Taco shells, baked

Baked taco shells are corn-based, pre-formed into a folded U-shape and baked until crisp, made to hold seasoned ground meat, beans, cheese, lettuce, and salsa for hard-shell tacos. Their crunch is the whole point, a contrast to whatever soft, saucy filling goes inside, and they are sold in boxes of individual shells, each one here weighing about 13 g and standing upright on their own for easy filling at the table. Broken shells also work crushed as a crunchy topping over taco salad or casseroles.

Keep unopened boxes in the pantry, and once opened, reseal them tightly or move the shells to an airtight container, since exposure to air makes them go stale and lose their snap within a day or two; a brief warm-up in the oven before filling restores crispness. Per 100 g they provide 476 calories and a notable 24% DV of fiber alongside 20% DV magnesium and 13% DV protein, unusually fibrous for a fried or baked snack base, which pairs naturally with filling them with fresh vegetables and beans to build further on that fiber content, keeping in mind their 324 mg of sodium and 21.8 g of fat per 100 g as well when portioning out a plate.