Delicious, filling and oh so comforting, there is nothing like a piping hot plate of chips to soothe the soul and fill the tummy.
Due to their reputation, many parents limit the amount of chips they feed their kids. However, by being sensible, restrained and a little bit clever, it’s easy to eat chips as part of a healthy balanced diet without any problems at all.
Here are some handy tips to help you and your family to have your chips and eat them too.
Small portions
With busy lives to lead and hungry mouths to feed, it’s all too easy to pile too much food onto the plates in order to keep everyone happy.
However, most of us are eating portions that are far too big for our stomachs and pretty much everyone could benefit from a slightly smaller plate size and reduced portions.
This is certainly true when it comes to chips and many people will find that having just a few chips on the plate will be more than enough to satisfy their stomachs while still keeping their dinner nice and healthy.
Oven chips
A great way to cut the amount of fat in your meal portion is to opt for oven chips. Most types of McCain oven chips contain a lot less fat than their chip shop cousins, allowing you to indulge in your favourite food without risking your waistline.
Another benefit of oven chips is that they allow you to control the amount of salt that you ingest, making them an even healthier choice.
Think about your meal as a whole
By itself, a small portion of chips isn’t an especially unhealthy part of a meal. The problem is that when we have chips, we often combine them with fatty burgers, cheesy pizzas or battered fish, radically upping the number of calories on the plate.
Instead, try eating chips with grilled chicken or steamed fish, making for a delicious meal with very little fat. Rather than piling your plate high with chips, opt for a smaller portion along with a fresh, crunchy salad for guilt-free satisfaction.
By being a little restrained and planning your meals carefully, it’s easy to include a few weekly portions of chips in any healthy, balanced diet. After all, we all need a little bit of what we fancy some of the time.
*Image 2 – credit to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_fries
*Image 2 – credit to credit http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B%E6%96%87%E5%8C%96
Guest Post
Hi. It’s so funny seeing this post. I went for breakfast with my daughter today, and someone mentioned how she shouldn’t be eating that type of food at her age. My daughter enjoys a great variety of tastes. She eats everything from pesto pasta, mussels, pretty much every vegetable, and will try most new things before she decides to like it, or not. Food is about moderation and variety. It’s all about teaching children to enjoy a healthy and balanced diet.
I see no problem with chips as part of a healthy balanced diet. I often make my own just in the oven and they are delicious and not too unhealthy either!
Have you ever tried swapping white potato chips for sweet potato? Sweet potato provides 400% of your daily requirement of Vitamin A, more vitamin C, fewer calories, more fibre and fewer total carbs compared with white potatoes. They’re pretty tasty too.
After years of trying, this is the recipe I use most: http://www.thesuperherochef.com/sweet-potato-chips-recipe/.
My only advice, and it sounds quite obvious, but make sure your oven is up to the right temperature. Undercooked and they are soggy. Overcooked and they just taste bitter.