Do you want fries with that?

High on the list of foods I love is the potato. Baked, boiled, mashed, hashed, diced or fried…it’s all good! Well maybe, maybe not. Many of the health benefits of potatoes are destroyed by what we do to the lowly spuds. Frying them and adding salt and ketchup may satisfy our taste buds, but not our health needs. And baking or mashing isn’t much better if we add butter, sour cream, bacon bits, cheese, and other delicious decorations. According to the experts the best potatoes are new, small, boiled or baked, and unadorned. Well, you know that’s how America loves her potatoes…NOT.

The French fry rules supreme in America! Whether served on the plastic trays of school lunch rooms, in paper sacks at the drive thru, or on platters at big chain diners, the French fry is the favorite “side” for everything from corn dogs to a big porterhouse steak. I like mine with catfish!

Yes, I love French fries just like everyone else does. But my health concerns over the past few years have prompted me to read labels and menus and be a little more cautious about eating them. I like regular fries, but actually prefer sweet potato fries. When I make them from scratch I don’t salt them at all. Sometimes I put ketchup on regular fries, sometimes I don’t. When I’m in a hurry I use frozen ones; I prefer Alexia sweet potato fries or Ore-Ida Golden Fries because their sodium counts aren’t frightening. Alexia sweet potatoes have 140 calories per serving, 5g total fat, 140mg of sodium, and 24g carbs. Ore Ida golden fries have 130 calories, 3.5 grams fat, 290mg sodium, and 21g carbs. Made from scratch fries will have about the same calories- after all they are made from potatoes. Fat will vary with your cooking method. And of course sodium is up to you. The big plus is that you won’t be getting any other strange ingredients found in frozen food, and the taste of fresh food is always better.

Most people, however, seem to prefer consuming their fries away from home, usually some place with a drive-thru window. So I decided to do a little research and compare French fries from several of America’s favorite eateries. These numbers are straight from the home websites not other data or nutrition sites.  I used the data for the small portion from the fast food franchises and the “as served” data from the chain restaurants. Please also keep in mind that any place that salts fries after cooking them may be adding a little more or less than the listed figures. And if YOU salt your fries after they are served….stop, now, today!

McDonald’s

Calories 230

Total fat 11g

Sodium 160 mg

Carbs 29g

 

Burger King

Calories 340

Total fat 15

Sodium 480

Carbs 49

 

Whataburger

Calories 260

Total fat 13

Sodium 200

Carbs 31

 

Carl’s Jr.

Calories 310

Total fat 15

Sodium 610

Carbs 40

 

Wendy’s

Calories 320

Total fat 16

Sodium 350

Carbs 42

 

TGI Fridays

Seasoned Fries

Calories 290

Fat 22

Sodium 980

Carbs 21

 

Sweet potato fries

Calories 390

Fat 20

Sodium 230

Carbs 50

 

Outback

Aussie fries

Calories 445

Fat 23

Sodium 496

Carbs 57

 

Sweet potato fries

Calories 384

Fat 19

Sodium 496

Carbs 49

 

Chili’s

Home style fries

Calories 400

Fat 14

Sodium 1,370 (not an error!)

Carbs 63

 

Sweet potato fries

Calories 420

Fat 21

Sodium 970

Carbs 36

 

Clearly I never want to eat at Chili’s ever again! And if that’s the way you cook fries “home style” then you are better off at McDonald’s!

 

If you are wondering how in the world I got to the subject of French fries for my blog…well what do you think we served at school yesterday? The smell was heavenly. Lol  No, I didn’t eat any. I never eat school food, ever. But that is a topic for another day. 

Comments

[Linda Clay]

WOW! We all need to be informed consumers. Thank u for diligence and effort in researching and posting these alarming facts.

[mercyn]

Unfortunately sometimes ignorance is bliss. My grandmother made the best french fries - I might start making my own. It is the only way to eat them and feel a bit less guilty.