For a morning break when you want to prioritise protein, choose your base according to how much time you have to prepare it, then focus on the filling and the portion you’ll eat. A tortilla you can fill yourself gives you the freedom to choose the ingredients; a kit provides a recipe to complete, but doesn’t determine the protein content of the finished taco on its own.
If you want to factor protein into your post-workout or mid-morning break, a tortilla you can fill yourself lets you choose the ingredients and serving size. The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (Anses) lists meat, fish, eggs and dairy products among animal sources of protein.
A taco prepared in advance may fit into a short break more easily than a recipe you start from scratch. The Old El Paso kits reviewed still require extra ingredients and preparation, so check the recipe before choosing one for this purpose.
Any sauce, seasoning and cheese you add matter just as much as the tortilla when choosing your finished taco. The tortilla products reviewed contain wheat; some also warn that traces of soya may be present. Check the packaging of the product you buy.
For a short break, first decide whether you can prepare a filling in advance or would rather follow a kit’s recipe. Then compare the nutritional information for the portion you’ll actually eat, taking all added ingredients into account.
| Criteria | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Protein in the finished taco | Compare the protein per portion you’ll eat, taking the filling into account rather than looking at the tortilla alone. | If I’m putting together a taco for my post-workout break, I want to know how much protein the taco I’ll actually eat provides. Around 36% of consumers would put this check first. |
| Preparation time | Check the recipe steps and any ingredients you need to add; plan ahead if you’ll be taking the taco with you. | When my morning break is short, I look for something I can prepare in the time available. Speed would be the top priority for around 29% of consumers. |
| Salt and allergens | Check the salt per 100 g and per portion, as well as the allergens listed on the packaging. | If I need to avoid an ingredient or keep an eye on salt, the exact ingredients in the tortilla, sauce and filling matter. Around 21% of consumers would make this their priority. |
| Plant-based filling | Check the ingredients and portion size of the plant-based filling; the tortilla alone doesn’t tell you what’s in the whole taco. | When making a plant-based version, I want to choose a filling that actually provides protein. Around 14% of consumers would put this first. |
The recipes for the Old El Paso kits reviewed call for meat to be added, so the contents of the kit alone don’t tell you what’s in the taco once prepared.
To compare two options, consider how much filling you’ll use and the nutritional information for the complete portion you plan to eat.
According to the E.Leclerc product listing, the Tables du Monde fajita kit contains 2.4 g of salt per 100 g of assortment. Adding sauce, seasoning or cheese will change the nutritional profile of the finished recipe.
Check the salt content of the product you choose and adjust the added ingredients to suit the portion you prepare.
The tortillas reviewed contain wheat, and the listing for Auchan wheat and corn tortillas warns that traces of soya may be present. Recipes can change between purchases.
Check the ingredients and allergens on the packaging of the product you pick up in store, even if you already know the product.
The brand offers taco and French taco kits with recipes that need to be completed using additional ingredients.
This E.Leclerc brand offers products to complete at home, including ingredients for filled tortillas and fajitas.
The retailer offers wheat and corn tortillas to fill yourself, among other products.
This range features in Carrefour’s French tortilla, wrap and Tex-Mex kit section.
These black beans can be used as a filling for a tortilla you prepare at home. They’re one ingredient in a taco, not a ready-to-eat taco.
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For a filling made with pulses, add these black beans to a tortilla and choose the other ingredients for your taco. The stated pack size is 439 gr; check the nutritional information for the amount of beans you actually use to assess the contents of the finished taco.
No. The protein content of the kit alone doesn’t tell you how much protein is in the prepared taco. Old El Paso states that its Barquitas Extra Mild kit contains 6.0 g of protein per 100 g, while other recipes from the brand call for meat to be added. Compare the ingredients and the portion size of the finished taco.
Choose a source of protein you’d like to add, then consider the portion size in your recipe. Anses lists meat, fish, eggs and dairy products among animal sources of protein, and pulses among plant-based sources. None of these fillings determines the contents of your taco on its own.
Check the ‘salt’ line on each product, then take into account how much you’ll use and any ingredients you add. The E.Leclerc listing for the Tables du Monde fajita kit states 2.4 g of salt per 100 g of assortment. This figure may not reflect the salt content of your finished taco.
The tortilla products reviewed contain wheat, so don’t choose them based only on the appearance of a corn tortilla or the wording of a recipe. The listing for Auchan wheat and corn tortillas also warns that traces of soya may be present. Check the allergens on the exact product packaging before buying.
You don’t need a supplement to make a taco with foods that provide protein. Anses cautions against assuming that a regular diet is inherently inadequate for athletes and highlights risks associated with certain supplements aimed at this group. When choosing your snack, start by checking the ingredients and portion size of the taco you’re making.