When losing weight or maintaining a healthy lifestyle, it is understandable to wonder how many calories a torta has. Although most people think of a sweet cake when they hear the word ‘torta’, in Mexico ‘torta’ has a completely different meaning. If you ever hear someone order a torta, they want a Mexican sandwich.
So, how many calories does a torta have? The answer is not simple or clear. We will discuss first what a torta is, how to make your own, and different recipes that contribute to the calorie count. A big part of tortas is the delicious bread used for the warm sandwich. With this guide, you should be able to estimate calories.
What is a Torta?
So, what is a torta? From what we know, a torta is a Mexican sandwich. Interestingly enough, in most other Spanish-speaking countries, a torta is a cake! In Mexico though, especially in states and cities that are close to the border, a torta is a delicious, fried, and buttery sandwich.
Usually, a torta is made from some type of meat and buttery bread. Typically, the meat is either pork or beef and is made in a delicious marinade. The meat is then shredded so that it sits well in the torta. What is the history behind a torta though? Unlike most other Mexican foods, tortillas are not found in this dish.
The French explorers were the ones who brought the first torta to Mexico and it has been popular since. These small and pocket-sized sandwiches were perfect for soldiers and warriors moving throughout the country.
How To Make Your Own Torta
Making your torta is not as hard as you think it is! You need to start by choosing unique and delicious ingredients. Don’t worry about how many calories a torta has, but focus on the ingredients and the flavors. Since this is a French-inspired meal, typically the bread used is French.
Once you have buttery bread, add the rest of your ingredients. Some people add only deli meat, while others add smoked meat with frijoles and queso de crema. Toast the sandwich at the end with delicious creamy butter to make the dish taste its best!
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How Many Calories Does a Torta Have?
We are on to the most important question, how many calories does a torta have? This delicious Mexican sandwich has approximately 320 calories. Although this is true, the majority of the calories come from bread alone. The overall calorie count though depends on the exact ingredients and the amount.
The carbs in a torta are what will increase the overall calorie count. To find the exact calorie count for your torta, you will have to break down the ingredients and add them slowly. There are other ways to estimate the exact calorie account, but they are not as accurate.
Ingredients Breakdown
First, we will need to break down the ingredients to look for how many calories a torta has! I like to do this by first listing out the ingredients and breaking them down into sections. For example, the bread, meat, cheese, and condiments are their own separate sections with unique measurements.
Bread
Let us start with the bread while looking at how many calories a torta has. First, define the bread you will be using for your Mexican torta. Since French bread rolls are the main ingredient, it is likely the bread alone will be 200-300 calories, depending on the size.
To be precise, it is good to use a scale and measure by grams. While the packaging of a bread pack will tell you an estimate per roll, it is not exact since the rolls are unique in size, density, and overall weight. Write down the total carbs if you are interested in knowing this information!
Meat
Possibly the hardest calories to count and understand come from meat. Since most types of meat are packed and yet light in calories, it can be difficult to simply eyeball. Most of the time, the meat that is used for a torta is pork or beef and it is shredded. After you season and cook the meat, you can measure out an amount.
Although you can use cups to measure the meat, it is not as stable or as reliable as measurements using the kitchen scale. Keep in mind that adding any type of seasoning, vegetable, or oils while cooking the meat can increase the calorie amount depending on the serving.
Cheese
As delicious as cheese is, it is also one of the highest calorie amounts in a torta. Typically, cheese alone can range from 120- 300 calories per small serving size of 1/4 cup of cheese. Of course, the number increases and decreases depending on the exact type of cheese and the milk used to make the cheese.
When calculating how many calories a torta has, be sure to write down exactly how many slices of cheese you use and the calories according to the serving size displayed in the nutrition facts.
Condiments
The condiments can also be heavy in calories when decorating a Mexican torta. Carbs are heavy and can be increased by the condiments. Some styles of Mexican tortas use different hot peppers like poblano peppers as well as refried beans and black beans. When you have all of the data, add it together!
Conclusion
All in all, when looking at how many calories a torta has, the answer is not simple. First, you will need to write down the ingredients in your torta. Next, you will need to calculate the total based on the unique ingredients and measurements. It is not too hard, enjoy it!
What do you think about the answer to how many calories a torta has? Let us know in the comment section below! Tortas aren’t the healthiest since they are made up of carbs and heavily fried in oil, but they sure are delicious! Know anyone interested in calorie-counting Mexican food? Send them our way!
FAQs
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