The Reason Burritos Are Usually Made With Flour Tortillas
Burritos are one of those delightful meals that seem to have everything we crave wrapped into one perfect vehicle. Typically a blend of some form of meat, cheese, lettuce, and sauce — burritos are a crowd pleaser. While there are multiple theories about where this classic food originated, burrito history expert, Gustavo Arellano told Vox that he believes in just one. The "Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America" author said he agrees that they were likely created in Sonora, Mexico because they were easy to travel with.
"That's the wheat-growing region in Mexico," Arellano told the outlet, "and a lot of the Spanish settlers stuck with wheat, so they made flour tortillas." Regardless of where they started, they were a massive hit in the U.S. during the 1950s and have continued to be popular today. In fact, Moe's Southwest Grill found that most millennials love them so much that they can't even go one week without having the delicious treat, per Mic.
The flour tortilla is the ideal vessel for all of the ingredients
While they are hard to resist, you may consider how many calories they have before you regularly indulge in one. Insider reports a typical burrito has a staggering 1,000 calories, but thankfully you can shave off 300 of them if you get rid of the flour tortilla. But isn't that one of the best parts of the burrito? While this meal isn't low on carbs or calories, it would be hard to use anything else.
La Mesa notes that corn tortillas work best for tacos because they have fewer ingredients and are usually a lighter meal in general. Hearty burritos, on the other hand, are loaded with vegetables, beans, cheese, and meat, which would easily break through the thin corn tortillas. Flour tortillas contain gluten, giving them a chewier, more elastic texture that can hold everything together.
If you love burritos like us and still need to get your fix, there are some healthier alternatives. SkinnyMs suggests trying their spinach and bean burrito wrap or their southwest protein breakfast burrito, which still have the taste you crave, but a fraction of the calories.