Good food has to be tasty and delicious. There’s no better feeling than the sensation of a crunchy or creamy ingredient hitting your lips, getting the taste buds tingling. Of course, most people denote flavour with saturated fats and junk food.
The tastier the recipe, the unhealthier it will be, or so you assume. Fries are the perfect example because a good, ol’ fashioned chip is deep-fried to make it crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
But, what if fries didn’t have to clog your veins and arteries? What if you could create a healthier option? Carry on reading if you’re interested.
Skip The Salt
Fries are potatoes cut into fine strips, so it’s not as if they’re packed with flavour. Plus, there’s nothing wrong with a bit of seasoning! The problem with salt is that it adds to French fries’ heart-busting nature, taking them to another unhealthy level. The good news is that you can season them with pretty much any herb or spice, from garlic to paprika. The latter is excellent for people who like their food with a kick. For a classical profile, you can use rosemary and thyme and lower the salt content considerably.
Try Sweet Potatoes
As far as French fry substitutes go, you can’t do much better than sweet potatoes. Like traditional spuds, they are fluffy on the inside and delightfully crispy on the outside. Again, spice-lovers can get their kicks by pairing these fries with Sriracha mayo. Get the recipe here if you’re interested. Not only are sweet potatoes tasty, but they’re predominantly healthy for a food group packed with starchy, complex carbohydrates. This is because your glucose and sugar levels don’t spike, meaning you don’t store the calories as fat. Keep the skin as it’s full of nutrients.
Or Other Healthy Alternatives
The great thing about food is that you don’t have to stick to the tried and tested cooking methods. So, if you think you can make a fry from an ingredient that’s better for you than potatoes, you should give it a try. An excellent example is halloumi fries. All you require is halloumi cheese, flour, and oil to introduce a new texture to the humble chip. As long as you use low-fat cheese and vegetable oil, the calorie count is around four-hundred for a batch of fries that serves six. Not bad. You can do the same with courgettes or zucchini for American readers.
Don’t Fry
Okay, the clue is in the title – French fry. However, frying food turns the oil into saturated and trans-fats, and that’s when the calorie count starts to skyrocket. Therefore, it’s better to oven bake or grill fries if you’re health-conscious. If you’re not prepared to lose the crispiness and still want a healthy chip, you should opt for an air-fryer. They use less oil and circulate hot air to provide the same texture as frying without the unhealthy consequences.
Were you a non-believer? Now that you know about the alternatives, which one will you choose?
Great tips we love fries (or chips as we call them) but I try not to make them too often. These are much healthier,
I am a huge fry lover, I will totally need to try these!
I love sweet potatoes chips! so yummy and i feel so full .
So many great fries I love fries!! i love this 🙂 thanks for sharing these
I loooove sweet potatoes, they’re so so good!!! I usually add a bit of spice to it, so good!
Love, love, love sweet potato fries. And lately, I’ve been doing most of my frying in the air fryer and it’s magical. HEHE.
I love sweet potatoes. I normally use bake my fries in the oven. guess I am doing it right.
I haven’t tried sweet potato fries, but it sounds so good! Thanks for sharing these tips. I love fries but I know they are unhealthy 😒