Sweet Potato Fries: Are They Really Any Better for You?
By Melinda Hershey, for SparkPeople
Do you have sweet potato on the brain like we do? I've been eating them in every way possible this fall: Cut into wedges and roasted with spices; baked in foil and smothered with cinnamon and pecans; even blended up into smoothies! One my favorite treats is a piping hot batch of sweet potato fries. You've heard time and time again that sweet potatoes are full of good-for-you nutrients, but does that hold true when they're sliced up and fried? What do you think: Is there really that big of a difference between regular French fries and sweet potato fries? We're putting Ore Ida's Sweet Potato Fries and Golden Fries (regular French fries) head to head to find out the answer! :
The Winner: It's a Tie!
First, let's check out the nutrition information from the Ore Ida website
Golden Fries
Serving Size: 84g | |
Amount Per Serving | |
Calories 130 | Calories from Fat 30 |
% Daily Value * | |
Total Fat 3.5g | 5% |
Saturated Fat 1g | 5% |
Trans Fat 0 | |
Cholesterol 0 | 0% |
Sodium 290mg | 13% |
Potassium 390mg | 10% |
Total Carbohydrates 21g | 7% |
Dietary Fiber 2g | 8% |
Sugars | |
Protein 2g | |
Vitamin A | 0% |
Vitamin C | 6% |
Calcium | 0% |
Iron | 2% |
Sweet Potato Fries
Serving Size: 84g | |
Amount Per Serving | |
Calories 160 | Calories from Fat 70 |
% Daily Value * | |
Total Fat 8g | 12% |
Saturated Fat 0.5g | 3% |
Trans Fat 0 | |
Cholesterol 0 | 0% |
Sodium 160mg | 8% |
Potassium 280mg | 8% |
Total Carbohydrates 21g | 7% |
Dietary Fiber 2g | 10% |
Sugars 6g | |
Protein 1g | |
Vitamin A | 50% |
Vitamin C | 4% |
Calcium | 2% |
Iron | 4% |
It looks like the sweet potato fries have 30 more calories than the regular fries per serving, as well as 4.5 more grams of fat. However, the sweet potato fries also have 50% more vitamin A than the regular fries, with 130 fewer mg of sodium. Also notice that both varieties of fries have the same amount of fiber (2 grams). Both potatoes and sweet potatoes get most of their fiber from the skin, which is often sliced off in commercially-prepared fries. With skin, sweet potatoes have just slightly more fiber than regular potatoes.
Which do you prefer: Regular fries or sweet potato fries?
Related links:
Which Orange Veggie Will Save You 100 Calories?
Pumpkin: Fresh vs. Canned
The Truth about Wendy's 'Natural Cut' Fries
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