Pommes frites. Chips. Potato Wedges. Freedom Fries.
No matter how you slice the potato, french fries are still just salty strips of spud fried in deep pools of oil. Which is exactly why they typically clock in at an obscene 440 calories for a 4.7 serving (typically a small/medium size). Restaurant servings are usually 2X that size and more often than not go through a double frying - driving the calories and fat way up.
Yet we keep coming back for more! Whether they're a lunch or dinner side dish, late night snack or the classic BBQ staple, fries are everywhere. We eat them at home, at sporting events, in malls, at restaurants, and the list goes on and on.
We consume INSANE amounts of these potato spears! A 2010 poll revealed that the average American consumes 29 lbs of french fries a year!
But how can we, potato loving citizens, get our fries fix without all those extra calories? A simple swap a few times a week, maybe even altogether, will save you tens of pounds and countless calories.
Try these easy swaps for the same tasteful punch:
Baked white potatoe fries (4.7 oz) = 125 calories
Chop up the potato into spears, spray with 0 calorie spray, sprinkle salt and any other herbs/flavorings and cook in the oven at 350 for 25-30 mins.
Baked sweet potatoe fries (4.7 oz) = 120 calories
Same preparation as white potato fries but instead of salt and herbs, sprinkle with cinnamon for a sweet kick.
Butternut squash fries (4.7 oz) @ just 50 calories for the same serving.
Prepare the same way as sweet potato fries but cook in the oven for 40 mins, flipping mid way, to achieve a crispy finish.
RESTAURANT MISTAKE:
By no means does choosing sweet potato fries at restaurants make for a healthier choice over french fries. Both are super caloric options. Instead, choose a baked potato (white or sweet) and a dipping sauce of either ketchup and mustard.
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