Are those vegetable fries from McDonald's really that much healthier than the ‘normal’ fries?
Say wine, snacks or haute cuisine and the gourmands at online food magazine FavorFlav know where to drink, how to eat it and what to cook. This time our cheffies serve you: Are those vegetable fries from McDonald's really that much healthier than the ‘normal’ fries?
It was big news: The French could only get vegetable fries at McDonald's for four weeks. No more golden fried potato sticks, but fries made from beets, carrots, and parsnips. The fast-food chain wanted to test whether this healthier vegetarian side dish would be popular. But are such vegetable fries really that much healthier than ‘normal’ fries?
In other words, does it really make that much difference whether you eat vegetable fries or potato fries? Iris Groenenberg, nutrition and health expert at the Nutrition Centre, and health scientist and chef Lotte Vermeer answered that question for NU.nl. And the answer may not be what you expect.
Frying is frying
Whether you throw beets, carrots, and parsnips into the fryer or potatoes, the fact remains that the products are fried. This means that so much fat is added that you ultimately consume three times as many calories. Additionally, chefs often sprinkle a lot of salt over fried products. All actions that do not make it healthy.
This is why frying is not good
By frying, a product loses a lot of vitamins and minerals per calorie. This happens to a much lesser extent when you boil or bake the product. Therefore, frying (duhhh) is not a healthy way of preparing food. How many vitamins and minerals are lost during frying is, according to Groenenberg, difficult to determine. This depends, among other things, on the freshness of the product and how the product has been stored.
Failed experiment?
Is McDonald's experiment then a wasted effort? Not at all. Vermeer says it is positive that people are now getting acquainted with vegetables they might not otherwise eat quickly. A forgotten vegetable like parsnip is getting some nice attention this way. According to Vermeer, this development at McDonald's also leads to more variety in a diet. And that perfectly aligns with McDonald's reasons for introducing the vegetable fries: getting to know new flavors and products from the French countryside.
Enjoy your fries
Don't forget that you come to McDonald's to enjoy yourself. If you want to keep it 100 percent healthy, you might as well walk past the big yellow M. On top of that: a (vegetable) fry now and then is perfectly fine. So off to your favorite fast-food chain. By the way, have you seen what new items are on the McDonald's menu yet? Run!
Source: NU.nl
