Corn tortillas are a staple utilized in Mexican cooking for tacos, enchiladas, taquitos, and even corn tortilla chips. Their enjoyable delicate, foldable form makes them the right vessel for scrumptious fillings like pork, taco meat, grilled hen or steak, and plenty of toppings. Usually, they’re made merely with three elements and could be discovered readily in most supermarkets.
Many usually surprise if they’re gluten free and I’ve researched all the main points to seek out out for you!
What’s Gluten?
Gluten is a protein present in wheat, rye, barley, and different grains. Gluten is important in serving to meals preserve its form. It’s a naturally occurring substance however may also be extracted and concentrated so as to add to different merchandise to advertise texture, taste, and protein content material.
Gluten can come from any of the grains listed above and different meals sources.
The human physique consists of assorted digestive enzymes that break down the meals you eat. A particular sort of enzyme, protease, aids in breaking down proteins within the physique however is ineffective in opposition to gluten. In consequence, the undigested gluten travels to the small gut, leading to many disagreeable signs or an autoimmune response (celiac illness).
Even in case you don’t have celiac illness, you possibly can nonetheless really feel sick after consuming meals containing gluten if in case you have a gluten intolerance. These signs embody bloating, complications, pores and skin rashes, and diarrhea.
In keeping with Hopkins Medicine, gluten isn’t dangerous for you. Gluten is an effective supply of soluble fiber, vitamins, and protein. Until you might be identified with celiac illness, you shouldn’t have any drawback consuming gluten in your diet.
Subsequently, it’s best to seek the advice of your physician to find out if in case you have celiac illness or gluten sensitivity. It’s true if you exhibit any of the signs talked about above. Your physician will carry out a sequence of exams to find out your gluten sensitivity.
If you wish to start on a gluten-free diet, listed here are among the meals that you should keep away from:
- Beer or ale
- Bread
- Muffins
- Pies
- Cereals
- Wafers or crackers
- French fries
- Malt (together with malt flavoring)
- Pastas
- Salad dressings
- Sauces (containing wheat)
- Snack meals like potato and tortilla chips
You will discover a extra complete listing of meals containing gluten on the Celiac Disease Foundation web site. It is vital to spotlight the “hidden” gluten in your meals. Ensure to pay additional consideration to the label.
Listed here are ingredient names that you just should be cautious of since they might imply there’s gluten in your meals:
- Wheat
- Barley
- Rye
- Flour
- Bran
- Spelt
- Modified meals starch
- Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
- Glucose
- Semolina
- Durum
- Farina, and many others.
Is Corn Gluten-Free?
Sure, corn is gluten-free in its pure type. It doesn’t include gluten, not like different kinds of grains.
Plain corn when eaten straight from the cob is gluten-free. Nonetheless, you want to be additional cautious when consuming processed corn merchandise. At all times test the product’s full ingredient listing earlier than you eat it to make sure it doesn’t include any traces of gluten.
Corn is suitable for eating on a gluten-free diet when it isn’t consumed with different processed meals, resembling sauces or seasonings. As well as, you should pay attention to the potential cross-contamination of corn merchandise that might expose them to gluten sources.
When you have celiac illness or gluten sensitivity, you should know in regards to the widespread variations of corn and corn merchandise you possibly can safely eat. These embody corn flour (and different meals merchandise made with corn flour), cornstarch, cornmeal, and hominy.
Apart from being gluten-free, corn can also be a wealthy supply of important vitamins, resembling nutritional vitamins A, B, C, and E. There are a number of methods to eat corn, resembling grinding it to make corn flour to create tortillas or gluten-free bread. You may add it to your salad for pure sweetness, coloration, and texture.
How Are Corn Tortillas Made
The most typical elements utilized in corn tortilla recipes embody:
- Masa harina (corn flour)
- Salt
- Sizzling water
Historically, corn tortillas are made by curing maize in limewater. The method peels off the pores and skin of the kernel. After that, the maize goes via a grinding course of earlier than it’s kneaded right into a dough. The dough is rolled out into circles after which cooked over a scorching griddle.
These days, you should buy ready-made corn flour from the grocery. You should use that flour with the elements listed above to type a dough after which prepare dinner your do-it-yourself tortillas over a grill. You too can purchase ready-made corn tortillas that you could merely warmth on the grill.
Are Corn Tortillas More healthy than Wheat Tortillas?
There are two important kinds of tortillas: flour and corn. For this goal, we’ll take a better have a look at corn tortillas since it’s a extra well-liked alternative being a more healthy choice. It’s constructed from complete grains, which suggests it has extra vitamins, fewer energy, and a better fiber rely than flour tortillas.
Corn tortillas are additionally sometimes smaller in measurement than flour tortillas. Therefore, it’s a good choice for individuals who need to portion management their food regimen.
By no means assume that each one corn tortillas are gluten-free. Some mass-produced corn tortillas could include gluten. Subsequently, it pays to learn the ingredient listing before you purchase (seek advice from the listing of “hidden names” of gluten above).
Gluten-Free Tortillas
Home made corn tortillas are good to have to make sure freshness and high quality. Nonetheless, you could find many gluten-free corn tortillas to save lots of effort and time. You may go for these alternate options if you wish to make a fast breakfast or lunch with out worrying about whether or not or not it’s a gluten-free meal.
Mission
Mission is on a “mission” to offer gluten free corn tortillas, and so they have one of the best assortment of conventional gluten free flavors on the market.
- Avenue Tacos White Corn Tortillas
- Low-Calorie Yellow Corn Tortillas
- Further Skinny White Corn Tortillas
- Estilo Casero White Corn Tortillas
- Avenue Tacos Yellow Corn Tortillas
- Pink Corn Tortillas
- Tremendous Dimension Yellow Corn Tortillas
- Yellow Corn Tortillas
- White Corn Tortillas
La Burrita
Guerrero
- 25 Energy White Corn Tortillas
- White Corn Tortilla
- King Dimension White Corn Tortilla
- Taqueria Model Mini White Corn Tortilla
- King Dimension Yellow Corn Tortilla
- Yellow Corn Tortilla
- Caseras White Corn Tortilla
- Taqueria Model Mini Yellow Corn Tortilla
Mi Rancho
- Natural Corn Tortillas
- Natural Corn THINcredible
- Natural Corn Taco Sliders
- Non-GMO White Corn Tortillas
Vista Hermosa
Ula
Masienda
Siete
These are usually not made with corn however might be used as an alternative choice to corn tortillas and provides an analogous taste.
- Almond Flour Tortillas
- Chickpea Flour Tortillas
Outdated El Paso
They don’t make any delicate corn tortillas however do have a number of corn taco shells which can be gluten free.
- Tostada Shells
- Crunchy Taco Shells
- Crunchy White Corn Shells
Del Campo
Whether or not you make your corn tortilla at house or purchase the pre-made ones, use the data offered right here to learn about your meals selections. Whereas it may appear daunting at first, it ought to make it straightforward to keep up a gluten-free food regimen when you recognize what goes into making your meals.
