I don’t think anyone considers French fries to be health food, and for good reason. Whether you follow a low-carb or low-fat diet, this greasy little finger food loses on both counts. Unfortunately, it’s that combination of carbs and fat that makes them so irresistible, and why, when you do indulge, you keep going back for more.
Potatoes on a Paleo Diet
White potatoes already occupy an uncertain position on the Paleo menu. They’re very high in carbs, but they’re also full of nutrients, which means they can be eaten by those who are active or just have a naturally high tolerance for carbs. Unfortunately, frying them at very high temperatures destroys a lot of the vitamins and minerals that make potatoes a sort-of health food. The carbs remain though, and frying them makes the carbs potentially carcinogenic.
The Fat
Then there are the oils. Even if you fry the slices of potato in lard or duck fat, you’re still killing vitamins and minerals and spiking blood sugar, but most restaurants aren’t using lard or duck fat. Instead, they’re using canola oil or hydrogenated corn oil, fats that are often rancid before they even reach the fryer, and certainly have no chance of remaining stable after spending hours exposed to high heat. Consuming oxidized fats should be avoided whenever possible because it tends to lead to oxidized cholesterol in our blood, and that’s the cholesterol that can cause problems for us.
