10 Healthier Ways to Make Fries and Chips

For many of us, fries and chips are guilty pleasures. This makes sense, since these foods are everywhere, whether in restaurants, our homes or the grocery store. But guess what? Making a pledge to eat a bit healthier doesn’t mean swearing off these two American favorites. To help fuel your craving, try getting a nice crunch from some other vegetables aside from potatoes. Here are 10 healthier ways to make fries and chips.

1. Daikon Fries

Instead of reaching for potatoes to make fries, try a different vegetable such as daikon. This recipe also includes instructions for making raw yam burgers, which are full of tasty veggies like green onions, red bell pepper, mushrooms, garlic cloves, and of course, yams.

2. Black Bean and Corn Chips

The flavor profile of these black bean and corn chips makes them great additions for a Mexican-inspired dinner. Try serving these chips with some homemade guacamole, red salsa or salsa Verde.

3. Baked Eggplant Fries

Eggplant is loaded with vitamins A, B, C, folate, and minerals like potassium. It is also rich in dietary fiber, contains no fat, and is low in calories. Give it a try with these baked fries.

4. Kale Chips

If you love the flavor of sour cream and onion chips, try this healthier version, which calls for kale instead of potatoes and cashews instead of animal products.

5. Lotus Chips

The coolest part about making these lotus chips is the shape you get when they’re finished dehydrating. The holes give them a different look that is sure to surprise the lucky people you share these with.

6. Grapefruit Eggplant Fries

This eggplant fries recipe is unique in that aside from the eggplant, you will use grapefruit juice for an additional burst of flavor.

7. Beet Chips

Not only are beet chips healthier than potato chips, but they also have a bright red color that makes them perfect for serving at parties.

8. Raw Spicy Jicama Fries

Jicama is a large, bulbous root vegetable with a thin brown skin and white crunchy flesh. Its sweet, nutty flavor is good both raw and cooked, which makes it a good choice for these raw fries. No oven required!

9. Raw Vegan Parmesan Pita Chips

This recipe requires a bit of prep work the day before; you will need to soak walnuts overnight. After you have finished dehydrating, the finished product has much flavor from the onion flakes, garlic powder and red onion.

10. Baked Kale Chips

These chips are a satisfying snack when you want something crunchy and healthy. To make them, all you need is a bunch of kale, some nutritional yeast and your choice of spices.

Lead image source: Baked Eggplant Fries