How many calories are in a Puerto Rican Pastele?

The Puerto Rican pasteles is a traditional dish that is beloved by many. It consists of a dough wrapper filled with a seasoned mixture of root vegetables, meat, and olives. While pasteles are a delicious part of Puerto Rican cuisine, many people wonder just how many calories are contained in this savory dish.

What Are Pasteles?

Pasteles originate from Puerto Rico and other Latin American countries. They are made from a dough wrapper called masa that is stuffed with a seasoned filling. The masa dough is made from grated green bananas and root vegetables like yuca and potato. It is seasoned with annatto oil, giving it a light yellow color.

The filling contains a protein like pork, beef, or chicken that is slowly stewed with herbs and spices. Sofrito, a blend of aromatic vegetables, is key for flavor. Common additions are capers, raisins, olives, and chickpeas. The pasteles are assembled by placing a scoop of filling in the center of a masa rectangle, folding the dough over into a package, and then tying or sealing the edges. They are traditionally boiled or steamed until the masa becomes soft and sticky.

Nutrition Facts of Pasteles

The nutrition facts of pasteles can vary based on the specific recipe and ingredients used. However, here are some general nutrition facts for a typical serving of pasteles:

Masa Dough

The masa dough is made from starchy ingredients like green bananas, yuca, potato, and sometimes plantains. It contains carbohydrates as its primary macronutrient. A 1 cup serving may contain:

• Calories: 150-250
• Carbs: 30-45g
• Protein: 2-4g
• Fat: 1-3g
• Fiber: 2-4g

Filling

The filling often contains pork shoulder or beef, tomatoes, onions, garlic, culantro, peppers, capers, raisins, chickpeas, and olives. For a 1 cup serving, it may provide:

• Calories: 200-300
• Carbs: 15-25g
• Protein: 15-25g
• Fat: 10-15g

So the filling adds a hefty amount of protein, fat, and additional calories. Vegetarian fillings will be lower in protein and fat.

Full Nutrition Facts

Looking at standard recipes, a full pasteles may contain around 500-800 calories. The size can vary, but here is an estimate for 1 average sized pasteles:

Calories: 650

Total Fat	35g
Saturated Fat	13g
Sodium	690mg
Total Carbohydrates	65g
Dietary Fiber	7g
Protein	19g

As you can see, a single pasteles contains a significant amount of calories, fat, carbs, and protein. The majority of calories come from the starchy masa and the fatty pork filling. Let’s compare it to some other popular dishes:

• Cheeseburger: 333 calories
• Slice of pizza: 285 calories
• Taco: 155 calories

So one pasteles has about twice the calories of a fast food cheeseburger or slice of pizza. The calories add up quickly if you eat multiple pasteles in one sitting.

Calories for Different Types of Pasteles

While traditional pasteles are stuffed with pork, other meat and vegetable fillings exist too. Here are the calories for different types of pasteles, based on a 1 pasteles serving:

Pork Pasteles: 650 calories

The traditional pasteles with a pork shoulder filling.

Chicken Pasteles: 600 calories

Uses chicken thigh meat or breast instead of pork. Slightly leaner.

Beef Pasteles: 700 calories

Ground beef or stew meat adds more fat and calories than chicken or pork.

Vegetable Pasteles: 500 calories

Eliminating the meat significantly reduces the calories, but still starchy.

Cheese Pasteles: 750 calories

Cheese additions ramp up the calories – a queso pasteles is extra indulgent!

Tips for Lightening Up Your Pasteles

Pasteles are definitely a special, celebratory food in Puerto Rican culture. But their high calorie count may make you hesitate before eating multiple in one sitting. Here are some tips to lighten up your pasteles:

Use leaner meats

Choose skinless chicken breast, pork tenderloin, or 90/10 ground beef instead of fatty pork shoulder. This reduces saturated fat and calories.

Load up on veggies

Double up on sofrito, peppers, chickpeas, and olives for more fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Keep meat portions smaller.

Swap in lower carb starches

Try using a combo of cauliflower rice, turnip, and plantain instead of green bananas or regular rice in your masa.

Use smaller pasteles

Make bite-sized appetizer pasteles instead of large entrees. You’ll eat less dough and filling in one sitting.

Bake instead of frying

Fried pasteles absorb oil, increasing fat and calories. Baking or steaming is a healthier cooking method.

Share with friends!

Cut calories by sharing a batch of pasteles as a starter with a group. Supplement with salad and chicken or fish.

Healthy Pasteles Recipe

Here is a recipe for lighter, more nutritious pasteles:

Ingredients

For the masa:

• 2 cups cauliflower rice
• 1 cup mashed green plantains
• 1 cup mashed calabaza or butternut squash
• 1/2 cup chickpea flour
• 1 tsp annatto oil

For the filling:

• 1 lb ground turkey or chicken
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp capers
• 1/4 cup olives
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp sofrito
• 1 tsp oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Saute filling ingredients except for raisins until meat is browned.
2. Add raisins and cook 5 more minutes.
3. In a food processor, blend cauliflower rice until smooth. Transfer to a bowl.
4. Add remaining masa ingredients to cauliflower and mix well. Add water if needed for a thick, moldable dough.
5. Assemble pasteles by scooping about 1/4 cup masa dough into a rectangle. Add 1-2 tbsp filling into the center. Fold masa over and seal edges.
6. Place finished pasteles on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with olive oil.
7. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes until lightly browned. Serve warm.

Nutrition for 1 Pastele:

• Calories: 230
• Fat: 8g
• Carbs: 28g
• Protein: 12g

This lighter take on pasteles cuts the calories in half without sacrificing flavor! You get a balance of protein, fiber and healthier fats. Make a big batch to freeze so you can enjoy these anytime.

Conclusion

A traditional Puerto Rican pasteles can contain around 650 calories or more depending on the size and filling ingredients. The masa dough and pork filling both add significant calories, carbs, fat, and protein. Lighter versions can be made by using leaner meats, more vegetables, and less oil, reducing the calorie count to 500 or less. Though pasteles are high in calories, they remain an integral and cherished part of Puerto Rican cuisine to be enjoyed in moderation during the holidays and special occasions.