what's so bad about fries?

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blueberrybox
blueberrybox Posts: 72
in Food and Nutrition
i mean a small is only around 330 calories.

my bmr is around 1300 a day and i only ate 1278 calories today
i did eat about 15 fries so i think thats about a small.


how are fries bad for me if i stay below my necessary calories?
also is too much fat bad if you dont eat over your necessary calories?


sorry if this is confusing.

Replies

  • blueberrybox
    blueberrybox Posts: 72
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    i mean a small is only around 330 calories.

    my bmr is around 1300 a day and i only ate 1278 calories today
    i did eat about 15 fries so i think thats about a small.


    how are fries bad for me if i stay below my necessary calories?
    also is too much fat bad if you dont eat over your necessary calories?


    sorry if this is confusing.
  • prettyinpink
    prettyinpink Posts: 94 Member
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    Calories is one thing and fat is another... then you have calories from fat and those are the boogers you want to stay away from!! Any fried food is not good for your body... can clog your ateries!! When eating french fries, you are eating fried starch. Yuck!! That sounds so disgusting now that I think about it! What does starch do?? It makes stuff hard... so not only are clogging your ateries, you are making them hard! Doesn't sound too good does it?

    That was a strange answer that I just came up with but it will make me think twice next time I decide I want some French Fries!! At least from a fast food chain! I might swing some homemade potato wedges pan fried in some olive oil!! Yum!!!
  • Panthera
    Panthera Posts: 23
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    Fries are bad in that they give you calories, but very little else. If you are only eating 1200 - 1300 calories a day, but you are eating 300 of that in fries, then you are eating 1/4 of your food in junk that has very little nutritional value. If you eat them every day, you are most likely not getting the nutrition you need to stay healthy. If you eat them in moderation, then it is no biggie.
  • banks1850
    banks1850 Posts: 3,475 Member
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    So, what do we know about potatoes? They aren't particularly great for you, for the amount of calories you get, it's very low in nutrition. Add to that the fact that they are soaking up what is essentially hydrogenated oil and voila, you have something that wasn't good to begin with, any nutrients that were once in fries have now been boiled away (literally), and what replaces it? Oil! Oh man, probably one of the worst foods in america. If you really want fries, at least you should bake em. Even that's not great, but it's 100% better then fried.
  • blueberrybox
    blueberrybox Posts: 72
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    haha. thanks guys!
  • vicky1
    vicky1 Posts: 236
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    Well if you make homemade fries from real potatoes NOTHING potatoes are naturally rich in vitamin c a small potato provides up to 45% of your daily requirement they also contain potassium which is essential for muscle development and b vitamins they are also a complex carbohydrate and they DO NOT contain fat or cholesterol.

    Homemade fries or potato wedges.

    Preheat oven to 230C
    wash potatoes
    Chop into fries or wedges
    Place in boiling water for 3 mins (no longer)
    Drain
    drizzle with olive oil about 1 tbsp
    OPT sprinkle with sea salt, chili powder, garlic or any spice you fancy toss to coat
    place on a baking sheet in the oven for about 30 mins.
    Serve while hot you could even make some salsa and use as a dip.

    and 100% good for you and delicious.

    Small fries at Mc donalds etc you will probably still be hungry you could chop two big potatoes for this recipe for the same cals with no fat and you will feel satisfied.

    Enjoy
  • banks1850
    banks1850 Posts: 3,475 Member
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    Let it never be said that I can't admit mistakes. I took another look at potato nutritional values and vicky is right, they are pretty good for you if you prepare them correctly.

    "I ain't to proud!" :tongue:

    Good call vicky!
  • pam0206
    pam0206 Posts: 700 Member
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    Here's more info on potatoes and other starches that we have shunned because of low carb diets. It's interesting to think about..........
    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23189188/
  • AJCM
    AJCM Posts: 2,169 Member
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    I personally think if the fries are in a natural state (i.e. just fresh cut potatoes) and then fried in a trans fat free oil (e.g. canola, sunflower, etc) they are not unhealthy, just highly caloric.

    If you account for the calories, then go for it!

    I think that fries are a health concern when transfats are involved, when covered in coatings (such as Taco Bell) or filled with preservatives (such as McDonalds). Have you ever found a McDonald's fry under the seat of your car? 6 months later it is a perfect, pale yellow french fry! Yuck!
  • Families_R_Forever
    Families_R_Forever Posts: 630
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    Well if you make homemade fries from real potatoes NOTHING potatoes are naturally rich in vitamin c a small potato provides up to 45% of your daily requirement they also contain potassium which is essential for muscle development and b vitamins they are also a complex carbohydrate and they DO NOT contain fat or cholesterol.

