Here's how you can indulge in fries while on a diet

Managing your cravings while on a diet can be difficult as it is. But what happens when you’re trying your best to eat well, and someone at work waltzes by with a large box of hot and crispy French fries?   Yes, you might feel like giving up on your fitness goals for the sake of a few fries, but is that really something you want to do? We all know how hard it is to start a diet again after going off-track for a few days. If only there was a way to indulge in fries without also consuming all the extra carbs from potatoes and unhealthy fats from the oil they were fried in… [caption id=“attachment_8015421” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Image source: Getty Images.[/caption] Well, there’s a very easy way to accomplish this. You can totally make crispy, spicy and healthy fries - that too at home! All you need to know is how to navigate through three basics: the veggie base for the fries, the medium to cook it in, and a dip to go with them. Here’s everything you need to know about making the healthiest fries in the world to indulge in.

Forget those potatoes, please

Okay, so potatoes are simply delicious. But so are many other veggies that are less starchy and more nutritious. According to a study published in  Advances in Nutrition  in 2012, vegetables are some of the richest sources of fibre, vitamins, antioxidants and minerals despite being very low in calories. And when it comes to fries, you have enough healthier options to choose from: carrots, beetroot, sweet potato, parsnips, zucchini, lotus stem, eggplant… We can go on with the list, but you get the idea, right?  

Who said crispy means deep-fried?

French fries are crispy because they are deep-fried in hot oil: this idea has taken such a hold of popular imagination that people forget that this method of cooking isn’t the only way to get veggies to crisp up. In fact, more than potatoes, it’s this method that makes fries the enemy of the health-conscious. A study published in the  Indian Heart Journal  in 2016 revealed how exposure to high temperatures during deep frying or even stir-frying destroys antioxidants and also releases toxins.   So instead of deep-frying veggies, how about you drizzle some olive oil on them, sprinkle chilli, pepper and salt and bake them? With air fryers easily available in the market now, you could give them a try as well. Just don’t overcrowd the oven tray or air-fryer basket and we’re sure the fries will come out as crispy and delicious as the French fries at that fast food joint you love.

Don’t dip into that!

There’s no way you can enjoy fries without a sauce to dip in, right? You need some ketchup, cheese dip or mayonnaise on the side. Or do you? The fact is that most of these commercially made sauces and dips have excess salt and sugar, which is not good for your health. According to a study published in  Preventive Medicine Reports  in 2015, most of these sauces have a very high sodium content, which can lead to high blood pressure as well as cardiovascular diseases. So, give the sauce a skip and try making a quick-and-easy healthy dip at home. Try simple ones like hummus, tahini, yoghurt dips or just make a nice and spicy salsa if you want that hit of tomato with your healthy fries. Now that you know how to nail easy and healthy homemade fries, why don’t you give them a try? Practice makes perfect after all. Try enough of these and you’ll never crave those store-bought fries again. For more information, read our article on   Healthy recipes_._ Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, India’s first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.