French fries are a go to snack for many, especially when they visit their favourite fast-food joint. But as we all know french fries aren’t particularly healthy, not only are they deep fried, but the starches in them can cause a spike in insulin and can lead to elevated blood sugar levels and unwanted weight gain. In fact, constant insulin spikes can lead to type 2 Diabetes, which opens another can of worms altogether. As always, in our know your calories series, we analyze the ingredients and calories and take a look at the kind of impact the food can have on your overall health.
Ingredients:
French fries may not have a host of ingredients, but the ones sold frozen or at your favorite fast food burger joint are more than just potatoes. Besides potatoes, they come doused in a variety of oils such as palm, soy, and vegetable oils. In fact, if you take a look at the ingredients from a famous burger outlet, then they also add ingredients such as dextrose into the mix, which will further spike your blood sugar levels, besides adding to the empty calories.
Carbohydrates:
We have said it before and we will say it again, carbohydrates aren’t the enemy here, but the source of carbohydrates are equally important. With a whopping 46 grams of carbohydrates (184 calories) coming from carbohydrates alone, all of which are starches, you can expect to see elevated blood sugar levels for a good few hours after consuming a serving of these unhealthy snacks. Moreover, most fast food joints douse the fries with a more than generous serving of salt, all of which holds the potential to make you obese.
Fats:
Again, fats are important and we at HYP get it more than anyone! But to ignore the source of fats is equally ignorant. Every medium serving of french fries sold at your fast food joint comes with a not so healthy serving of 19 grams of fats, all of which are either from hydrogenated vegetable oils or the oil that is reused to fry multiple batches of french fries. As you must be aware, reheating oils multiple times makes them carcinogenic, which is why you must avoid eating deep fried foods, at least from restaurants.
Protein:
The most important macro nutrient that is the building block of your body and helps keep you satiated is protein, which is found in the least quantity. With a mere 4 grams of incomplete protein per serving, this food is anything but a healthy snack. In fact, french fries are almost a staple at parties and social gatherings and make for an excellent accompaniment with alcoholic beverages, which makes it all the more easier to over-consume.
So the next time you see a serving of french fries, maybe limit yourself to a few fries, or avoid them altogether and opt for baked snacks instead.
Questions?