A Dietitian’s Recipe for Healthy Homemade Flour Tortillas

By: Lucette Talamas

Lucette Talamas, MS, LDN, registered dietitian with Baptist Health South Florida and a Common Threads Miami board member, shares her recipe for healthy homemade flour tortillas. Stuff these delicious South American tortillas to make tacos, stack them to make quesadillas, or try one of Lucette’s serving suggestions below!

Lucette’s homemade tortillas are perfect when you’re craving a fresh made tortilla or a taste of home. Most traditional flour tortillas include lard, which is high in saturated fat. A diet high in saturated fat can raise blood cholesterol, and high levels of LDL cholesterol increase risk of heart disease. Therefore, this recipe uses vegetable oil instead of lard. Vegetable oil is usually a blend of canola, olive and/or soybean oils, and it is lower in saturated fat compared to lard.

Lucette’s tips:

For whole wheat tortillas, use 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

Perfect for breakfast burritos, quesadillas, pinwheels, enchiladas, chilaquiles, or any way you like!

Ingredients:
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup of hot tap water
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix flour, salt, and baking soda. Then, add in the oil and mix to coat flour mixture (can use hand or fork).

2. Slowly add in water (make sure water isn’t too hot so it doesn’t burn you). Mix well with hands until you can form a large mass.

3. Transfer mass to a clean countertop covered with a thin layer of flour (too much can dry out your dough).

4. Knead dough into a large bowl. Cut into 8 even pieces. Roll each piece into a small ball (Tip: If the dough is sticky, add a little dusting of flour. If it’s a little dry, add a drop of water).

5. Allow the dough to rest for 30 min (Do not skip this!). Add a damp cloth on top (you can also add a very thin coat of oil to each rolled ball to prevent from drying).

Then, begin to heat a large nonstick skillet to medium high. Do not oil or grease.

6. Using a rolling pin, roll out the first ball that was formed. Work with one at a time, while the rest remain under the damp cloth.

7. Transfer the rolled out tortilla to the hot skillet. Cook for 30 seconds on each side, flipping once it bubbles.

8. Remove tortilla from heat and transfer on to dry cloth.

9. Enjoy! Once cooled, store remaining tortillas in refrigerator or freezer.

Find more of Lucette’s recipes and tips for healthy living on her Instagram at @MiamiDietitian

ABOUT COMMON THREADS
Common Threads is a national nonprofit that provides children and families cooking and nutrition education to encourage healthy habits that contribute to wellness. We equip under-resourced communities with information to make affordable, nutritious and appealing food choices wherever they live, work, learn and play. We know that food is rooted in culture and tradition, so we promote diversity in our lessons and recipes, encouraging our participants to celebrate the world around them. To learn more, visit www.commonthreads.org or on social media by searching for #CookingForLife.