Are frozen sweet potato fries healthy? Alexia sweet potato fries contain 140 calories, 24 grams carbohydrates (21g net carbs), 5 grams fat, and 140mg sodium per 3 oz serving (12 fries). Most sweet potato fries are not the best choice for weight loss because they are ultra-processed foods that are easy to overeat. For diabetics, small portions of sweet potato fries can fit into a carb exchange diet, but they aren’t a good fit for low carb or keto diets.
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➕ Are frozen sweet potato fries healthy?
Are sweet potato fries healthy? The answer to are sweet potato fries good for you depends on what your individual needs are. In general, most frozen sweet potato fries from the store aren’t the best choice health-wise. They often count as ultra-processed foods, containing added sugars, refined flour, additives, and/or highly processed oils.
That said, sweet potato fries do count as a vegetable on the MyPlate. They are rich in provitamin A carotenoids and essential nutrients including potassium. In addition, they are considered a heart-healthy “slow carb” that provides fiber.
Making homemade sweet potato fries is a less processed and more nutritious (i.e., healthier) choice than most store-bought fries. However, if food preparation is difficult due to illness, disability, or other reasons, store sweet potato fries might be what is best in your circumstances. There are often no one-size-fits-all answers when it comes to nutrition.
How many calories in sweet potato fries?
There are 140 calories in 12 Alexia frozen sweet potato fries (3 ounce or 85 gram serving). The exact calorie count for sweet potato fries varies depending on your portion size and how they were prepared.
How many carbs in sweet potato fries?
Sweet potato fries contain 24 grams carbohydrates (or 21 grams net carbohydrates) per 3 oz serving (12 fries). This is for Alexia sweet potato fries. The exact carb count of your fries depends on your portion and how they were prepared.
The glycemic index (GI) is a scale that measures how quickly a carbohydrate-containing food raises blood glucose levels compared to a reference food (usually pure glucose or white bread). Foods with a high GI are rapidly digested and cause a quick spike in blood sugar levels, while foods with a low GI are digested more slowly, leading to a slower and more gradual increase in blood sugar levels.
Sweet potatoes generally have a lower glycemic index than regular potatoes, but the glycemic index of sweet potato fries can be influenced by various factors, such as how they are prepared and cooked. Typically, frying tends to increase the glycemic index of foods compared to baking or boiling.
Baked sweet potatoes have a GI score of 64, a medium level (source). Frozen sweet potato fries often have a high GI score, since the fries are typically fried (or partially fried) before freezing. Homemade sweet potato fries may have a lower GI score (in theory at least) if they are baked and never fried.
Are frozen sweet potatoes nutritious?
Yes, frozen sweet potatoes can be nutritious as they retain many of their original nutrients when properly prepared and frozen. Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants, providing numerous health benefits. However, sweet potato fries may be much higher in calories than plain sweet potato due to added oil.
🍠 Alexia Sweet Potato Fries Nutrition
Here is the nutrition information for Alexia sweet potato fries (3 ounce serving of 12 fries):
Calories: 140
Total Fat: 5g
Saturated Fat: 0g
Trans Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 140mg
Total Carbohydrate: 24g
Dietary Fiber: 3g
Total Sugars: 6g
Added Sugar: 4g
Protein: 1g
Calcium: 0% DV
Iron: 2% DV
Potassium: 190mg
Are Alexia fries healthy?
Are Alexia sweet potato fries healthy? Unfortunately, even the health food store brands of sweet potato fries may contain ingredients you may want to limit on your plate. Alexia fries contain oil from frying, added sugar, refined flour, and other additives that aren’t the most nutritious ingredients.
To demonstrate, here are the ingredients for Alexia sweet potato fries:
- Sweet potatoes
- Vegetable oils (including highly processed canola oil or sunflower seed oil)
- Rice flour (a refined flour)
- Cane sugar (added sugar)
- Tapioca starch and corn starch
- Dextrin
- Sea salt
- Spices
- Mustard powder
- Gluconic acid (food additive)
- Xanthan gum
Are Alexia sweet potato fries already fried? Alexia fries are par-fried before freezing (source). That means they are partially fried in oil before they are frozen and packaged.
