Protein content
A 1 tortilla serving of corn tortilla contains 1.4 g of protein - only a minor source of protein, about 3% of the 50 g Daily Value.
Share of this food's calories that come from protein - it is more of an energy food than a protein food.
| Serving | 1 tortilla (24 g) |
|---|---|
| Protein per serving | 1.4 g |
| Protein per 100 g | 5.7 g |
| Calories per serving | 52 kcal |
| Protein density | 10% of calories |
| Share of 50 g Daily Value | 3% |
| Protein quality | Incomplete protein |
| Category | Grains |
| Food type | Prepared / processed |
| USDA record | FoodData Central #175036 |
A typical 1 tortilla serving of corn tortilla contains 1.4 grams of protein (5.7 g per 100 g), which makes it only a minor source of protein. That covers roughly 3% of the 50 g reference Daily Value, so it adds toward your protein total for the day.
Only about 10% of the calories in corn tortilla come from protein, so it is more of an energy food than a protein food. It is worth eating for other reasons; the protein it adds to a day is incidental.
Among the 111 grains in the database, corn tortilla ranks 108th by protein per serving, and 697th out of all 796 foods on the site. Set against corn flakes, another grain entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (corn flakes has 1.9 g per 1 cup).
It is an incomplete protein on its own; pairing it with other plant foods across the day covers the full range of essential amino acids. The serving above is counted by piece at 24 g. Because pieces vary, the per-100 g figure is the one to use when comparing this against a food measured a different way.
Nixtamalised corn; pairing with beans covers the missing lysine.
Source: USDA FoodData Central #175036 - "Tortillas, ready-to-bake or -fry, corn" (SR Legacy, published 4/1/2019). Values are the published reference figures for that record, not lab measurements for a specific brand or batch.
Quick answers
Corn tortilla has 5.7 g of protein per 100 g. A typical 1 tortilla serving (24 g) provides 1.4 g.
No. Corn tortilla is an incomplete protein on its own; pairing it with other protein sources across the day covers the full range of essential amino acids.
A 1 tortilla serving of corn tortilla contains 1.4 g of protein, about 3% of the 50 g reference Daily Value.
Corn tortilla is only a minor source of protein, and about 10% of its calories come from protein, which makes it more of an energy food than a protein food. Set against corn flakes, another grain entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (corn flakes has 1.9 g per 1 cup).
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