“Peeling to remove the skin to make fries and chips results in the loss of a large portion of the fiber, further diminishing the potato's nutritional value. In addition, French fries are typically salted.
However, this all-purpose vegetable has some surprising health and nutrition benefits. Although french fries and potato skins may be heavy in fat and calories, the potato itself is fat free and cholesterol free as well as low in sodium.
Common sense dictates that a baked potato is healthier than a bunch of French fries. After all, fries are potatoes that have been submerged in boiling oil and coated with salt. But most chain restaurants don't offer plain baked potatoes.
Given the fact that they're deep-fried in hydrogenated oils, fries come packed with a high amount of trans fat, which raises your bad cholesterol and lowers your good cholesterol. The profound effect of this is that you'll boost your heart disease risk.
They are fried in oil so some of the oil remains and contributes to the higher calorie count in french fries. Baked potatoes might not be that much lower in calories, though.
Acrylamide is a chemical created in certain foods that are cooked at high temperatures. 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).
The homemade version has fewer carbohydrates and calories, and less fat, saturated fat and sodium. The higher fat content of McDonald's fries is most likely due to deep fat frying or even some pre-frying done before the fries are shipped to the restaurant.
Moderation Is The Golden Rule
However, moderation is key.” 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.
Popular fast-food items, like hamburgers and French fries, are also often lumped into the category of junk foods because they often contain lots of calories but not many nutrients. Other foods are considered junk food by some but not by others, depending upon how they're made.
A dietary pattern characterized by a high consumption of red and/or processed meat, refined grains, sweets, high-fat dairy products, butter, potatoes and high-fat gravy, and low intakes of fruits and vegetables is associated with an increased risk of depression."
Potatoes tend to get a bad rap when it comes to eating a healthy diet. But they're a nutritious and versatile vegetable, not to mention one of the most popular foods in the world. Instead of being dismissed as "bad," potatoes can be a centerpiece of healthy meals.
Potatoes for health and nutrition
They're rich in vitamin C, which is an antioxidant. Potatoes were a life-saving food source in early times because the vitamin C prevented scurvy. Another major nutrient in potatoes is potassium, an electrolyte which aids in the workings of our heart, muscles, and nervous system.
There are few nutritional differences, but chips will have a higher fat content than roast potatoes, because they have a larger surface area and therefore will absorb more fat during cooking. The type of cooking oil used to cook the potatoes/chips will strongly affect the type of fats the food contains.
1.Baked Potato
Baked potatoes offer more nutritional value than fries because they still have skin. Potato skins are the most nutrient-dense part of a baked potato. Another benefit of heart-healthy baked potatoes is that they are not deep-fried in oil and grease like french fries.
Mashed Potatoes
However, mashed potatoes can be lower in fat and sodium than classic fast-food french fries when they are made with ingredients like low-fat milk, instead of cream, and savory spices, instead of salt.
The French Fries emoji 🍟 depicts a carton of French fries. It is commonly used to represent French fries, fast food, or specifically the fast food chain McDonald's.
To make their fried menu items healthier, McDonald's began cooking potato sides with vegetable oil in 1990. But the fast-food joint wasn't willing to sacrifice that signature flavor: McDonald's added natural beef flavoring to the oil to preserve the taste customers had come to love.
Frozen fries are still fried! Even worse, many brands use trans fats and palm oil which aren't ideal for heart health.
We use a blend including canola and sunflower oils to cook with. Like all vegetable oils, it's cholesterol free. We use only 100% Aussie grown beef to serve you the best beef burgers, sourced from farmers across the country.
To mimic the chain's original oil blend, the oil is laced with natural flavoring to replicate that mouthwatering smell. In other words, the delicious scent we know and love is actually the smell of potatoes cooked in beef fat, an aroma so powerful it makes the fries seem even tastier!
Step 2: Dip in “Ingredient Bath”
The dextrose, a natural form of sugar, is to help achieve a uniform golden color and the sodium acid pyrophosphate prevents the potatoes from turning grayish after they are cooked, according to McDonald's. Fear said these ingredients are of no health concern.