Are Sweet Potato Fries Keto Friendly?

Most beginner ketoers find the diet difficult because high-carb foods like pasta, burgers, bread, and beans tempt them. Let's not forget the most delicious carb, fries!

On the subject of fries, are sweet potato fries keto friendly, or do you risk your diet by eating them?

Unfortunately, sweet potato fries are not keto friendly because they're loaded with carbs. A small serving of sweet potato fries is enough to kick your body out of ketosis, so they're completely off the table.

Let's dive deeper into the world of sweet potato fries and keto.

What Are Sweet Potato Fries?

Sweet potato fries are your regular fries, except they're made from sweet potatoes instead of the widely used white/russet potatoes.

Sweet potatoes are root vegetables that are slightly sweeter than regular potatoes.

They have two types; one is soft and sweet, while the other is firmer and has a distinct flavor. We can't make fries from the softer sweet potatoes because they break or get mushy after cooking, so we use the firm ones.

Although we call them sweet potatoes, they're not exactly sweet like sugar. Sweet potatoes have a creamier texture, and the taste differs across types.

Sweet potato fries are made by cutting sweet potatoes and baking or deep frying them in oil. Sweet potato fries are crispy and have a sweet-salty taste, making them the perfect comfort food.

But are sweet potato fries keto?

Unfortunately, sweet potato fries aren't keto friendly because they’re loaded with carbs and have very little fat, making them unsuitable for a ketoer.

If you'd like to try some keto fries, trying another vegetable like rutabaga will work better!

What's In Sweet Potato Fries?

Sweet potatoes are high-carb, low-fat food, but let's see what nutrients they hold when they become fries:

Nutrients	Nutritional Value (per 54 grams or 10 fries)	Daily Value %
Total Carbohydrates Dietary Fiber Sugar	12 grams 1.7 gram 3.1 grams	4% 7%
Total Fat Saturated fat Trans fat Polyunsaturated fat Monounsaturated fat	11 grams 0.9 gram 0.2 gram 3.5 grams 1.2 gram	17% 4%
Protein	0.8 gram	1.5%
Minerals Sodium Potassium Calcium Iron	104 milligrams 119 milligrams 0.81 grams 0.658 grams	4% 3% 1.5% 1.2%
Vitamins Vitamin A Vitamin C	17.28 grams 1.83 grams	32% 3.4%

Although sweet potatoes have a nutritional profile, their carb count is too much for a ketoer. Eating even a bit could throw your diet off track, so keeping away is best. 

Can You Eat Sweet Potato Fries On A Ketogenic Diet?

No, it's best to avoid sweet potato fries because they have a high carb count. Even a small serving of sweet potato fries can disrupt ketosis, which can reverse all the effort you've made so far.

Are Sweet Potato Fries Keto Friendly In Moderation?

Countless foods aren't keto friendly but are safe in moderation. Sweet potato fries aren't one of these foods.

Sweet potato fries have an unnaturally high carb count, so even eating more than a few fries can negatively affect your ketosis. They're only suitable for ketoers if it's their cheat day or they aren't planning to stay active in ketosis.

It's best to avoid sweet potato fries until you're done and dusted with your diet; otherwise, you're in for a gloomy time.

If you're in the mood for another keto friendly snack, then asparagus might be a better option.

What Makes Sweet Potato Fries Unsuitable for the Keto Diet?

Let's discuss why sweet potato fries aren't the best fit for ketoers:

High Carb Count

A single sweet potato fry contains 1.2 grams of carbs; eating up to a handful (around 10-12 fries) would boost your carb intake by roughly 15 grams.

While this carb count seems reasonable, it's quite a lot for such a small serving. Eating sweet potato fries can increase your carb to the point you're out of ketosis, ruining your keto diet.

Little to No Protein

A keto diet isn't solely about restricting carbs; it's also about increasing your protein intake. 10-12 sweet potato fries contain less than 1 gram of protein, which is too low for the keto diet.

High Salt

Sweet potato fries contain sodium and potassium, salts we need in a balanced quantity. Eating a handful of sweet potato fries gives us more than a hundred grams of sodium and potassium, which isn't healthy.

Little Unsaturated Fat

According to recent research, the ketogenic diet encourages taking in fat, but the most benefits come from unsaturated fat.

A small serving of sweet potato fries contains 11-12 grams of fat, which is good, but the fries contain less than 5 grams of unsaturated fat.

Unsaturated fats might boost ketosis and encourage the diet, so it's safe to assume a food like sweet potato fries isn't diet friendly.

High-Calorie Snack

Many people forget that the ketogenic diet isn't only about limiting carbs and increasing fat and protein; it's also about managing the number of calories you eat daily.

54 grams of sweet potato fries has roughly 150 calories, which is too much for a single serving.

Which Potato's Fries Are Healthier?

Are sweet potato fries keto? No.

