re wondering whether corn or flour tortillas are better for you, you’re not alone. You may even wonder if you should cut tortillas out of your diet entirely!
As a Latina dietitian, I often hear clients say that they’ve been told to eliminate tortillas from their diet because of the carbs. However, tortillas are full of nutrition! They can absolutely be a part of a healthy diet, including for diabetes.
In this article, learn the differences between flour and corn tortillas when it comes to cultural prevalence, nutrition, and health benefits so you can make an educated decision on which is best for you.
The Basics of Corn and Flour Tortillas
Corn tortillas are made from water and masa harina—a flour made from nixtamalized corn. The nixtamalization process involves steeping corn in a solution of water with slaked lime. This helps soften the kernels. It also increases the corn’s calcium, niacin, and resistant starch content, per a 2023 study in the Journal of Food Chemistry & Nanotechnology.
Flour tortillas are most prevalent in Northern Mexico. They’re made from wheat flour, salt, a fat (usually lard or butter), and water.
Corn vs Flour Tortilla Nutrition Facts
Corn Tortilla Nutrition
One medium corn tortilla (26 grams) prepared without salt has the following nutrition profile, per the USDA:
Calories: 57
Carbohydrates: 12 grams (g)
Protein: 1.5 g
Fat: 0.6 g
Saturated fat: 0.1 g
Fiber: 1.4 g, or 5% of the daily value (DV)
Sodium: 3 mg, or 0% of the DV
Iron: 0.4 milligrams (mg), or 2% of the DV
Calcium: 46 mg, or 4% of the DV
Niacin: 0.4 mg, or 3% of the DV
Flour Tortilla Nutrition
One medium flour tortilla (32 grams) has the following nutrition profile, per the USDA:
Calories: 104
Carbohydrates: 18 g
Protein: 3 g
Fat: 2.3 g
Saturated fat: 0.6 g
Fiber: 1 g, or 4% of the DV
Sodium: 153 mg, or 7% of the DV
Iron: 1 milligram (mg), or 6% of the DV
Calcium: 13 mg, or 1% of the DV
Niacin: 1 mg, or 6% of the DV
Keep in mind that the nutrition facts above are for one medium tortilla, but most people eat at least two tortillas in a sitting. So, you’re usually getting at least double the nutrition listed above.
Health Considerations of Corn Tortillas
Benefits
Corn tortillas are higher in fiber than flour tortillas because they are made with whole corn. In just one medium corn tortilla you get about 5% of your daily fiber needs. So having a meal with 2–3 corn tortillas gets you 10–15% of your daily fiber needs! That’s pretty significant.
Plus, corn tortillas are gluten-free, so if you have Celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity they are a great option.
Corn tortillas are lower in carbs than flour tortillas. This makes them a great option if you’re trying to balance your blood sugars and prevent blood sugar spikes after meals.
You can certainly make a well-rounded meal that’s blood-sugar-friendly with flour tortillas, too, but it may be easier to do so with corn tortillas.
Plus, they naturally have some calcium, niacin, and iron from the nixtamalization process. They’re also low in sodium since salt isn’t usually necessary to prepare them.
Drawbacks
Even though they naturally contain niacin and calcium from the nixtamalization process, corn tortillas may be lower in these nutrients than flour tortillas since flour tortillas are fortified with some missing vitamins and minerals.
Health Considerations of Flour Tortillas
Benefits
Although flour tortillas aren’t naturally high in iron and B-vitamins like niacin, they’re often fortified with these key nutrients. As you can see in the nutrition facts above, the flour tortilla actually has more iron and niacin than the corn tortilla.
Flour tortillas also have some fiber—about 1 gram per medium tortilla. So eating flour tortillas can contribute some fiber to your day.
Culinarily, flour tortillas have a distinct soft texture that works better in certain recipes. You may also just prefer the taste or texture of flour tortillas!
Drawbacks
Flour tortillas are generally higher in sodium than corn tortillas since salt is one of the main ingredients. Eating too much sodium can raise your blood pressure, so it’s worth being mindful of your total sodium intake, especially if you have high blood pressure, per the CDC.
Flour tortillas are also generally higher in fat than corn tortillas since they’re made with butter or lard. About ¼ of the fat is from saturated fat—the type of fat that can raise your cholesterol, per the American Heart Association.
Are Corn Tortillas Healthier Than Flour Tortillas?
Here at Your Latina Nutrition, we do not like to label one food as healthier than another. Corn and flour tortillas both have unique nutritional and cultural benefits to offer!
Corn tortillas are richer in fiber and lower in total carbs than flour tortillas. This can be beneficial for blood sugar management since fiber helps prevent blood sugar spikes, per the CDC.
Corn tortillas are also lower in sodium than flour tortillas, which is better for preventing high blood pressure.
Finally, corn tortillas are a gluten-free option for people who are sensitive to gluten.
That said, flour tortillas may be higher in iron and B-vitamins since they’re fortified with these missing nutrients. They’re also still a source of fiber, with only about 0.5 grams less per tortilla.
Final Thoughts
You deserve to eat and enjoy your cultural foods! Corn and flour tortillas hold cultural significance, and the exact tortilla you enjoy may depend on where your family is from.
Corn tortillas tend to be higher in fiber and lower in carbs and sodium; however, flour tortillas may be higher in certain vitamins and minerals because they are fortified.
That said, both corn and flour tortillas have plenty of nutrition to offer us, and they’re typically paired with sources of fiber, fat, and protein to make well-rounded meals.
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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