French Fries Calories: 10 Reasons to Avoid This Fast Food Favorite

A staple in many American homes, the simple french fry is a tasty side dish that can help you feel full, but have you ever looked at french fries calories and their nutrition profile?

Whether or not french fries are good for you is a complex question. For example, if you want to know if ordering french fries in a fast food drive-through is going to aid your health goals, obviously that answer is “no.”

But are there certain french fries that can be great add-ons to a healthy meal? Absolutely!

Why do french fries calories and nutrition matter? Nearly everyone in our country is eating them.

If we’re feeding children still in diapers the french fries from McDonald’s, we should know how they’re made, what’s in them and potential dangers they pose. However, it’s not all bad news. You (and your child) can still enjoy french fries and know they’re part of a healthy diet under the right circumstances.

Ad

How? Let’s find out.

What are french fries?

Strictly speaking, french fries are sliced potato strips that are fried in oil and usually served with a bit of salt. That three-ingredient recipe (potatoes, oil and salt) is not what most people now eat when they order french fries, however.

To use the most famous example, let’s look at a medium side of french fries from McDonald’s. A simple three-ingredient recipe becomes a list of more than a dozen ingredients, including several that are particularly concerning.

For one, McDonald’s (and most fast food chains) uses canola oil to fry, an oil that is almost always genetically modified.

Well, at least french fries are gluten-free and dairy-free, right? They might contain some unsavory oil, but there isn’t sugar in a box of french fries, right? Wrong again.

The “natural beef flavor” in McDonald’s vegetable oil contains both wheat and milk, meaning that people with celiac disease, gluten intolerance or milk allergy may react poorly to this side dish.

The fries also contain a form of corn sugar known as dextrose, which is chemically identical to blood sugar (glucose). Dextrose is not recommended for pregnant/nursing mothers, those with liver or diabetic issues, and a number of other problems. It can cause blood sugar to quickly skyrocket and also prevent proper fat digestion.

Other ingredients include hydrogenated soybean oil (soybeans are almost always GMO as well, not to mention rich in hormone-disrupting phytoestrogens), sodium acid pyrophasphate and other unsavory ingredients.

As you can see, not all french fries calories are equally nutritious. Let’s take a look at the differences.

French fries calories and nutrition facts

For the purposes of this comparison, we’re going to talk about the size of a medium McDonald’s french fry order.

So what is the difference between eating fast food french fries, cooking a similar recipe at home and making sweet potato fries.

One medium order of McDonald’s french fries (about 117 grams) contains approximately, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (slightly different numbers than what McDonald’s self-reports):

• Calories: 378
• Total Carbohydrates: 49.8 g
• Fiber: 4.6 g
• Sugar: 0.2 g
• Total Fat: 18.1 g
• Saturated Fat: 2.7 g
• Polyunsaturated Fat: 5.5 g
• Monounsaturated Fat: 8.6 g
• Trans Fat: 0.1 g
• Protein: 4 g
• Sodium: 221 mg (10% DV*)
• Niacin: 3.8 mg (24% DV)
• Vitamin B6: 0.4 mg (24% DV)
• Thiamine: 0.2 mg (17% DV)
• Potassium: 697 mg (15% DV)
• Pantothenic Acid: 0.7 mg (14% DV)
• Manganese: 0.3 mg (13% DV)
• Phosphorus: 149 mg (12% DV)
• Copper: 0.1 mg (11% DV)
• Vitamin E: 1.6 mg (11% DV)
• Magnesium: 43.3 mg (10% DV)
• Vitamin C: 6.6 mg (7% DV)
• Iron: 0.9 mg (5% DV)
• Zinc: 0.6 mg (5% DV)

In addition to the french fries calories and nutrients list above, McDonald’s medium fries also contain some calcium, selenium, riboflavin, choline, betaine, vitamin K lutein and zeaxanthin. Some of this actually looks impressive, but when you consider the fact that these “nutrients” come from genetically modified sources and are laced with a large number of chemicals, the picture becomes clearer.

What does it look like to make about the same amount of french fries at home by baking?

A 100-gram serving of fresh baked french fries provides about:

Ad

• Calories: 166
• Total Carbohydrates: 19.3 g
• Fiber: 1.7 g
• Sugar: 1.3 g
• Total Fat: 9.2 g
• Saturated Fat: 1.2 g
• Polyunsaturated Fat: 3.5 g
• Monounsaturated Fat: 3.8 g
• Protein: 2 g
• Sodium: 147 mg (6% DV*)
• Copper: 0.2 mg (22% DV)
• Vitamin B6: 0.3 mg (18% DV)
• Vitamin E: 1.8 mg (12% DV)
• Vitamin C: 10.1 mg (11% DV)
• Potassium: 419 mg (9% DV)
• Vitamin K: 10.1 mcg (8% DV)
• Thiamine: 0.1 mg (8% DV)
• Niacin: 1.3 mg (8% DV)
• Magnesium: 24 mg (6% DV)
• Iron: 0.7 mg (4% DV)
• Phosphorus: 54 mg (4% DV)
• Folate: 17 mcg (4% DV)

In addition to the french fries calories and nutrients listed above, they also contain some calcium, zinc, selenium, riboflavin, choline, beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin.

A 90-gram serving of fresh sweet potato fries contains roughly:

• Calories: 140
• Total Carbohydrates: 14.7 g
• Fiber: 2.5 g
• Sugar: 5.2 g
• Total Fat: 8.5 g
• Saturated Fat: 1.1 g
• Polyunsaturated Fat: 3.1 g
• Monounsaturated Fat: 3.5 g
• Protein: 1.3 g
• Sodium: 126 mg (5% DV*)
• Vitamin A: 572 mcg (64% DV)
• Copper: 0.2 mg (22% DV)
• Vitamin E: 1.8 mg (12% DV)
• Vitamin C: 10.7 mg (12% DV)
• Potassium: 413 mg (9% DV)
• Vitamin K: 8.4 mcg (7% DV)
• Vitamin B6: 0.1 mg (6% DV)
• Magnesium: 16.2 mg (4% DV)

In addition to the sweet potato french fries calories and nutritional information above, they also provide some calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folate, choline and beta-carotene.

As you can see, sweet potato fries tend to have far fewer calories than McDonal’ds french fries calories, and they’re definitely the most nutrient-dense option compared to fast food and white potato options.

*Daily Value: Percentages are based on a diet of 2,000 calories a day.

Risks and side effects

When it comes to french fries calories and nutrition, particularly the fast food versions people typically eat, there are many reasons to be concerned.

1. Increased cancer risk

A little Google searching will provide you with the No. 1 reason people are concerned with commercially produced french fries: acrylamide.

This chemical found in many industrial processes, like paper-making and wastewater treatment, forms in some starchy foods during high-temperature cooking. It’s a relatively newly understood compound (discovered in 2002), but it seems that this high-temp cooking forces a reaction between some sugars and asparagine (an amino acid) to form acrylamide.

The worst method for cooking starches, such as white potatoes, is frying, followed by baking, broiling and roasting. When preparing foods like these, try keeping the temperature below 250 degrees Fahrenheit or boiling/steaming the potatoes to avoid acrylamide formation.

The National Cancer Institute lists acrylamide as part of a diet that most likely increases the risk of cancer. Small cohort studies throughout Europe have found a potential risk of breast cancer, endometrial, ovarian and renal cell cancer when observing human subjects with high acrylamide markers.

Another study from Taiwan found that adolescents between 13 and 18 who consume a lot of french fries may have already developed a cancer risk higher than the “target excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR),” meaning the risk developed over an entire lifetime of exposure to possible carcinogens in foods and other sources.

To limit your exposure to acrylamide, cut and then soak your potatoes before cooking. It’s a good idea to soak them for two hours, if you can, which reduces acrylamide content.

You should also never keep raw potatoes in the fridge to reduce acrylamide consumption. Try keeping them in a cool, dark place before preparing.

A 2008 Danish study also found that adding rosemary extract may reduce acrylamide content by up to 67 percent, which also suggests that using rosemary in homemade french fries recipes might help limit your risk of exposure.

2. Obesity

The corn sugar called dextrose that McDonald’s fries are soaked in is yet another way the standard American diet exposes people to genetically modified corn. Increased intake of corn products is linked to obesity, independent of gender or ethnicity.

Excess sugars, such as dextrose, are stored in fat tissues when they can’t be immediately digested, leading to obesity and, sometimes, insulin resistance (and an increased risk for several conditions).

A study in Puerto Rico found that a diet high in french fries calories, meat and processed meat contributed to a high “allostatic load,” which refers to accumulated wear and tear associated with chronic stress. The same diet was also connected with higher waist circumference and elevated blood pressure.

Another issue with traditional french fries from white potatoes involves the complexity of the carbohydrates they contain. White potatoes break down faster and elevate blood sugar quickly, while sweet potatoes break down slowly in the system to offer more complete nutrition.

3. Osteoporosis

McDonald’s fries also contain sodium acid pyrophosphate, a leavening agent that is commonly found in cheeseburgers, milk products and boxed cake mixes. Because it is absorbed as phosphorus in the body, it’s important to keep track of how much you’re consuming, as your phosphorus-to-calcium ratio should be about 1:1.

Eating french fries and other foods high in phosphorus and sodium acid pyrophosphate can potentially lead to elevated blood phosphorus levels. Too much phosphorus disrupts various functions of the body and contributes to bone loss, eventually resulting in osteoporosis.

4. Laden with carcinogenic pesticides

McDonald’s, in particular, prides itself on using potatoes that have not been genetically modified. That might be inspiring on its own, but there have been major concerns about the pesticides used on potatoes purchased by the fast food giant.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that up to 10 percent of agricultural pesticides drift away from the target they’re meant to spray.

Air quality tests in several Minnesota counties between 2006-2009 found that a third of samples tested positive for at least one pesticide, including chlorathalonil, pendimethalin, chlorpyrifos, PCNB and 2,4-D.

To give you a brief overview of the impact of these pesticides: One is associated with neurological disruption, kidney damage and tumors. Two are considered “probable human carcinogens, with links to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and sarcoma.”

5. Diabetes

Potentially because of the simplicity of the carbohydrates in white potatoes, french fries are associated with the development of Type II diabetes.

Research analyzing the association between eating french fries as a substitute for complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, and diabetes found that diabetes risk increased for those eating french fries and other conventional potato dishes. These cohorts, combined, included 283,736 subjects.

For pregnant moms, eliminating french fries may be helpful in avoiding gestational diabetes. Particularly for women who were already overweight or obese, a 2016 study found an increased risk of gestational diabetes in women who regularly consume soft drinks and french fries calories.

6. High blood pressure

In addition to the Puerto Rican study mentioned above, another cohort of studies found a strong correlation between consuming a lot of french fries and other white potato products with increased risk of hypertension.

The authors sought to examine whether consumption of potatoes (prepared in different ways) was associated with risk of developing hypertension. They used data from three large U.S. prospective cohort studies: the Nurses’ Health Study, the Nurses’ Health Study II and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study.

Participants who were free of hypertension at baseline were followed over time, and their dietary intakes (especially of baked, boiled or mashed potatoes; french fries; and potato chips) were assessed. When comparing people who ate less than one serving per month to those consuming four or more servings per week, the researchers found:

• For baked, boiled or mashed potatoes, the pooled hazard ratio (HR) was 1.11. That is, there was a modest and borderline statistically significant (on the edge) increased risk of hypertension associated with higher intake of these kinds of potatoes.
• For french fries, the association was stronger with a pooled HR of 1.17. Thus, higher intake of french fries calories was more clearly linked to a greater risk of incident hypertension.
• For potato chips, the HR was 0.97, indicating essentially no statistically significant association. In other words, potato chip consumption in this analysis did not show evidence of increasing hypertension risk compared to the lowest intake group.

They also conducted substitution analyses. When they modeled replacing one daily serving of baked, boiled or mashed potatoes with one serving of non-starchy vegetables, the risk of hypertension was reduced. This suggests that replacing starchy potato servings with non-starchy vegetables might lower the risk of developing hypertension.

7. Food addiction

A novel project was conducted in 2015 to investigate the prevalence of food addiction in 100 overweight and obese children. Seventy-one percent of the children in the study were diagnosed with food addiction, with french fries as the fourth most frequently addictive foods discovered, only trumped by chocolate, ice cream and carbonated beverages.

Eating french fries once or twice each week increased the risk of food addiction in study participants by more than two times.

8. Slow-moving sperm

Western dietary habits, including french fries and other fast foods, seem to be an indicator of asthenozoospermia, a condition involving slow-moving sperm. On the inverse, what the researchers referred to as a “prudent” dietary plan, involving lots of colorful vegetables, seafood, fruits, legumes, whole grains, poultry, tea, coffee, dairy and oils, did not show the same results.

9. Inflammation from poor omega-3/omega-6 balance

Omega-3s and omega-6s both include an incredible number of benefits, but the ratio of acids is incredibly important. Americans get far too much omega-6 in their diets without getting enough omega-3s, which leads to chronic inflammation and disease.

Decreasing omega-6 levels helps protect against degenerative and chronic illnesses.

Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids use the same conversion enzymes to be activated, so they are in competition for those enzymes. While historical norms find a 1:1 ratio, modern diets average between 10:1 and 20:1, with some individuals averaging up to 25:1.

To achieve an optimal level of omega-3s to omega-6s, it’s important to decrease your omega-6 intake to somewhere around 3 percent of your daily calories (on a 2,000-calorie diet) and consume about 0.65 grams each day of omega-3s. This achieves close to the 2.3:1 ratio that represents the top end of “optimal.”

What does this have to do with french fries? Well, french fries calories from McDonald’s contain much more of your recommended amount of omega-6 than omega-3. You can help get this ratio in more balance with homemade french fries or sweet potato french fries.

10. Potential allergy

While it is rare, potato allergy is possible for some people. Because it is a member of the Solanaceae family, the potato may cause similar allergic reactions that you may have when eating tomato, cherry, eggplant, melon, pear and other members of this food family.

Typical symptoms of potato allergy include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, itchy mouth, swollen throat, eczema, atopic dermatitis, runny nose, weepy eyes, sneezing, asthma and tight chest.

Potential benefits

While potatoes aren’t always thought of as the healthiest food, some studies do position white potatoes as a source of nutrition that is cost-effective, and it’s true they do contain important vitamins and minerals with a relatively low calorie count.

The overwhelming consensus, however, reflects that colored potatoes offer the most broad range of health benefits. These benefits come from the antioxidant-rich vitamins and minerals that help individuals to lower their chances of developing chronic or acute diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s.

If you’re making homemade french fries using sweet potatoes or purple potatoes, then french fries calories can offer some great benefits. Conventional french fries, especially those sold in fast food establishments, do nothing for your health.

Healthier recipes and alternatives

While prepackaged and fast food french fries are foods you should mostly stay away from, there are some great options for french fries that won’t break your nutritional bank in one sitting. For example, these sweet potato rosemary fries are incredibly easy to make and have the health benefits of both sweet potatoes and rosemary.

Two other great options are turnip fries and baked vegetable fries. These provide the feeling of having those fries you love so much without any of the starchy guilt.

Really want that classic potato taste? Well, what about the colorful option of purple sweet potato french fries? Purple potatoes are full of antioxidants and known to have great benefits, such as regulation of blood pressure and insoluble fiber content.

Final thoughts

• French fries from fast food establishments, such as McDonald’s or Burger King, have many more ingredients than most people would expect.
• French fries calories depend on the source, as a medium fry from a fast food chain contains nearly 400 calories while homemade varieties hover around 100 to 200 calories in the same serving.
• Regularly eating conventional french fries is associated with a number of risks and health problems, including carcinogenic acrylamide consumption, obesity, osteoporosis, pesticide exposure, diabetes, high blood pressure, food addiction, sperm issues and chronic inflammation.
• Instead of traditional french fries made from white potatoes, try using sweet potatoes or purple potatoes to make fries that are loaded with health benefits rather than risks.