My son has been going through a phase recently where all he wants to eat is “crunchy” food. No, not the good kind of crunchy, but the fried kind. He won’t tell me exactly where or how he’s been eating French fries, but I can tell he has.
Enter into healthy food mom mode.
I try not to control everything he eats, but I do like to have a hand in something good, so I’ve been responding by plating up different versions of healthy fries. He’ll buy into sweet potato fries once in a while, but I don’t think he’s convinced that it’s the same thing.
The reason I’m not interested in him eating fries from whatever fast food joint he managed to get them from is partly because I can’t see with my own two eyes what goes in them, and that the deep frying really isn’t good. It’s actually what fries do to your body.
Fries are just thinly sliced potatoes covered in salt and fried in some unhealthy fat. Potatoes are just starch, which increases cravings by being quickly processed into sugar, sending your blood sugar way up and then crashing down just as quickly. That means you’re craving more food minutes later.
Fries are also (obviously!) coated in salt. Sodium is a craving your body needs to have, but most Americans sodium intake is way too high. Part of the reason for this is because sodium is linked to the release of serotonin. So when you’re sad you tend to want more salt, but even if you’re happy, eating more salt is an easy way to get that release. Serotonin is your body’s own addictive chemical (why do you think the “pursuit of happiness” is in our Declaration of Independence? We’re programmed to chase after it.)
Yeah, yeah. What’s my point?
So I’m not talking about sweet potatoes in this article. My son only eats them sometimes. But I can always get him to eat avocado fries. What are avocado fries?
Avocado fries are a wonderful treat that carry all the health benefits of avocados (and some health benefits of coconut oil!)
Avocados themselves are an all-round superfood that help you with everything from your cardiovascular health to blood sugar control. It’s also packed with nutrients like: pantothenic acid, fiber, vitamin K, folate, vitamin B6, vitamin E, and potassium.
Pantothenic acid (also known historically as vitamin B5) is among the most important of the B vitamins. Without pantothenic acid, you would be unable to use fats, carbohydrates, or proteins as energy sources. You would also be unable to make hormones and your immune system would collapse. Avocado is on the list as one of the highest providers!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1 cup of (gluten-free) flour (your choice, I use almond)
- 1/4 teaspoon of pink rock salt
- 2 eggs thoroughly beaten
- 1 1/2 cup of bread crumbs
- 2 firm-ripe avocados
Steps:
- Put your breadcrumbs in a separate bowl,
- Combine your flour and salt in another.
- Whisk two eggs in a third.
- Pit and cut your avocado into slices – I like to use 8-10 wedges per avocado
- Put your coconut oil into a pan and melt it on medium high heat
- Roll your avocado slices into your flour, then dip them in the egg wash. Roll in bread crumbs.
- Fry them until brown on all sides in coconut oil about 5 wedges at a time
- Set off to one side to drain and fry your next batch.
- Eat to your tummy’s content.