Crispy Pan-Fried Potatoes Are Even Better Than French Fries (2024)

FAQs

Are pan-fried potatoes good for you? ›

Some studies suggest that eating potatoes four or more times per week can increase your risk for high blood pressure. This was true for any kind of potato — fried, baked, boiled, or mashed. Other large studies haven't found a clear link between eating more potatoes and the risk of heart disease.

French fries have many times the calories and fat than the potato from which they were made. Potato chips, tater tots, and hash browns are also usually deep-fried in oil. Roasting, boiling, and baking are healthier options and can make delicious dishes, too.

Home fries are diced potatoes that are boiled then pan-fried. They're not deep fried like 'fries', and they're not shredded like hash browns.

Key takeaways. If you want to eat your potatoes deep-fried, potato chips are a healthier choice than french fries. They are lower on the glycemic index, so they will have a minimal effect on your blood sugar. Avoid potato chips with added ingredients, and look for chips cooked in olive oil or avocado oil.

Eating four or more servings per week of boiled, baked, mashed, or fried potatoes is associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure, according to a review of three large U.S. studies.

The Healthiest Potato is the Red Potato

After taking into account the mineral density, the vitamin density, the macronutrient balance, the sugar-to-fiber ratio, the sodium-to-potassium ratio, and the phytochemical profile, red potatoes are the healthiest potato with data from the USDA Food Database.

“Air frying is a healthier option because it essentially eliminates added oils,” confirms registered dietitian Julia Zumpano, RD, LD. But what is air frying and how does it work? Despite the name, air fryers don't technically fry food.

“The use of fried potatoes is probably associated with a higher risk of diabetes and other comorbidities for several reasons, such as cooking with trans fats,” the study report says. Trans fats are fairly easy to use, because they last a long time and are inexpensive to produce.

I would alternate between crispy and soggy, which is the ideal way to consume them: Each is delicious on its own, but you don't want either to overwhelm. In a mix, they hit a perfect balance.

Classic potato chips are typically fried, which makes them extra crispy. But frying foods isn't the healthiest way to cook them. A diet high in fried and ultraprocessed foods is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular issues, cancer, dementia and mental health issues.

Is it okay to eat french fries once a week? ›

Unfortunately, there are no concrete numbers for what moderation means for different people. For some, having a plate of fries once a week might be fine. For others, twice a month may be a better idea. “Everyone should limit their intake of fried foods, but there is not a one-size-fits-all answer,” Cox says.

But when you bake potatoes, they retain more of their vitamins and minerals. Baking also doesn't require any added oil, so it's a healthier cooking method overall.

However, baking or boiling potatoes could be a healthier way for aloo lovers to relish their favourite food. These two cooking processes do not add extra calories to potatoes, making them more nutritious. Both boiling and baking retain more nutrients than frying, which can degrade some nutrients due to the high heat.

Vegetables, such as potatoes, have more nutrients when fried in extra virgin olive oil then when boiled. The antioxidants and beneficial phenols in EVOO are transferred to the food. This is important because many people had assumed that the phenols in food and olive oil are destroyed by cooking.

For example, frying potatoes in oil adds fat. Same goes for loading up mashed potatoes with butter, sour cream, and milk. These all add fats to the potatoes, and trans or saturated fats are known to contribute to high cholesterol levels.