Healthy French Fries
It really is true - the words “french fries” and “healthy” can exist together, thanks again to the airfryer!
Potatoes often get a bad rap but they actually have many great health benefits, especially if they’re eaten in moderation, cooked with skins on and without a bunch of extra unhealthy items added into them (e.g. oils, butter, sour cream, bacon bits, etc.).
They are a good source of fiber, which helps with digestion, and they are loaded with antioxidants if you eat them with the skins on. They also contain more potassium than a banana, which helps to decrease blood pressure.
One medium potato contains almost half of the recommended Vitamin C and B6 the average person needs for the day and provides additional calcium, magnesium and folate. Plus they taste great!
The biggest downside to the potato is that it’s higher in calories and carbohydrates than most other vegetables, with approximately 265 calories and 60 grams of carbs in each medium potato.
You can factor that in when planning your meal by pairing your potato with healthy and low calorie foods like whitefish, shrimp, skinless chicken breasts, or vegetarian protein sources such as tofu or tempeh.
The following recipe is for 2 servings. We have found EVERY TIME that there will not be leftovers because these fries are too good, so the only way to eat in moderation is to make a moderate serving!
Ingredients:
2 medium potatoes, skins on
olive oil spray
salt
Directions:
Wash and cut your potatoes into approximately 1/4“ thick fries.
(You can really go with any thick or thinness of your fries, just check them while cooking and adjust your cook times according to your thickness.)
Soak the fries in cold water for 5 minutes and then dry them with a clean dish towel or paper towels.
(I wanted to skip this step but it helps to reduce the starch in the potatoes and they come out really crispy on the outside and nice and soft on the inside. It’s worth the time and effort.)
Preheat the airfryer at 400 degrees for 5 minutes.
Lightly spray the bottom of the air fryer with olive oil. Add the dried potatoes to the fryer and spray lightly with olive so that fries are coated but not soaked in the spray. Add a little bit of salt.
(Make sure you don’t overload the airfryer or the air can’t circulate properly and the fries won’t come out as crispy.)
Cook for 20 minutes, shaking halfway through. You can also spray a little bit more olive oil onto the fries midway through cooking if they look dry.
I often check the fries about 5 minutes before they’re done and give them an extra shake, not necessarily because they need it but more so because I’m impatient and want to look at them and eat them. Also, it does give you a sense of whether they need more or less cook time.
They are super delicious, healthy and we can’t get enough of them. I hope you give them a try and enjoy some GUILT-FREE FRENCH FRIES!!
