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Taco shells vs. Tortilla — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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A recap on differences between taco shells and tortillas

  • Taco shells have less selenium, vitamin B1, vitamin B3, folate, copper, phosphorus, vitamin B2, calcium, fiber, and iron.
  • Tortillas cover your daily selenium needs 59% more than taco shells.
  • The glycemic index of taco shells is higher.

Food varieties used in this article are Taco shells, baked and Tortillas, ready-to-bake or -fry, whole wheat.

Infographic

Taco shells vs Tortilla infographic
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Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 59% 30% 20% 62% 38% 44% 100% 42% 73% 26%
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 61% 73% 23% 99% 89% 52% 148% 67% 0% 202%
Contains less SodiumSodium -36.7%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +∞%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +144%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +13.4%
Contains more IronIron +60.4%
Contains more CopperCopper +135.4%
Contains more ZincZinc +19.3%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +48.5%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +670.8%
~equal in Magnesium ~85mg

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 0% 0.33% 14% 0% 54% 18% 35% 0% 47% 0% 22% 52% 16%
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 0% 0% 18% 0% 206% 67% 91% 0% 72% 0% 11% 104% 11%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +91.1%
Contains more CholineCholine +49.5%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +30.4%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +281%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +261.3%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +160.2%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +53.7%
Contains more FolateFolate +100%
~equal in Vitamin C ~0mg
~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin B5 ~mg
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
6% 22% 63% 6% 2%
Protein: 6.41 g
Fats: 21.79 g
Carbs: 63.49 g
Water: 6.4 g
Other: 1.91 g
10% 10% 46% 30% 4%
Protein: 9.76 g
Fats: 9.76 g
Carbs: 45.89 g
Water: 30.15 g
Other: 4.44 g
Contains more FatsFats +123.3%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +38.4%
Contains more ProteinProtein +52.3%
Contains more WaterWater +371.1%
Contains more OtherOther +132.5%

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
36% 36% 28%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 7.105 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 6.935 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 5.495 g
55% 34% 11%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 4.878 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 3.062 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.992 g
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +126.5%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +453.9%
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -31.3%

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Taco shells Tortilla
Lower in Saturated fat ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Rich in minerals ok
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in Cholesterol Equal
Lower in price Equal
Rich in vitamins Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Taco shells Tortilla DV% diff.
Selenium 4.8µg 37µg 59%
Vitamin B1 0.216mg 0.823mg 51%
Polyunsaturated fat 5.495g 0.992g 30%
Manganese 0.56mg 24%
Starch 54.94g 23%
Vitamin B3 1.867mg 4.858mg 19%
Fats 21.79g 9.76g 19%
Folate 69µg 138µg 17%
Copper 0.113mg 0.266mg 17%
Vitamin B2 0.08mg 0.289mg 16%
Phosphorus 233mg 346mg 16%
Calcium 100mg 244mg 14%
Fiber 6.7g 9.8g 12%
Iron 1.64mg 2.63mg 12%
Saturated fat 7.105g 4.878g 10%
Monounsaturated fat 6.935g 3.062g 10%
Vitamin B6 0.203mg 0.312mg 8%
Calories 476kcal 310kcal 8%
Sodium 324mg 512mg 8%
Protein 6.41g 9.76g 7%
Carbs 63.49g 45.89g 6%
Zinc 1.61mg 1.92mg 3%
Vitamin K 8.6µg 4.5µg 3%
Choline 29.9mg 20mg 2%
Vitamin E 0.69mg 0.9mg 1%
Potassium 231mg 262mg 1%
Net carbs 56.79g 36.09g N/A
Magnesium 83mg 85mg 0%
Sugar 1.5g 2.44g N/A
Vitamin A 1µg 0µg 0%
Trans fat 0.172g 0g N/A
Tryptophan 0.04mg 0.129mg 0%
Threonine 0.227mg 0.312mg 0%
Isoleucine 0.22mg 0.353mg 0%
Leucine 0.837mg 0.671mg 0%
Lysine 0.197mg 0.37mg 0%
Methionine 0.18mg 0.163mg 0%
Phenylalanine 0.29mg 0.488mg 0%
Valine 0.287mg 0.444mg 0%
Histidine 0.167mg 0.255mg 0%
Fructose 0.1g 0%
Omega-3 - ALA 0.27g N/A
Omega-6 - Gamma-linoleic acid 0.014g N/A
Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid 0.005g 0g N/A
Omega-6 - Linoleic acid 5.097g N/A

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Taco shells Tortilla
Low Calories diet ok
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet ok

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Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

The summary scores indicate the extent to which this food can fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements if you consume 3 servings, consisting of 100 grams of each (an approximation of 3 serving sizes).
Vitamins Daily Need Coverage Score
20%
Taco shells
45%
Tortilla
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
49%
Taco shells
81%
Tortilla

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
Tortilla
Tortilla is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 2.227g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Tortilla
Tortilla is lower in glycemic index (difference - 17)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Tortilla
Tortilla is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Taco shells
Taco shells is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.94g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Taco shells
Taco shells contains less Sodium (difference - 188mg)
Which food contains less Cholesterol?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Cholesterol (0 mg)
Which food is cheaper?
?
The foods are relatively equal in price ($)
Which food is richer in vitamins?
?
It cannot be stated which food is richer in vitamins. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information.

References

All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.

  1. Taco shells - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/172800/nutrients
  2. Tortilla - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/174081/nutrients

All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.

Data provided by FoodStruct.com should be considered and used as information only. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet.