Tasty Low Carb Fries no BS

Photo shared from Low-Cholesterol.com

When I first saw the photos like this of 'low carb' french fry options I thought those have to be BS trick photography ... there is no way that they can be low carb because they look so tasty just like a real french fry does and all crispy and well just YUMMY FOOD PORN .... so I went on to do some investigating cause with removing 'grains' from my diet that means no potatoes either and no french fries on burger night with the family.  Turns out technically I was right  about them being BS cause when I clicked to find out HOW they were low carb I found out they are made of wait for it ... Butternut Squash!

 

French Fry comparison chart

Working in my field 'flavorless baby food' is the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of butternut squash so when I found out that it could be a health version of a FRENCH FRY  I was admittedly a little skeptical cause fresh fries are CRISPY on the outside and well squash got its name because it is well SQUASHY! 

However that said the 'low carb' claim for them held true compared to other popular french fry mediums over here on the right that I looked up online the butternut squash is the lowest calorie and carb option and still packs a punch of some fiber, protein and vitamins. Over all a nice sound choice nutritionally specially for someone like me who struggles with glucose issues! 

So the next question of course was how do they TASTE? Cause they looked lovely enough to fool the eye into accepting them HOWEVER the taste buds need to be convinced too!

What You Need

• Butternut squash ~ size depends on how many people you are feeding we chose a small one 
• 1 tablespoon Coconut oil melted (optional)
• Seasoning of choice ~ I used Epicure Chipolte Ranch  
•  Parchment paper

 

Low Carb French Fries? Tell me more!

What You Do

• Peel the squash. I found it easiest to cut it in half at the fat part so it was 'flat' and I peeled it with a sharp knife by hand.
• De-seed the large end of the squash
• Slice the squash into 'french fry size' pieces.
• In a bowl toss the squash with coconut oil I opted for this to help my spices evenly coatc an stick but the original recipe that inspired me did not have oil. Add your seasoning of choice in the quantity to taste. We eat a low sodium diet so not add salt but you could add salt only or spices of choice.  I used 1 tablespoon of the Epicure Chipolte Ranch seasoning for the whole squash 
• Lay out evenly on the parchment paper covered stone or pan.
• Bake at 400F for 20-30 minutes depending on how crispy you like your 'fries'. When we are in a hurry I put them on broil for the last 3-5 minutes to help get that crispy edge.
• Serve as a side with your favorite burger recipe. We had them with bunless Cheddar Bacon burgers. 

BS Fries & Bunless Burger

Definitely MY new favorite way to make french fries and my spouse enjoyed them as well. However in the interest of honesty the teenager in the house decided after about 3 fries that he prefers his McCain's frozen french fries after all and well he's old enough now to cook his own meals cause I am not a restaurant ... one meal on the menu like it or leave it ;-) 

ETA I have since tried these with the daycare kiddies ~ so my guess based on experience is hook them young before they get too addicted to the frozen french fry. Based on how well they were accepted I do not think they noticed a difference between these and other 'french fries' cause they gobbled them up! Gives great peace of mind knowing that these were a nice healthy version that were quick and easy to make!

So what's your favorite French Fry medium? The Potato, the Sweet Potato or are you wiling to give the BS Fries a try?

Have an amazing day!

Margaret

Live well, Laugh Often, Love Much!

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