These fries are the ultimate gluten free, vegan, healthified comfort food. If you have been missing potato fries, then you are going to love these! I have definitely been missing them. There are so many reasons to avoid fries, they are one of the most unhealthy foods, either the frozen packaged kind or at restaurants.
1. They are Deep Fried
The saturated fats, trans fats, partially hydrogenated oil, carcinogenic (cancer causing) toxins… yep its as gross as it sounds. Eating fried foods exacerbates health conditions, and can also cause cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
The best way to never want to eat fried foods again? Train yourself to be absolutely disgusted by the smell of fried foods. It actually doesn’t take much to do this. Walking past a fish & chip shop is about as gross to me as walking past a butchers – the smell makes me gag.
2. Non-Organic Potatoes Absorb Pesticides
Sorry folks, peeling potatoes is not enough: the pesticides, herbicides AND fungicides that are used on potatoes are absorbed right through the root vegetable.
From this article on Yahoo:
Root vegetables absorb herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides that wind up in soil. In the case of potatoes-the nation’s most popular vegetable-they’re treated with fungicides during the growing season, then sprayed with herbicides to kill off the fibrous vines before harvesting. After they’re dug up, the potatoes are treated yet again to prevent them from sprouting. “Try this experiment: Buy a conventional potato in a store, and try to get it to sprout. It won’t,” says Moyer, who is also farm director of the Rodale Institute (also owned by Rodale Inc., the publisher of Prevention). “I’ve talked with potato growers who say point-blank they would never eat the potatoes they sell. They have separate plots where they grow potatoes for themselves without all the chemicals.”
3. Gluten Contamination
Most packaged, frozen fries have gluten in them (or some other crazy ingredients I’m too scared to eat!). Most restaurants either use frozen fries which are a danger zone, or they deep fry them in vats with other gluten containing foods, like coated chicken or fish.
So, what to do, what to do, what to do?
Make your own with organic potatoes and a healthy oil!
- 2kg / 4lb organic potatoes, cut into 1cm / ¼” – ½” thick pieces
- 1-2 Tbsp grapeseed oil, coconut oil or olive oil
- 1 tsp salt + a pinch
- In a large pot, add potatoes and salt. Cover with more than enough water. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 20 minutes, until potatoes are just soft. Drain in a colander.
- Turn oven to 200°C / 400° F.
- In a large non stick baking tray, spread out potatoes. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt.
- Bake for 40 minutes – 1 hour. My oven is very hot and cooks fast, so mine took only 40 minutes.
Happy Mothers Day to all the Mums out there. I picked up these gorgeous fresh lillies from the farmers market on Saturday for my Mum, along with a bottle of organic wine (she does love the wine).
