Heart healthy – and delicious – French Fries
A medium-size order of fast food French fries contains between 300 and 400 calories (the amount of calories many people eat for an entire meal) and 500mg of sodium (20% of your daily sodium recommendation). Don’t despair! Bake your own crispy, delicious fries at home, and you’ll reduce both calories and sodium.
Ingredients
- 2 large Russet potatoes (Russets make a French fry that’s crispy on the outside and soft on the inside)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
Directions
- Peel potatoes (or simply wash the potatoes and leave the skins on for more fiber and nutrients) and cut into evenly-sized pieces. You can make thin, thick, or somewhere in the middle fries – your preference!
- Soak the sliced potatoes for 15-20 minutes in ice water to make them more crispy when baked.
- Remove the potatoes from the water and dry thoroughly on paper towels. Let the potatoes sit on the paper towels for 10 minutes so that they’re as dry as possible.
- Put the dried potatoes in a large ziplock plastic bag with the olive oil. Shake the potatoes so that the oil is evenly distributed.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a cooling rack on top of the pan so that there is space between the cooling rack and the pan.
- Place the potatoes in a single layer on the cooling rack, making sure that the potatoes don’t touch so that they are baked evenly crispy.
- Sprinkle the potatoes with salt.
- Bake in a 400-degree oven for 30-40 minutes
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Amount Per Serving | |
| Calories 165 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 2.5g | |
| Saturated Fat 0g | 0% |
| Trans Fat 0g | |
| Cholesterol 0g | 0% |
| Sodium 312g | 13% |
| Total Carbohydrate 32g | 10% |
| Dietary Fiber 3g | 12% |
| Sugars 2g | |
| Protein 4g | |
| * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. | |
Notes
Make-ahead tip: Follow the directions through #8, baking the potatoes until they are not quite done. Let the potatoes cool completely, then freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet. Store the frozen potatoes in a freezer-safe plastic bag.
To reheat: spread aluminum foil on a baking sheet and spritz with olive oil. Put the potatoes on the baking sheet in a single layer, and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