🍟 Ore Ida Sweet Potato Fries
If you want to save money, there isn’t a huge difference nutritionally between frozen sweet potato fry brands. Here are the ingredients for Ore-Ida sweet potato fries:
- Sweet potatoes
- Modified potato starch
- Rice flour (refined flour)
- Canola oil (highly processed oil)
- Dextrin
- Sea salt
- Leavening
- Xanthan gum
- Annatto
- Silicon dioxide (food additive)
At the time of writing, Ore Ida sweet potato fries contain less added sugar than Alexia fries. Both brands contain highly processed oils, refined flour, and food additives we generally avoid in home cooking. (IMVHO, they’re both a delicious way to eat some veggies, though.)
🏆 Healthiest Frozen Sweet Potato Fries
What are the healthiest fries? If you want healthy frozen sweet potato fries, one of your best bets is homemade and oven baked (or air fried). You can make your own healthy homemade sweet potato fries without the refined flours, added sugars, highly processed veg oils, and additives in store-bought frozen fries.
Another advantage about DIY recipes with a small number of ingredients is that they work for many special diets. Sweet potato fries made with only a small amount of oil and salt are naturally gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, paleo, sugar free, soy free, nut free, and dairy free.
Healthiest Frozen Sweet Potato Fries Recipe
Here's how to make the healthiest frozen sweet potato fries:
- Boil a large pot of water on the stovetop over medium heat. Peel 12 oz of sweet potatoes (340g) and cut them into sweet potato fry shapes that are ½-inch (1.27 cm) thick and 3½-4 inches (9-10 cm) long. Try to make them all about the same thickness for more even cooking.
- Put the sweet potato pieces in the pot of boiling water and cook for three minutes to parboil. With parboiling they’ll air fry perfectly crisp on the outside (with no burning!) and soft on the inside.
- Drain the sweet potatoes and rinse them in cool water to stop the cooking process. Spread the sweet potato french fries out in a single layer on paper towels. Pat their tops dry with more towels to remove as much moisture as possible.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay the cut sweet potatoes out on the sheet in a single layer. Freeze them on the tray overnight.
- Put the frozen sweet potato fries in a freezer baggie with the air pressed out for longer-term freezer storage. You can use them whenever you're ready to have some fries!
- To air fry, coat frozen sweet potato fries with 2 tablespoons of oil and a sprinkle of sea salt. Air fry the same way you’d air fry frozen sweet potato fries from the store. (Instructions are in the next section.)
🔥 Air Fry Frozen Sweet Potato Fries
Air fryer frozen sweet potato fries are a healthier alternative to deep frying sweet potato fries, and faster than oven baking. The air fryer is perfect for cooking sweet potato fries to crispy perfection without burning.
All you need to make air fryer frozen sweet potato fries are 10-12 ounces of frozen sweet potato fries (283-340g). You don’t need cooking spray since the fries contain oil, but some dipping sauce for serving is a good idea.
Here are the step-by-step instructions for air fryer sweet potato fries:
- Place the frozen sweet potato fries in the air fryer basket or tray (some overlapping fries is ok). Air fry at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200C) for 10 minutes.
- Flip or shake the fries and air fry for 7-10 minutes more at 400F (200C). This gets the fries nice and crispy. Cook them for a shorter time if you prefer them less crisp.
Frozen sweet potato fries can burn fast! Watch them closely in the last few minutes so you can remove the fries that are done and let the others continue cooking.
All air fryers cook differently, so you may need to modify the cooking time. 19-20 minutes was perfect for my air fryer oven, but they only took 17-18 minutes in my small air fryer. If you have a very small air fryer you may need to cook this recipe in more than one batch.
FAQs
Sweet potato fries typically contain about the same calories as regular fries if they are prepared in similar ways. For example, Alexia sweet potato fries contain 140 calories per 3 oz serving, while Alexia Yukon select fries have 120 calories per 3 ounce serving. Keep in mind that calorie content varies based on cooking methods and portion sizes.
