The potato is a food that gives luster to some of the most emblematic dishes of Spanish gastronomy: from the potato omelette to the broken eggs , going through stews such as stew or stew . This tuber has traditionally been considered a “staple food” in our diet . In fact, according to the latest Report on Food Consumption in Spain, prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture, each Spaniard in 2019 consumed about 28 kilograms of potatoes. That is, we eat around half a kilo of potatoes a week in its different forms of preparation.
Nobody can resist crispy fries with salt or accompanied by various sauces. And the fact is that the fried potato is one of the foods that both children and adults like the most. However, despite the fact that for many it is their favorite food, eating often and in large quantities implies taking on a few extra pounds, due to frying and an excess of oil.
But for your peace of mind, you should know that there are other ways to cook them to reduce the calories in the fries . You can cook them in the oven or in the microwave to make them healthier. Join us, we will show you!
‘Healthy’ Ways to Cook French Fries
As we are going to see below, and as we have mentioned before, there is no single way to make the desired perfect French fries without making us so fat. Next, we show you four different ways to make crispy French fries without so much fat, so our conscience will be clear before the whim.
1. Calories of French fries according to oil
You must bear in mind that, as indicated by nutritionists, potatoes as tubers are not fattening. In fact, they are one of the foods with the lowest caloric intake, with just 80 calories per 100 grams . In addition, it is a very versatile food, which is why it is the second most consumed in the world. However, the process of making the types of potatoes in Spain greatly influences.
Without a doubt, steaming potatoes is not the same as frying them with plenty of sunflower oil. This process itself is what really contributes the calories in French fries, just like any fried food.
No less than 300 more calories, minimum, are added to the potato when frying it! That is as long as we use unrefined olive oil, since if we fry them in sunflower oil, seeds, coconut or any other variety, we will amount to 400 or 500 calories.
2. This is how you should cook the potatoes to gain less weight
In the 16th century, the first place in Europe where potatoes from Europe began to be cultivated was in the Canary Islands. In addition, the Spanish dish par excellence with the potato as the main ingredient is the potato omelette, although there are many recipes with the potato as the base.
Its price is not very high, in addition its versatility and the nutritional properties of the types of potatoes in Spain make it an ingredient present not only in cookbooks in our country, but in almost the entire world. However, they have always had a bad reputation for gaining weight, a belief that a priori is false, since there are weight loss diets that contain potatoes.
It is true that they are an important source of carbohydrates according to nutritionists , but it all depends on the way you cook them. Of course, the calories in French fries are higher than those of baked or steamed potatoes .
3. Properties of potatoes
Potatoes themselves are not harmful, like any food that is in a healthy and balanced diet. It is a tuber rich in fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B, potassium, iron, magnesium and flavonoids .
The problem is in the way of cooking them, which influences a lot when using them to reduce weight. Therefore, the calories in French fries are much higher, specifically, between five and seven times more than when they are roasted or boiled.
Hence the recommendation that, to benefit from all its nutrients without excess calories, they should be eaten cooked, steamed, in the microwave or in the oven. And it is that a cooked or roasted potato contains about 110 kilocalories, that is, an energy content lower than that provided, for example, by cooked rice or pasta.
Finally, if we focus on how to prepare cooked potatoes, we can make a distinction between doing it with or without skin. When cooked with the skin, this food will not lose certain properties, but if you peel it, part of its nutrients will be lost during cooking and will pass into the liquid. We therefore recommend that you cook them with their skin so that the nutritional loss is less.
4. Avoid harmful sauces
In this case, if what you want is crispy French fries and not cooked or roasted, the best way to do it is as we have indicated, either in the oven or in the microwave. However, to maintain their benefits, avoid seasoning them with an excess of salt or sauces, although there is no problem in using virgin olive oil, paprika or some other spice to add flavor.
In this case, the most recommended sauces in case of using them are mojo picón or romesco sauce, as they are healthy and, in addition, their homemade preparation will always be better than if we buy them. In the same way, specialists advise that in no case we resort to industrial sauces such as fried tomato, ketchup or mustard.
On the other hand, specialists recommend refrigerating this food after cooking. When potatoes are cooled, the increase in resistant starches is favored and the glycemic index is lowered.
We clarify that resistant starch is one that cannot be digested in the body and acts as a fiber for the digestive flora, promoting evacuation and generating a greater feeling of satiety. Thus, the glycemic index decreases, so the insulin peaks will be lower when cold .
Finally, for people who like to eat any of the types of potatoes in Spain raw, you should know that this is something you should avoid, it could be dangerous if consumed in excess.
