A cheese quesadilla is a simple, comforting snack or meal. Like a Mexican grilled cheese sandwich, a quesadilla features cheese pressed between two tortillas heated in a frying pan or special press until the tortillas are slight crispy and the cheese is gooey and melted. While a cheese quesadilla may seem an innocuous snack, it can pack a lot of calories and fat into a compact serving while offering limited nutrients.
Calories and Macronutrients
A homemade quesadilla made with two 7- to 8-inch flour tortillas and 2 oz. Monterey jack cheese contains 500 calories and 47 g carbohydrates. This simple dish contains 24 g fat, 13 g of which are saturated. Use part-skim mozzarella instead of the Monterey jack cheese to save 70 calories and 8 g fat, or use reduced-fat Mexican-blend cheese to save 50 calories and 6 g fat.
Fiber and Calcium
A cheese quesadilla made with two flour tortillas contains about 3 g fiber. The cheese in the quesadilla provides significant amounts of calcium. Make a quesadilla with 2 oz. Monterey jack or part-skim mozzarella to obtain between 422 mg and 444 mg calcium, over 40 percent of the recommended dietary allowance based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Some reduced-fat Mexican cheese blends offer even more calcium, up to 65 percent of the RDA.
Considerations
The nutrition in a cheese quesadilla depends on many factors. The size of the tortilla, the type of tortilla, the method of cooking and the type of cheese used all influence the nutrition information. Corn tortillas tend to be lower in calories than flour-based versions. Flour tortillas are usually made with enriched flour, so they have more B vitamins and protein than corn varieties. Whole-grain or 100 percent whole-wheat tortillas may offer more than the 1 g fiber provided by most white or corn tortillas. If a quesadilla is fried in oil, rather than cooked in a dry frying pan or press, it will contain significantly more calories and fat.
Warning
A cheese quesadilla may seem like a light restaurant order, but it can actually be extremely high in calories and fat. A restaurant cheese quesadilla, even on the kids' menu, may top 900 calories and 60 g fat, 30 g of which are saturated. The gigantic tortillas used to make these quesadillas contribute to the calories; one flour tortilla alone may contain almost 300 calories and 9 g fat. If you enjoy cheese quesadillas, make them at home where you can control portion sizes and use low-fat cheese.
Sodium and Cholesterol
A homemade cheese quesadilla can contain between 900 mg and 1,050 mg sodium, with some restaurant versions topping 2,500 mg. The Institute of Medicine recommends keeping your total sodium intake to below 1,500 mg per day. Full-fat cheese is also a source of cholesterol. Use 2 oz. in your quesadilla and you'll consume about 50 mg cholesterol. However, many restaurants use more than 2 oz. in their versions. The American Heart Association advises that your cholesterol intake stay below 300 mg per day.
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