It’s getting cooler, so it’s a perfect time for firing up the oven – whatever the reason, now is a great time to revamp your collection of snack recipes. The ever-delicious french fry is a salty, greasy and comforting wonder of a snack food, yet underneath its tasty face value, the nutritional content is pretty pitiful. Did you know that a large fry, of the double-arches fare, contains 24 grams of fat? For many people, that’s a significant portion of what is considered a healthy amount of dietary fats. You can be sure that the kind of fats found in these fast food fries are not from the optimal sources (think avocado, nuts and seeds).
This collection of healthy alternatives to conventional fried potatoes includes a variety of color, nutrients, tastes and textures guaranteed to make your taste buds pop and your arteries rejoice. A bonus is that all of these bites are plant-based and baked, instead of fried – except for one surprisingly tasty raw recipe!
1. Carrot Fries
Carrots are bright, colorful, and their taste completely transforms to something sweet and buttery when cooked. Get your recommended daily dose of beta-carotene and yumminess with this snack.
2. Sweet & Spicy Pumpkin Fries
Pumpkin season is upon us, so how could we not include pumpkin fries on this list? These bright gourds are for more than just carving or brewing into a latte. Bake them up – maybe while you crisp up the seeds on another oven tray – and enjoy.
Portobello mushrooms are a great, meaty alternative for vegetarians and vegans, whether it’s a BBQ grilled cap on a bun or minced into sloppy joe sauce. Mushrooms also retain most of their nutritional value when cooked, which includes micronutrients: copper, potassium, folate, and niacin.
4. Green Bean Fries with Hemp Seeds
Green beans are a vibrant veggie which usually only get a moment in the spotlight when baked into holiday casseroles. Well, no more – “fry” these bad boys up and pair with your favorite dipping sauce. You just may have a new favorite snack!
5. Polenta Fries with Lemon Garlic Aioli
Polenta fries are an experience al alone: crispy on the outside, slightly creamy on the inside, these bites are sure to satisfy any fry craving.
6. Pickle Chips
Pickle chips have gained popularity over the years, but are usually beer-battered and deep fried. Try these tasty, oven-baked chips out and you'll cut way back on your grease intake, without sacrificing flavor.
Avocado is a wonder-food and a great source of healthy fats. But, can it be cooked? These savory baked avocado bites argue that you sure can and the results are creamy, crunchy and divine.
Zucchini are one of the most versatile veggies out there, as they can be chopped and added to curries, noshed on raw or baked into warm zucchini bread. Try these zucchini fries as one more way to utilize these delectable summer squash.
Jicama is underrepresented in Western cuisine, yet that is starting to change with its arrival to more neighborhood groceries. Best enjoyed when peeled and sliced into sticks, these raw “fries” put a whole new spin on conventionally junky food.
10. Plantain Fries with Garlic Avocado Dipping Sauce
Plantain fries also combine crispy with creamy, a taste sensation that is doubled when dipped into this decadent, yet healthy, garlic avocado dipping sauce.
This article was originally published on www.care2.com. Read the original here.
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