When the cravings for French fries hit, address the root cause, and pick healthier alternatives to satisfy those cravings – roasted chickpeas, baked sweet potato fries, popcorn are some options for you.
High-Fibre. Many individuals prefer sweet potato fries to white potato fries because they are more nutritious. In addition, sweet potato fries include more fibre than white potato fries, which helps lower blood pressure and protect the heart from cardiovascular disease.
Unfortunately, there are no concrete numbers for what moderation means for different people. For some, having a plate of fries once a week might be fine. For others, twice a month may be a better idea. “Everyone should limit their intake of fried foods, but there is not a one-size-fits-all answer,” Cox says.
Use a whole grain such as quinoa, bulgur, couscous or brown rice in place of your potato. You can also add a whole grain roll where your potato would normally be. Whole grains contain fiber, which can help you feel full, lower blood sugar levels and may help lower cholesterol.
Because chips are sliced so thin and fried so hot, they're even heavier in acrylamide than French fries (which, sadly, 7 out of 9 experts warn against).
One medium McDonald's fries per week was enough to increase heart disease risk. Fried foods are high in trans fats, and they can decimate an otherwise healthy diet.
Eating them once a week or less would likely have a negligible effect on your health. Portion size matters. This study didn't provide details of how many fries study subjects ate at one sitting, but an "official" serving is just 10 to 15 individual fries (130–150 calories).
A cheat meal is essentially one planned meal (or meal deviation) a week where you can eat anything you want that you wouldn't normally eat as part of your diet — pizza, burger and fries, tacos, whatever you have a hankering for.
Cauliflower is a low-carb potato substitute that has fiber and is high in vitamin C. Cauliflower has a similar texture to potatoes, but it is not as starchy. It's a low-carb cruciferous vegetable with lots of healthy benefits.
You could try grains like couscous, quinoa and barley to introduce a new flavour to your favourite dishes. Barley and quinoa are both low-GI foods, and quinoa is also a source of protein and fibre, and works particularly well in salads.
Yes, you can still lose weight if you eat chips – as long as you're mindful of your portion sizes and choose healthier chip options. However, it's important to remember that weight loss is not just about what you eat, but also about your overall diet and lifestyle habits.
Similarly, eating fries everyday will increase your risk of experiencing negative health effects (not as much as smoking mind you), but doesn't guarantee you will experience any negative consequences. Another problem – yes, there are more problems – with nutrition is we don't eat in isolation.
But, alas, the fresh-cut potatoes, fried in peanut oil, were named the Worst Regular Order of Fries. The nutritional breakdown of a large order: 1,464 calories, 71 g fat (14 g saturated) and 213 mg sodium.