Taco vs. Fajita – Is One Better?

Calories

Tacos have nearly 2 times more calories than fajitas. Fajitas have 135 calories per 100g, while tacos have 206 calories per 100g.

Both can be considered medium-to-high-calorie foods.

Carbs

Tacos are significantly higher in carbohydrates, providing 9 times more per 100g serving. In this serving size, tacos contain 19.85g of carbs, while fajitas have 2.23g.

This difference is partially due to the taco's dietary fiber content. Tacos are a great source of fiber, falling in the top 22% of foods as a source, while fajitas lack this nutrient.

Fats

Tacos have over 2 times more fat than fajitas. It has 12.7g of fats per 100 g, whereas a fajita has only 5.73 g per 100 g. 

Taco contains 4․4g of saturated and monounsaturated fats and 3g of polyunsaturated fats. Fajita, on the other hand, provides 1.6g of saturated, 2g of monounsaturated, and 1g of polyunsaturated fats.

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison

Taco

2

:

1

Fajita

Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +89.1%

Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +179.3%

Contains less Saturated Fat -63.6%

Taco

Saturated Fat: 4.384 g

Monounsaturated Fat: 4.411 g

Polyunsaturated fat: 3.042 g

Fajita

Saturated Fat: 1.596 g

Monounsaturated Fat: 2.333 g

Polyunsaturated fat: 1.089 g

Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +89.1%

Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +179.3%

Contains less Saturated Fat -63.6%

Protein

Fajitas provide considerably more protein, containing about 10g more per 100g. Overall, fajitas and tacos are good sources of protein, providing 18.6g and 8.9g, respectively, per 100g serving.

Naturally, fajitas are richer in all of the essential amino acids.  

Minerals

The mineral content of tacos is higher than that of fajitas.

Taco contains almost 7 times more calcium, 4 times more manganese, and 3 times more copper than fajitas. Iron, magnesium, and zinc levels are also higher in tacos.

On the other hand, fajita has more selenium, potassium, and phosphorus than taco. The amount of sodium is lower in tacos.

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.

Taco

7

:

3

Fajita

Contains more Calcium +584.6%

Contains more Iron +20.2%

Contains more Magnesium +45.5%

Contains less Sodium -50.3%

Contains more Zinc +27.7%

Contains more Copper +156.7%

Contains more Manganese +277.3%

Contains more Phosphorus +55.6%

Contains more Potassium +35.9%

Contains more Selenium +81.5%

Taco

Fajita

Contains more Calcium +584.6%

Contains more Iron +20.2%

Contains more Magnesium +45.5%

Contains less Sodium -50.3%

Contains more Zinc +27.7%

Contains more Copper +156.7%

Contains more Manganese +277.3%

Contains more Phosphorus +55.6%

Contains more Potassium +35.9%

Contains more Selenium +81.5%

Vitamins

Tacos provide 5 times more folate, 3 times more vitamin E, and 76 times more vitamin K than fajitas.

The amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin B12 are also higher in tacos.

On the other hand, fajita contains 4 times more vitamin B6 and vitamin B2, also more vitamin B1 and vitamin B3 than tacos.

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.

Taco

7

:

5

Fajita

Contains more Vitamin A +∞%

Contains more Vitamin E +172.7%

Contains more Vitamin C +∞%

Contains more Folate +375%

Contains more Vitamin B12 +72.2%

Contains more Vitamin K +7550%

Contains more Vitamin B1 +100%

Contains more Vitamin B2 +255%

Contains more Vitamin B3 +189.6%

Contains more Vitamin B6 +330%

Taco

Fajita

Contains more Vitamin A +∞%

Contains more Vitamin E +172.7%

Contains more Vitamin C +∞%

Contains more Folate +375%

Contains more Vitamin B12 +72.2%

Contains more Vitamin K +7550%

Contains more Vitamin B1 +100%

Contains more Vitamin B2 +255%

Contains more Vitamin B3 +189.6%

Contains more Vitamin B6 +330%

Acidity

Based on the PRAL values, the acidity of a fajita is about 12.6 (acidic), while that of a taco is 4.5 (acidic). This makes fajitas more acid-forming than tacos.

Diabetes

Overall, the health impact of these dishes depends on their ingredients and cooking methods. Since these are not constant, it’s hard to talk about a specific health impact caused by tacos or fajitas.

That being said, it has been researched that cooking meat at high temperatures, such as grilling and barbecuing, increases the risk of type 2 diabetes compared to cooking at moderate temperatures, such as boiling, steaming, and stir-frying (1). The components that make up fajitas are usually cooked at higher temperatures.

Cardiovascular Health

The majority of the sodium we consume comes from salt. The daily sodium intake for adults is up to 2.3g (3). Excess sodium consumption is linked to high blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. While tacos have half the salt content compared to fajitas, both are high-sodium dishes.

Nevertheless, studies find that corn products, such as tortillas, are significant sources of phytochemicals and can be part of a healthy diet because of their high bioaccessibility and antioxidant qualities (3). 

Red Meat Allergy

People with red meat allergies are usually sensitive to cat serum albumin, which reacts with pork albumin. Common symptoms include urticaria, vomiting, and stomach cramps, with anaphylaxis occurring in rare cases (4). Specific IgE antibodies to galactose-1,3-galactose (-Gal), an oligosaccharide found in non-primate mammals, are frequently associated with these cases.