Potatoes and sweet potatoes have a lot in common nutritionally, and the one that’s healthier depends on your needs. However, one thing you get from sweet potato fries that you aren’t getting from regular french fries are provitamin A carotenoids. Your body can convert certain carotenoids (such as beta carotene) into vitamin A.
Is frozen sweet potato fries processed food? Frozen sweet potato fries are generally considered processed food as they undergo washing, cutting, blanching, freezing, and sometimes coating with additives before packaging.
McCain sweet potato fries, like most other frozen sweet potato fries brands, are an ultra-processed food. If you’re looking for a snack or appetizer with a simple ingredients list, they are not the healthiest option. That said, they can help certain individuals eat more vegetables or increase calorie intake.
To prevent burnt sweet potato fries, cut the fries as evenly as possible for even cooking. Fries going into the oven should be dry (but lightly coated in oil) and in a single non-touching layer on the baking tray. Remove fries that have finished cooking from the oven early, so they don’t get the chance to burn.
Healthy Dips for Sweet Potato Fries
My favorite dip for sweet potato fries is the no added sugar ketchup by True Made Foods. This ketchup uses veggies and fruits (like apples, carrots, and butternut squash) for sweetness instead of adding sugar. It tastes just as sweet and delicious as regular ketchup; my family did not suspect this was a healthier product.
Here are a few more tasty dipping sauce ideas for sweet potato fries:
- Low Carb Cheese Dip
- Cilantro-Lime Dipping Sauce from the Air Fryer Jicama Fries Recipe
- Gravy from the Ninja Foodi Whole Chicken Recipe (maybe with some cheese curds for a fun spin on poutine)
- The New Primal Mustard BBQ Sauce
👩🏻🍳 More Air Fryer Fries
After you’ve made air fryer sweet potato fries, here are some more easy air fryer recipes for fries you may enjoy:
- Air Fryer Frozen French Fries
- Air Fryer Frozen Hash Browns
- Waffle Fries in Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Green Bean Fries
- How to Reheat McDonald’s Fries (Air Fryer)
Also, don’t miss my recipe for Air Fryer Sweet Potato Toast.
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📖 Recipe
Watch How to Make It!
Are Frozen Sweet Potato Fries Healthy
Equipment
Ingredients
- 10-12 ounces frozen sweet potato fries (340 grams)
- dipping sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Place the frozen sweet potato fries in the air fryer basket or tray (some overlapping fries is ok). Air fry at 400℉ (200°C) for 10 minutes.
- Flip or shake the fries and air fry for 7-10 minutes more at 400°F (200°C). This gets the fries nice and crispy. Cook them for a shorter time if you prefer them less crisp. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce (if desired).
Notes
💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
This is a level 3 recipe (weight maintenance and active lifestyles). Are sweet potato fries healthy for weight loss? One serving of sweet potato fries, as listed on the packaging, is quite small. A reasonable double portion will set you back over 250 calories. It’s a lot for a side dish that is mostly carbs and fat, with limited satiating protein. One of the reasons that low carb diets can be effective for weight loss is that they cut back on starchy veggies. These are vegetables like sweet potatoes, white potatoes, and corn that are relatively high in calories. In their place, keto and low carb diets emphasize non-starchy veggies, many of which have negligible calories. So, what’s the best way to include sweet potato fries in your meal if you have a weight loss goal? I recommend keeping the rest of the meal light with lean protein and non-starchy veggies (cooked with limited oil). These elements will help you to feel full while you maintain the calorie deficit you need to lose weight. You’re getting plenty of carbs with the sweet potatoes. Meats provide the B vitamins found in grains, plus they provide a more bioavailable source of certain minerals (such as iron). Most sedentary adults won’t need to add additional bread, pasta, rice, corn, etc. on top of the carbs already here. I think it's important to understand why certain diets (such as low carb) benefit some people. It allows you to use strategies from these dietary patterns to your advantage, without fully adopting the way of eating. This information can be helpful to those who want to lose weight but don’t want to fully give up things like sweet potato fries.The Disclaimer…
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you. The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don't sweat the numbers too much. For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to my overnight oats with yogurt post. Let's get cooking!Nutrition information is for one serving of the recipe without ketchup or other dipping sauce.
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