Being on a diet doesn't mean you have to give up your favorite foods. With this healthy oven French fries recipe, you'll be able to enjoy one of your favorite sides while still losing weight. Let's not waste any time and get straight into it!
Ingredients:
4 (2 lb.) large potatoes
8 cups ice water
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
Directions:
1. Scrub potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch strips.
2. Place potato strips into ice water, cover, and chill for 1 hour or longer.
3. Remove potatoes and dry strips thoroughly.
4. Place garlic powder, onion powder, salt, white pepper, allspice, and pepper flakes in plastic bag.
5. Toss potatoes in spice mixture.
6. Brush potatoes with oil.
7. Place potatoes in nonstick shallow baking pan.
8. Cover with aluminum foil and place in 475 degree F oven for 15 minutes.
9. Remove foil and continue baking uncovered for additional 15–20 minutes or until golden brown. Turn fries occasionally to brown on all sides.
Yield: 5 servings
Serving size: 1 cup
Each serving provides:
Calories: 238
Total fat: 4 g
Saturated fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 163 mg
Total fiber: 5 g
Protein: 5 g
Carbohydrates: 48 g
Potassium: 796 mg
Other Popular Foods That Can Be Made Healthy
French fries aren't the only food that can be made healthy! Basically any food that you adore can be made in a healthy way to sustain your diet. Eating foods that you enjoy is key to being able to stick to a diet long-term. If you're stuck eating salads all the time, you'll quickly grow burnt out on your diet.
One example of a popular food that can be made in a healthier way is a burger. Many people think of burgers as one of the worst foods you can eat while dieting, but this is simply not true. By using meat that's high in lean meat and low in fat content, you'll be doing a lot to make a burger healthier for you. Try to find the leanest ground beef that your store has available. If you like throwing some cheese on a burger, aim for lowfat cheese.
Another example of a popular food that you can adjust to fit a diet is macaroni and cheese. This is another food that many people associate with poor health, leading to the assumption that someone trying to lose weight can't have it. With a simple adjustment, your mac and cheese can become notably healthier. By using lowfat cheese instead of regular cheese, you'll be doing a lot to cut down on the fat content that makes traditional mac and cheese so bad for someone's diet.
By making simple changes to the recipes you love, you'll be able to eat foods you enjoy while losing weight. It's important to remember that moderation and balance are still key; it's important to eat a varied diet. Getting all of the nutrients you need is just as important as eating foods you love.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Oksana Mizina/Shutterstock.com.