Calories In French Fries

French fries are a type of fast food that is very popular with children as well as adults.  They are basically potato strips that are cooked by frying them in oil. The recipe for french fries may differ considerably. They can be bought easily from any mid-range restaurants, cafes and fast food joints. Although french fries are very tasty especially with ketchup, vinegar and salt, they still cannot be categorized as healthy. However, there are some nutrients in french fries which you can benefit from, but you should make sure not to consume them more than once in a while.

French fries are a good source of fiber since they are made from potatoes.

Calories In 10 French Fries

The calories in 10 french fries or a serving of a low fat version of french fries that is frozen is around 98. 65 calories in the french fries come from carbohydrates, 6 calories come from proteins and the rest 27 calories come from fat. A french fries serving size is 65 grams or a little above two ounces. The potato strips are fried in vegetable oil and no salt is added. The nutrient content in 10 french fries includes around 16 grams of carbohydrates and 1.5 grams of protein.

Calories In 1 Cup French Fries

In 1 cup of french fries, 182. 48 percent of the calories come from fat, 47 percent comes from carbohydrates and 5 percent comes from protein.  The nutrient facts in 1 cup of french fries are 9.17 grams of fat, 21.39 grams of carbohydrates, 2.14 grams of proteins, 315 mg of potassium, 2 grams of dietary fiber and 110 mg of sodium.

Calories In 2 Cups Of French Fries

There are 367 calories in 2 cups of french fries. 54 percent of the calories come from fat, 38 percent come from carbohydrates and 8 percent comes from protein. 2 cups of french fries contains 22.34 grams of fat, 35.5 grams of carbohydrates, 6.65 grams of protein, 466 mg of sodium, 366mg of potassium, 1.8 grams of dietary fiber and 4.92 grams of sugars.

Side Effects Of French Fries

There are many side effects of french fries because their ranking on the glycemic index is quite high and it also has problems with the sodium and fat content.  Some of the side effects of french fries include increased blood sugar levels and weight gain. Studies have shown that potatoes bring about more weight gain than beverages sweetened with sugar and red meat.

Tips On French Fries Intake

Although there is no specific recommended quantity of french fries intake, still you should make sure to have them as a treat occasionally. It is important that you know when to consume french fries. Consuming too much of them will cause health issues like clogged arteries and obesity. One of the healthy ways to consume french fries is by avoiding vinegar, salt and ketchup. You could also try using sweet potatoes instead of plain russet potatoes, as sweet potatoes have more beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin A and fiber. By baking the fries instead of frying them you can cut down on the fat. Making the fries more flavorful will eliminate the need for sugary ketchup. The quality of french fries will depend mostly on the quality of the potatoes used. At some time during the year the potatoes will have a high moisture content, the fries produced from these potatoes will end up soggy. The best potatoes should be low in moisture and sugar and with a specific gravity of around 1.08. The quality of french fries will also depend on the oil used and the frying time.

To be able to enjoy french fries at a later time you could follow some effective storage tips. One tip is to arrange the fries in a single file on an aluminum tray and place it in the freezer. Let it remain for an hour to freeze. You should then put the fries in a plastic freezer bag and keep it in the freezer. Using this method, french fries can be kept for around four months.