French fries are a tasty treat, but you might be concerned about the oil used to prepare them. French fries cooked in canola oil may or may not be better for you, depending on your specific health concerns. Regardless, with a little knowledge, you can enjoy canola-cooked fries as part of your health-conscious lifestyle.
Benefits
Canola oil, made from rapeseed, is one of the healthier oils, according to MayoClinic.com. Canola oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, which can help lower bad cholesterol levels and keep blood sugar under control, lowering your risk of heart attack and Type II diabetes. French fries cooked in canola oil can pose less of a risk to your long-term health than those cooked in saturated fats like melted lard.
Considerations
French fries prepared with canola oil, though better for your heart, have the same fat and calories as other french fries. Canola oil, like other common frying fats such as peanut oil and lard, is 100 percent fat. Also like other fats, it contains 9 calories per gram, reports "The Doctors Book of Food Remedies." Eat too many Canola-fried spuds and you'll gain just as much weight as you would eating fries cooked with any other fat.
Cooking Tips
When making french fries yourself, consider the cold-start technique. "Cooks Illustrated Magazine" recommends pouring cold oil over your cut fries and bringing them to a boil, then cooking for about 5 minutes. This technique differs from most recipes that call for submerging fries in hot oil. This advantage of the cold-start technique is that it allows you to use less fat overall, an important consideration when working with canola oil, which, being a more desirable product than some other oils, is often a bit more expensive.
Lighter Alternatives
Canola oil's mild flavor makes it an excellent choice for oven-frying. To make light but still crispy fries, soak cut potatoes in hot tap water for 10 minutes, then dry the potatoes with paper towels. Doing this softens the starches in the potatoes, so that they will brown more easily, reports "Cooks Illustrated Magazine."
References
- MayoClinic.com : Dietary Fats, Know Which Types to Choose
- "Cooks Illustrated Magazine"; Easier French Fries; July 2009
- "Cooks Illustrated Magazine"; Lighter Oven Fries; April 2007
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