Now that I super serious (like can’t get health insurance, gotta win some money, must lose weight serious) I’m trying to overhaul my diet. I’ve cut back on bread and sweets consumption to help the poundage slide off quickly. I also want to make some of the things I will continue to eat healthier versions of themselves. So today I am starting with a food makeover of one of my favorite side dishes!
I love french fries but we all know they aren’t the healthiest side dish available. Though they technically count as a vegetable they are little more than a sneaky way for grease and sodium to get into your system. These things that make fries so good (c’mon, you know you like salty fries every once in a while too) contribute to health problems like high blood pressure and heart disease.
Can unhealthy, greasy fries be turned into something delicious and healthy thru a Food Makeover? Why yes they can! Only a few simply changed will lead to a yummy indulgence that won’t harm your health. Just follow these Food Makeover Tips for heathier fries.
Switch the potato. Replace the normal russet potatoes with sweet potatoes. You will get 52% more vitamin C, more than a full day’s worth of vitamin A, and an increase in the amount of fiber. Plus, sweet potatoes are yummy.
Change the oil. Use canola oil when preparing your fries. Canola oil is lower in saturated fat, higher in mono-unsaturated fat, and has a generous amount of omega-3s compared to other oils.
Lower the fat. Normally french fries get fried twice, once at a lower temp and once at a higher temp. Replace the first fry with a short spell in the microwave to lower the amount of oil the fries absorb. (This tip was submitted by someone else and I’m not sure I agree with the microwaving option. I am starting to move away from microwaving ANY food after reading in depth about what it does to food.)
Spice it up. Amplify the flavor while using less harmful salt with other herbs and spices. Oregano or other spices can nicely complement the taste of sweet potatoes. Plus they make the sweet potatoe fries taste delicious!
Hi there! I’ve been following you on twitter and love your positive attitude. You’re quite the inspiration! Just have to comment on the canola oil. Canola oil is not healthy! It’s mostly genetically modified for one. Second, you never ever want to use any kind of vegetable oil for high heat cooking. This creates lipid peroxides which can damage cell membranes. Damaged cell membranes can lead to insulin resistance and this will dramatically slow weight loss. In addition, all kind of DNA damage can occur from the oxidation. If you want to fry in oil, use coconut oil which can actually help with weight loss. Another option is to bake fries at a low temp with a slight mist of olive oil…For great info on fats, check Mary Enig’s book on fats available on amazon.
This is a great idea. I will be trying it very soon because I LOVE LOVE LOVE fries. Thanks for all of the healthy tips :)
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Yum! It’s so much fun to do healthy food makeovers. And super tasty too.
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Thanks for those tips! I actually ended up baking the fries and didn’t use canola oil. But I will definitely keep that in mind. I’m not a cook at all so I’m really learning about this and how to make things now!
Hmmm, I happen to have a sweet potato on my kitchen counter. I suspect it won’t be for long. :)
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