How Many Calories Are In A Taco? Is It Healthy?

To start with, how many calories are in a taco?

The favorite choice for the term “Tacos” is 1 Taco or Tostada with Beef, Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato and Salsa which has about 170 calories. Below is a list of taco serving sizes and types, along with their respective calorie and nutritional information.

To learn more about how many calories are in a taco, please keep reading.

How Many Calories Are In A Taco: The Numbers

Few foods are as varied as tacos, which can be stuffed with just about anything. So let’s add up all the calories from the usual offenders. (The calorie totals listed here are approximations. Similar to a snowflake, every taco is unique down to its calorie composition.)

• The Tortilla: Hard shells have 150 calories, corn has 100, and flour has 140.
• The Meat: About two ounces of meat make up a typical taco, so chicken has 136 calories, beef has 155, pork has 137, and shrimp has 81.
• The Cheese: 37 calories per tablespoon
• The Lettuce: One calorie per tablespoon
• The Tomato: Three calories per tablespoon
• The Avocado: 18 calories per tablespoon
• The Beans: Whether you choose black, pinto, or refried beans, a tablespoon will have roughly 15 calories.
• The Sour Cream: 23 calories per tablespoon
• The Lime Juice: 4 calories per tablespoon
• The Onions: Four calories per tablespoon
• The Cilantro: Zero calories per tablespoon
• The Pico de Gallo: Five calories per tablespoon
• The Salsa: Four calories per tablespoon

These figures indicate that a traditional taco, consisting of a corn tortilla, beef, onions, cilantro, pico de gallo, salsa, and a squeeze of lime, contains 272 calories. A mighty taco made from all of these ingredients, including all of the meats and beans, wrapped in a flour tortilla, has a whopping 793 calories if you’re feeling spicy.

Your Favorite Fast Food Tacos Calories

Here is what to anticipate when defaming authentic tacos everywhere because we all occasionally sneak into the drive-thru:

• Taco Bell’s Soft Beef Taco: 180 calories
• Taco Bell’s Crunchy Taco: 170 calories
• Taco Bell’s Gordita Crunch Cheesy: 500 calories
• The Grilled Chicken Taco from Del Taco: 210 calories
• Value Taco from Del Taco: 130 calories
• Chicken taco from El Pollo Loco, al carbacute: 150 calories
• Jack in the Box’s Taco 195 calories

It seems like many of our favorite late-night establishments are compromising on the meat.

Tacos Are Quick & Easy

Tacos are not just tasty; they are also practical and reasonably priced. When you’re on the go, you can frequently find them at restaurants with ease, and you can also make them at home with little effort.

Tacos can also be a portion of a tasty, satisfying, and healthy meal if they are made with the right ingredients.

Tacos’ nutritional value is ultimately determined by the individual ingredients that go into them.

Veggies & Fruits Make Tacos Nutrient Dense

Tacos frequently contain ingredients like lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. They accentuate color, texture, and flavor.

These kinds of nutrient-dense vegetables are a big part of why tacos can be healthy and part of a balanced diet.

Fruits and veggies are packed with healthy nutrients, including (1Trusted Source):

• vitamins
• minerals
• fiber
• beneficial plant compounds, such as polyphenols and antioxidants

What’s more, studies have linked consuming plant-based diets rich in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains with a lower risk of several major chronic diseases, including cancer, heart disease, and diabetes (2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source).

Several of the most well-liked veggie taco toppings include:

• cilantro
• lettuce
• cabbage
• onions
• peppers
• tomatoes
• tomatillos
• corn
• potatoes
• radishes
• mushrooms
• black or pinto beans

Some fruits also make scrumptious and healthy taco toppings:

• avocado
• black olives
• lime juice
• mango
• pineapple
• peaches

How To Make A Low-calorie Taco?

If all these tacos sound like too many calories, Dana Hunnes, dietitian at UCLA Medical Center and author of Recipe for Survival: What You Can Do to Live a Healthier and More Environmentally Friendly Life, says you can always make a taco leaner by swapping the tortilla for a lettuce wrap and swapping meats for mere beans and vegetables, like corn, pepper and zucchini.

If that sounds up your alley, chef Maru Dávila, author of The Mexican Food Diet, was kind enough to share her recipe for a healthy vegan taco wrapped in lettuce:

1. Add a little olive oil to a pan and saute some chopped tomatoes, onions, and garlic.
2. Black beans that have been cooked should be added. (Go for grass-fed ground beef instead if you’re not a fan of the vegan lifestyle.)
3. Garlic powder and sea salt are used to season. 
4. Four to five minutes are needed to cook. 
5. Serve with romaine lettuce or butter lettuce leaves. 
6. Sliced avocado, homemade salsa verde, and lime juice complete the dish.

Final Words

My go-to light meal is tacos. I’ve convinced myself that they are low in calories because they are small, and straightforward, and I like them. But as my belly gets bigger, the more I question whether I’m being foolish. Are all of these tacos really that dense? Is my “bean” intake of calories excessive? 

The main focus of the article was how many calories are in a taco. Please leave a comment if you’d like more information about taco. I appreciate you reading. Have a good day!