It’s FRY-Day
Hello Fit Divas!
Who’s ready to say goodbye to the last weekend of September? As much as I hate time to fly, I am ready to bring on the fall season. Living down here in SWFL we don’t get much season change until late October and even then its still in the 80’s. However, you can still sense the change or maybe its the pumpkin spice smell and coffee everywhere;)
Ok, lets move onto a topic that everyone LOVES…..French Fries!!!!!
These Diva-licious fries are no ordinary fries… They’re baked fries made from squash, sweet potatoes & even an idea straight out of a bag.
Who doesn’t LOVE some good ol Fries to go along with a burger or baked fish??
How hard is it to avoid French fries? SO HARD.
Not only are the darn things absurdly delicious, but they also seem to come in an endless number of tantalizing variations. Sweet potato fries tossed with Parmesan cheese and garlic? That’s not even fair! The good news is that you don’t have to abandon your desire for fries! We just have to make them fit into our Fit lifestyle!!
ButterNut Squash
Butternut squash is an incredible substitute for starchy sweet potatoes. And by baking butternut spears and tossing them in just a teensy bit of olive oil, we’re able to re-create sweet potato fries with a fraction of the fat and calories. Factor in some Fresh Parmesan, plenty of garlicky goodness, and a diva-licious dipping sauce! Still Diva Approved!
IT is SO easy to create some new healthier, fitter options other than the high fat, high salt regular french fries. Of course from time to time….indulge and have the real deal grease bombs! I definitely cannot turn down some extra crispy spiced just right sweet potato fries from time to time.
Now we can have them on a weekly basis with these new fun fit diva approved versions.
Healthier Fries
Russet Potatoes – If you crave real potato French fries, bake these into fries instead of hitting the drive-thru! About 22 calories per ounce. But just like the others, you MUST weigh these things. The potato I bought weighed in at 12 ounces, for a total of 264 calories.
Sweet Potatoes & Yams – No surprise, these are delicious and bake up nice and crispy. And the stats aren’t too bad, with 24 – 33 calories per ounce. But it is EXTREMELY important to weigh your spuds if you are counting calories. My sweet potato was large — a whopping 20 ounces (480 calories)! And the medium-sized yam I got weighed in at 12 ounces (396 calories).
Already cut, just pop in the oven options:
Pre-cut crinkle cut butternut squash fries at Trader Joes.
- Bake 400′ 15 min, flip and bake 10-15 more. YUM
Frozen Fries or Sweet Potato Fries: My favorite Brand: Alexia
Diva-licious Recipe
BUTTERNUT SQUASH Recipe
Yes, butternut squash taste just like sweet potato fries, but they have way fewer starchy calories and grams of fat. And you can eat a more of them for a totally low-calorie count. You could even eat a whole batch by yourself instead of the small handful.
You can cut and dice up your own style OR Trader Joes, as mentioned above, now has pre cut crinkle cut butternut squash fries in the produce section.
Let’s take butternut squash fries to the next level! Lets make them diva-lish by adding garlic and parmesan cheese with a creamy side dish.
Fry-day Conclusion
As Always Fit Divas, get creative, watch those portions sizes and KNOW life shouldn’t be about eating plain boring foods to live healthy and sexy.
Enjoy and let me know how they turn out!
Ciao Bella Divas and have a fabulous weekend!