For Quick Alerts
ALLOW NOTIFICATIONS  
For Daily Alerts

Celebrate “National French Fries Day” With These 6 Secrets To Healthier French Fries

By Soumik Ghosh

Let's be honest: who doesn't start salivating at the smell of some warm, crispy fries dusted with salt? And with a side-dip of mayo? Let's not even get started... We know you can have them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Literally! Supremely satisfying French fries are a universal guilt pleasure.

But sadly, indulging in sumptuous French fries from your favourite fast-food joint isn't really the healthiest choice you make now and then. This beloved fast-food is notoriously high in unhealthy fat and calories.

healthy french fries recipe

A medium fry usually sets you back somewhere in between 300 and 400 calories, along with upwards of 500 mg of sodium. And that's why most of the people who have been still clinging to the healthy diet, have already put fries on their "forbidden foods" list.

However, before you forever ban French fries from your menu, take a deep (fried) breath. We've got you covered; after all it's World French Fries Day! And today, we take the privilege to help you learn how you can turn your fried favourite into a healthy side dish: it's much easier than you're thinking.

With these easy techniques, go healthy and homemade the next time you're making some delicious French fries for yourself to enjoy guilt-free.

Before You Say No To French Fries

Let us enlighten you with a couple of facts that prove that French fries might actually be good for your health.

First, potatoes are not at all the problem. A study by American Journal of Clinical Nutrition surfaced that eating potatoes either boiled, baked or mashed doesn't contribute to similar health risks as eating them fried.

Second, there are also ample ways in which you can elevate those French fries from a fast-food indulgence to a healthy side dish. And surprisingly you can make your fries look impressive too. All you need to do is play with different herbs, spices, and get a bit more creative with veggies.

How To Make Your French Fries Healthy?

1. Bake & Don't Fry- French fries are traditionally cooked in a vat of vegetable oil, which makes them a rich source of extra fat and calories. But, on the contrary, when you bake your fries, it's easier to cut down on oil, which contains 120 calories per tablespoon.

While baking your fries, choose a heart-healthy olive oil, measure out two tablespoons (and not more) before pouring on potatoes and tossing them in a bowl.

You can cut back even further by give your fries a light mist of oil from a spray bottle. Spread out potatoes on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove when they get golden, nice and crispy.

2. Go Oil-free- Eliminating oil all together can drastically slash down calories and fat from your fries even more. While baking, just swap the oil with a few tablespoons of seasoned, whisked egg-whites or vegetable broth. You'll need to turn the potatoes once or twice so that they get nice and brown on all sides.

3. Avoid The Salt- Digging into salty fast-food French fries has probably ended up making you feel the uncomfortable bloat that follows. While sodium content can be controlled better at home, salt is far, far away from your options when it comes to flavouring your fries.

Rather, choose flavourful spices over extra sodium like fresh garlic, cumin, paprika, etc. Even the sweeter spices, say cinnamon and nutmeg, work amazingly if you're using sweet potatoes.

4. Try Sweet- Sweet potatoes consist of a much higher amount of fibre and vitamin A, but are lower in calories than classic potato. They make fries that are slightly sweet and absolutely delicious. Give sweet potato fries a try-the sweet swap might just appeal to your taste buds!

5. Skinny Dip- Tomato ketchup might be the go-to dip along with a serving of crispy French fries. But besides being tasty it can also be a sneaky source of calories and sugar. Instead, opt for a homemade version so that you can keep sugar under control.

Get creative with flavours like olive ketchup, or try adding Greek yogurt to your ketchup for a delicious dipping sauce that provides an extra protein boost alongside cutting down on sugar.

So now it's true that you can enjoy your fries minus the guilt and extra fat!

Your French Fries Day just got better, right! Enjoy!

Read more about: french fries health