TEC Recipes | August 2006 | Whole-grain & Healthy Tortillas

Healthy, Whole Grains
By now, nearly everyone has heard about the health benefits of whole grains. While more and more products labeled “whole grain” are showing up on supermarket shelves, most still take the form of breads or cereals. If you’re looking for something different – or just to reduce your wheat intake – consider tortillas. Tortillas are versatile, easy to prepare and can be very healthy. However, not all tortillas are created equal. Most are made with corn flour, but do not use the whole corn kernel. They may also include multiple preservatives and other ingredients.
Just remember that tortillas without preservatives must be kept refrigerated or frozen to maintain freshness. One such brand that makes whole corn tortillas is Food For Life. This particular brand is make from organic sprouted whole kernel corn, filtered water and lime. “We use no corn meal or corn flour,” says Gary Torres of Food For Life. “We sprout our corn first, then slowly produce a ‘masa’ using basic natural ingredients. We gently press each healthy, flavorful corn tortilla individually, rather than die cut them. This keeps the ‘masa’ fresh, eliminates the need to recirculate it and yields a tortilla that is most like the hand made tortillas of years ago with a rich corn taste. When you open the package, you can smell the corn. There is nothing like it.” Corn tortillas are healthy and versatile, great for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, travel well and go with almost any food. Food For Life’s Certified Organic Sprouted Corn Tortillas can be found in most natural and specialty stores.