Grubbing out on a meal from your favorite fast food restaurant just hits differently when you’re craving something salty and comforting after a long day. From the moment you order at the drive thru window, to driving home and grabbing a few fries from the bag for good measure, it’s a satisfying little ritual. But as you know, fast food isn’t the healthiest option for anyone trying to watch the quality of their diet. And remember those sneaky little fries you grabbed on the way home? They may be the most delicious item in the bag, but they’re also the one thing cardiologists avoid when they end up eating out.
“Salty French fries have always been my weakness, but I avoid ordering them because I cannot just eat a few,” says , M.D., an Aventura-based cardiologist. “While some people consider them a harmless side dish, a large portion can contain a meal’s worth of calories, sodium, and fat without providing much nutritional value.”
At the end of the day, French fries are just potatoes, so what makes them so harmful to heart health? Options like baked or roasted potatoes are considered healthier side dishes, but French fries certainly don’t have that same reputation. And part of the problem is how fries are prepared.
Fries are made with refined, rapidly digested starch and then deep-fried, which can cause blood sugar and insulin levels to rise quickly. And if they’re made right, fries are loaded with salt, which can lead to high blood pressure, a major heart attack risk factor. Ultimately, the combination of it all leaves you with a food that’s high in calories, fat, and sodium while offering little nutritional value. For reference, a small order of fries at McDonald’s contains roughly 230 calories, 11 grams of fat, and almost 200 milligrams of sodium.
“Fries combine several things I try to avoid: rapidly absorbed starch, damaged cooking oils, high-heat cooking, and a lot of sodium,” says M.D., Hone Health’s Head of Heart Health and Medical Advisor. “When oils are repeatedly heated to high temperatures, fats can become oxidized. These damaged fats can increase oxidative stress and inflammation and impair the lining of our arteries and nitric oxide production.”
We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there’s no true replacement for French fries. And no one is here to encourage you to never touch a fry again! But for anyone paying close attention to their heart health—especially if you find yourself eating out often—opting for healthier sides can serve as a happy medium. Rather than ordering fries, choosing a fruit salad, bowl of soup, or side salad can give you a better bang for your buck on a nutritional level.
“Having an occasional side order of French fries is not an issue, but eating them regularly is not a heart-healthy choice,” Pianko says. “Though French fries are made from potatoes, which have nutritional value, they’re deep-fried, which makes them high in fat, calories, and sodium—all elements that increase your risk for cardiovascular disease.”