Why are potatoes healthy but French fries are not?

French fries are not known as a healthy food choice. But, as the eternal optimists say: There's always a potato hidden under that golden crust and that blob of mayonnaise. And potatoes are healthy. Although it becomes toxic in the sun. French fries can also be quite healthy, right?

When the potatoes are fried, they fall out of the disc

Potatoes are neatly included in the wheel of five. It contains vitamins B and C, and minerals such as potassium and phosphorus. French fries can be found far from the healthy slice. But it's made from potatoes, and it's hard to deny that. How much healthy nutritional value is left?

More vitamins in French fries

Believe it or not, some of the good stuff is found in French fries more than in boiled potatoes. For example, there is more potassium and vitamin C per ounce in French fries than in the non-fried version of potatoes. The explanation for this miracle is that potatoes contain a large amount of water. This evaporates when frying, which reduces its weight. The nutrients stay behind. So you get more of it per gram of potato in the form of French fries. You might almost say that frying is healthy.

Water turns into fat

But unfortunately, the good news ends here. The water in the potatoes has been partially replaced by frying fat. This substitution trick increases your calorie count dramatically. French fries contain four times the calories per hundred grams of boiled potatoes. Boiled potatoes make you feel full more quickly than fried potatoes. This makes it easy to eat too many French fries.

Are fried potatoes healthier?

French fries have another drawback. You'll never eat an entire plate of potatoes without vegetables (unless you're posing for a remake of the famous painting by Vincent van Gogh). We often look at French fries as a complete meal, which means you're missing out on important nutrients from vegetables, for example. Except for the stuff in French fries, because again: French fries aren't all bad.

How viable is the claim?

Yes, French fries are made from healthy potatoes. You can also get minerals and vitamins in fried form. But in terms of calories, it is better to eat cooked potatoes. And for the 41% of Dutch people who eat French fries every week: Don't forget the vegetables.