Tell me who doesn’t love their French fries because I haven’t met them yet with how popular they are. The only problem with those delectable strips of deep-fried potatoes that are crispy on the outside with a soft texture inside is how grease laden they are, which is not ideal for cholesterol levels and weight. This doesn’t mean that you have to stop eating French fries. On the contrary, I am just showing you what is possible from traditionally made French fries with a healthy alternative for them without denying you of their fabulous taste.
French fries that tastes nearly the same, only so much better for your heart and figure is this first healthy version for them. You can use any potatoes, including sweet potatoes. Instead of all the grease and hassle associated with deep-frying, I like to peel the potatoes, cut both ends and then slice into thin strips like French fries. I usually peel about four to six to fill a three-quart mixing bowl. What I do is add three tablespoons of olive oil and mix the sliced strips of potatoes until well coated before transferring and salting to a cookie sheet. Bake in a 400-degree oven for about thirty minutes, turning them half way through.
Another version of that basic healthier French fries is my herb seasoned variety.
Cauliflower is another healthy alternative for French fries worth tasting. After cleaning and cutting into small pieces, I also coat them with three tablespoons of olive oil. Something else that is just as delicious is adding some Italian seasoning and sprinkling Parmesan cheese to the strips of coated cauliflower to bake in the oven in the same way. Just like preparing the oven French fries, I put them on the cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about a half hour, turning after fifteen minutes until golden brown.
Eggplant is also a wonderful substitute as a healthy replacement for French fries. I like to peel them before cutting into strips about three inches in length. I dip them into about one-fourth cup of flour, then plunge them into beaten egg white, then give them a dunk into one cup of panko or finely ground breadcrumbs or cracker crumbs along with three-fourths cups of grated Parmesan or Romana cheese, two tablespoons of olive oil, and one-half teaspoons of salt. Spread the eggplants strips on a cookie sheet and bake in a 400-degree oven for about fifteen minutes, turning them over in about ten minutes.
Something else that you can do as a healthy option for French fries when using eggplant is leaving the skin on, then cut into strips, then sprinkle about three tablespoons of olive oil over them. I like to sprinkle one-half teaspoons each of garlic powder and salt, one-fourth teaspoons of cayenne pepper and bake in a 400-degree oven for about fifteen minutes, turning them over after about ten minutes or so.
Have you ever tried preparing avocado as a healthy backup for French fries? After peeling two of them, I like to make one-inch thick slices. Dip them in one-fourth cup of flour, then in a beaten egg white and one-fourth teaspoon each of salt and garlic powder before dipping again in the one cup of panko, finely ground breadcrumbs or cracker crumbs, one cup of Parmesan cheese and two tablespoons of olive oil. Transfer to your baking sheet and take to a 425-degree oven for about ten minutes, turning them in after about six minutes or so.
If you can’t stop eating the classic version of French fries, then you owe it to yourself to at least give the healthy alternative for them a try. Trust me, but you just may surprise yourself at how good they are.