    Homemade fries or potato wedges.

    Preheat oven to 230C
    wash potatoes
    Chop into fries or wedges
    Place in boiling water for 3 mins (no longer)
    Drain
    drizzle with olive oil about 1 tbsp
    OPT sprinkle with sea salt, chili powder, garlic or any spice you fancy toss to coat
    place on a baking sheet in the oven for about 30 mins.
    Serve while hot you could even make some salsa and use as a dip.

    and 100% good for you and delicious.

    Small fries at Mc donalds etc you will probably still be hungry you could chop two big potatoes for this recipe for the same cals with no fat and you will feel satisfied.

    Enjoy

    I make this a lot for my kids. We don't go to McDonalds anymore, so I now make them MOMMY MCDONALDS. They actually get really excited for it, just like the real thing and I even rent movies or something for the TREAT. They love it and it is soooo much better for them. HH:flowerforyou:
  • vicky1
    vicky1 Posts: 236
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    hheath I am glad I am not the only one who love making fries this way my kids also love this recipe hence we make it at least once a week usually at the weekend I don't put chili powder on my kids ones though accidentally forgot once and they weren't impressed.
  • catlover
    catlover Posts: 389
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    vicky1 thank you for your recipe. I only make "fries" in that way. My family loves my potatoes that way and friends ask for them when they come to visit.
  • alf1163
    alf1163 Posts: 3,143 Member
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    Vicky, I am going to try your recipe today for dinner...do you peel the potatoes or just wash them and cut them up?? Thanks!!! Wish me luck!!!
  • vicky1
    vicky1 Posts: 236
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    Hi Just wash them the skin helps keep them together when you boil them plus there is fiber in the skin of potato but it is just personal choice.

    Don't forget no longer than 3 mins in boiling water do not place the potatoes in cold water and bring it to the boil always boil the pan of water first them place the sliced potatoes in when it is bubbling any longer than 3 mins and they will fall apart.

    Good luck let me know what you think.
  • alf1163
    alf1163 Posts: 3,143 Member
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    Were they supposed to be crispy/crunchy? I did not peel them, boiled the water first, did not leave them in it for more than 3 mins...drained them, measured the tbsp of olive oil and drizzled it over them. I sprinkled some paprika and also some garlic powder. They looked and smelled yummy!! I preheated the oven at 250F, oh wait a minute I think you said celsius, did you? Baked them for 30 mins but they were not crispy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My husband and my son were more than ready to eat so I did not leave them in the oven longer...but they tasted delicious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I put the recipe in a recipe calculator site and it estimated each serving (6 svgs of 3oz) at 79 calories!!!!!!!!! Not sure if it was right but I am ok with it...

    Please tell me if I did something wrong because they were not crispy...but sooooooooooo good!! Thanks again for sharing.
  • jessneill
    jessneill Posts: 380 Member
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    When I make baked fries I don't boil them first. I just spread evenly on a pan, then I use my olive oil mister to spray them lightly with oil.

    I put the pan on the second level down from the top and then put the oven on broil. Broil them on one side for about 10 minutes turn them over broil on the other side for another 10.

    Since you are broiling you want to watch them closely.

    Take them out and I season with Johnny's season salt.

    Mine come out crispy and golden.

    I do cut them like steak fries and I like to leave the skin on.
  • vicky1
    vicky1 Posts: 236
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    Its was 230 C about 430 F They aren't overally crispy it depends how big you cut your potatoes thinner they become crispy bigger they are the softer.

    These are very much like british chips (a chunky fry) they should be nice and soft in the middle and slightly crisp on the outside. Sprinkle of sea salt is gr8 for crisping potatoes.

    Experiment with spices if you don't boil them first you will need to add extra time in the oven about 15 mins I think part boiling just takes of some of the time and I think it roughens the potato a bit doesn't alter the flavour.

    The good thing about this recipes is it can be changed and experimented with so never boring.

    There are some variations of this on allrecipes.com The one I use is an adaptation of one from slimming world called sin free fries.

    The only thing is I only use olive oil as this is good oil with lots of health benefits.

    Have fun experiment and enjoy your food just because we are trying to lose weight doesn't mean you need to lose your sense of taste in fact eating healthy actually improves your taste we shouldn't punish ourselves by eating boring bland rabbit food.

    ENJOY LIFE!!!!!!!
  • deanea
    deanea Posts: 1,437
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    Mc Cain super fries, 19 for 140 cals....not so bad, I have them once a week, and though potato is a starch it is still a vegetable.:smile:

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