Tortillas have been a staple food of North America and Central America. The tortilla is just a thin, unleavened flatbread, made from corn (nixtamalized maize).
Now should jump to the main question: are tortillas low-carb? Before that, you should know the nutrition profile of tortillas.
Contents
Does tortilla’s nutrition fit with the keto diet?
Generally, tortillas are high in carbs and low in fat. They also are low in fat. So they aren’t ideal for a keto diet.
- Calories – 75.8 kcal
- Total carbs – 15.2g
- Fiber – 1.8g
- Net carbs – 12.4g
- Sugar – 1.2g
- Total fat – 1g
- Protein – 2.3g
- Carbs Calories – 78%
- Fats Calories – 10%
- Protein Calories – 12%
How many carbs in tortillas?
Carbs in tortilla depend on what kind of tortilla you are eating. But, one thing for sure they are high in carbs. They contain 12-15g net carbs per ounce, which is a very small quantity and won’t fill you up.
| Name | Servings | Net carbs | Calories | Fiber | Protein | Fat |
| Corn Tortilla | 1 tortilla (22g) | 8.5g | 35 kcal | 1g | 2g | 0.5g |
| Wheat flour tortilla | 1 piece (25g) | 11g | 80 kcal | 1g | 2g | 2.5g |
| whole wheat tortilla | 1 small (33g) | 12g | 102 kcal | 3g | 3.2g | 3.2g |
| Tortillas, ready-to-bake or -fry, corn | 1 ounce(28g) | 10g | 61.8 kcal | 1.8g | 1.6g | 0.8 |
Are corn tortillas keto-friendly?
No, wheat and corn tortilla aren’t suitable for keto dieters because just one serving (30g) of tortillas contains 10-12g net carbs. But you can try other low carbs tortillas alternatives such as Coconut Flour Tortillas, Almond Flour Tortillas, Pork Rind Tortillas, etc.
But, almond flour, coconut flour, and sunflower seed flour tortillas keto-friendly. They contain 2-3g net carbs which can fit with the keto diet and other low-carb diets.
One serving of corn and wheat flour tortilla contains 8 – 12 net carbs. It will not kick you out of ketosis. But, most of the tortillas nowadays aren’t just 1 serving (30g). In fact, modern tortillas contain up to 50g servings which can contain 20-30g net carbs.
Even If you eat homemade flour or corn tortilla, one serving ( about 50g) could contain 20-30g carbs which are definitely off limit on a keto diet. One serving of 50g tortilla definitely not allowed on a keto diet.
If we look at the carb content of the above table, Corn Tortilla is better than Wheat flour tortilla and Wheat flour tortilla, they contain 8.5g, 11g, and 12g net carbs respectively.
You should avoid corn and wheat tortilla on a keto diet no matter what. Because they are entirely made of carbohydrates and most tortillas at grocery stores contain a number of carbs ridden ingredients.
Even after that if you want to eat tortilla you can make some room for tortilla, but it is always recommended to replace corn or wheat tortilla with almond or coconut tortilla
How to make keto-friendly tortillas at Home?
Making keto-friendly tortillas is very easy. You can make this kind of tortilla in just 20 minutes. This tortilla is grain-free and gluten-free.
For this method, you can use sunflower seed flour, almond flour, or coconut flour according to your preference.
This recipe is as simple as others and also prepares in the same way as corn tortillas, but in this, we replace corn or wheat with Almond flour, coconut flour, or sunflower seed flour.
Macros – 2g net carbs, 2g fiber, 5g fat, 3g protein
Ingredients
- 100g Almond flour or coconut flour or sunflower seed flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons xanthan gum
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 teaspoons water
Check at Amazon
If you haven’t ingredients you can check them at the online store Amazon
- Almond flour
- Coconut flour
- Sunflower seed flour
- Xanthan Gum
- Baking powder
- Kosher salt
- Apple cider vinegar
- Tortilla press
Instructions
- Mix 125g almond flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt to a food processor. Or you can mix them by hand in a large bowl as we Indians do.
- Pour apple cider vinegar into a running machine so it can be distributed evenly. Stop the food processor once it forms like a ball. It will be sticky.
- Heat up skillets over medium heat. Check the heat by sprinkling a few droplets of water.
- Break the dough into a ball no more than 25-30g.
- Using a tortilla press makes a small thin sheet of diameter 4-6 inches.
- Transfer it to skillets for about 5 seconds and flip it over until it’s golden color reaches both sides. Do not overcook them.
- Now gluten-free and grain-free tortilla is ready to serve.
How to make room for tortillas on a keto diet?
Just one ounce of corn tortilla contains 10-15g net carbs. So, you have to just stick to less than one-ounce serving and such a small quantity will not make you full.
The keto diet allows you 20-50g net carbs which means just two ounces or two servings can kick you out of ketosis.
Tortillas cannot easily fit into a low carb or keto diet. But, you can make room for one serving on a low carbs diet or keto diet.
You should substitute regular tortillas with other low carbs tortillas recipes. Besides that, you can follow a targeted keto diet (TKD) and cyclical keto diet (CKD).
In a targeted keto diet (TKD), you can add up to 20-30g of carbs in a specific window. This kind of keto diet for people with an active lifestyle.
In the Cyclical keto diet (CKD), you follow a standard keto diet for five days following by one or two carb refeeding days in this you can add 400-600 carbs.
When to avoid tortilla on a keto diet?
Tortillas aren’t ideal food for a keto diet. Of course, the glycemic index of the tortilla is low, it won’t spike your blood glucose rapidly. But there is a certain time you should not even think about tortillas.
- If you are following a standard keto diet.
- Having a sedentary lifestyle
- High Sensitive to gluten
- Have a strong insulin response
- Sensitive to carbohydrates
- Not achieved ketosis fully yet
Bottom line
No, corn tortillas aren’t keto-friendly. Just one serving of corn tortilla contains 10-15g net carbs and on a keto diet, you can not eat any more than 20-50g carbs. But you can try other low and keto-friendly tortillas such as Coconut Flour Tortillas, Almond Flour Tortillas, sunflower seed tortillas.
Corn tortillas are made with pure carbs. For sure their glycemic index is low, but it is not worth it. Maybe if you make room for corn tortilla somehow you can not eat more than just one serving such a small amount will not make you feel full.
Although you can try our low carbs keto-friendly tortilla recipe which contains less than 2g net carbs. But you need to say good to corn or wheat.
Most frequently asked question
Can I eat tortillas on a keto diet?
You can not eat corn tortillas on a keto diet. Just one serving of corn tortilla contains 10-15g net carbs, and on a standard keto diet, you can not eat more than 20-50g carbs. But you can try other keto-friendly tortillas such as Coconut Flour Tortillas, Almond Flour Tortillas, sunflower seed tortillas.
What tortillas are good for the keto diet?
There are a number of low carbs and keto-friendly tortillas such as Coconut Flour Tortillas, Almond Flour Tortillas, sunflower seed tortillas. Click the above result and you can also find keto-friendly tortillas recipes.
What is the lowest carbs tortilla?
You can try these tortillas such as Coconut Flour Tortillas, Almond Flour Tortillas, sunflower seed tortillas. These are probably the lowest carbs tortillas.
Is almond flour keto approved?
Yes, almond flour is definitely keto-approved. Almond flour is very low in carbs, you can check here Almond flour (2g net carbs per servings)