But are there other potato fries you can have on the diet?

Unfortunately, fries made from most potatoes are not keto friendly because they have a high carb count.

I'll show you a quick nutritional comparison of sweet potato fries and fries made from white/russet potatoes to help you understand.

I'm using russet potatoes as an example because they're the most common root vegetable; other fries' vegetables like Taro or French Fingerling aren't widely used.

Nutrient (per 58 grams)	Sweet Potato Fries	Russet Potato Fries
Carbs Dietary Fiber Sugar	13 grams 1.8 gram 3.4 grams	23.5 grams 2.2 grams 0.2 gram
Fats Saturated fat Unsaturated Fat	12 grams 0.9 gram 5.1 grams	8.4 grams 1.4 gram 6.5 grams
Protein	0.9 gram	2 grams
Sodium Potassium	112 milligrams 128 milligrams	120.5 milligrams 332.2 milligrams
Calories	161	180

While each contains beneficial nutrients, neither sweet potato fries nor russet potato fries contain a healthy amount of carbs. Eating fries from both potatoes will affect your ketosis, so it's best to keep them off the menu until you're done with the keto diet.

Benefits Of Sweet Potato Fries On A Ketogenic Diet

Are there any benefits to eating sweet potato fries for ketoers? Although I highly recommend avoiding these fries, I can't deny the few health benefits they have for everyone, including ketoers.

Take a look for yourself:

Strengthens Immunity and Controls Blood Sugar

Sweet potato fries contain vitamin A, which builds immunity and protects against diseases. Vitamin A improves blood sugar levels and helps control them, something many ketoers need.

Improves Gut Health and Counters Inflammation

Vitamin A deficiency can alter the gut's ability to function properly, so consuming a healthy amount is important. Sweet potato fries have a lot of vitamin A, which indirectly strengthens the gut and prevents inflammation.

Fiber Promotes Gut and Brain Health

Sweet potato fries contain fiber, which promotes brain and gut health.

Drawbacks Of Sweet Potato Fries On A Ketogenic Diet

Of course, sweet potato fries have a few drawbacks, like everything else:

High Carb Intake

We all know how bad carbs can be for someone on the keto diet. While eating 1-2 fries won't necessarily harm you; it could kick you out of ketosis if you're not balancing your diet properly.

Sweet potato fries have a high carb count, so they're not suitable for most ketoers.

Careless Overeating

Let's face it; it's impossible to stop eating fries after having 1-2. Sweet potato fries are oddly addicting, so you won't be able to control your hand when you're eating them.

Many ketoers need to take a bite of something like fries and eat a whole basket. Sweet potato fries seem light and crispy, but they're packing a punch in flavor and fulfillment, so you may overeat, which can ruin keto.

How To Prepare Sweet Potato Fries For A Ketogenic Diet

Are sweet potato fries keto? No. Then why try to adjust them in your diet?

Yes, sweet potato fries aren't keto friendly; but I admit it can be difficult to control a craving. They also have a few benefits that many ketoers need. Sometimes, eating a small handful will help your diet.

It's also important to realize that not every ketoer plans on staying strictly in ketosis. Many ketoers build gaps in their ketosis by eating carbs; others prefer to stay off until they're done dieting.

Everyone's preferences differ for a low-carb diet, so some will eat sweet potato fries. But it's best to follow these tips to ensure eating sweet potato fries won't harm your diet:

Reduce Carbs

Surprisingly, you can reduce the number of carbs in sweet potato fries. The fries get their carbs from the starch in sweet potatoes, so removing starch also removes carbs.

Although the carbs in the fries won't remove completely, they'll be low enough to eat safely on a diet.

Soak in Water

The outer part of a potato contains the most starch, which you can easily leach by soaking the potato in water. You can remove excess starch from sweet potatoes by soaking them in cold water for at least 15-20 minutes before frying.

It's best to cut the sweet potatoes before soaking so that the maximum amount of starch leaches out.

Blanch the Sweet Potatoes

Blanching sweet potatoes in salted hot water for a few minutes leaches starch. You only need to blanc the sweet potatoes for 5-7 minutes or until they're partly soft.

Smart Seasoning

Fries made from starch-stripped sweet potatoes can still contain carbs from the seasoning and batter you use. Seasoning your potatoes with keto friendly spices like black pepper, garlic powder, white pepper, onion powder, etc., is best.

I don't recommend making batters from flour because it's high in carbs. Instead, try skipping the batter altogether or using only keto friendly flour (almond/coconut flour) in minimum quantities.

Healthy Cooking

Obviously, frying in vegetable oil isn't on par with the keto diet, so it's best to use keto friendly oil if you're bent on making fries. However, it's best to bake instead of deep frying to get healthier fries.

How to Make Keto Sweet Potato Fries?

There's no direct keto version of sweet potato fries, but if you're making some for your diet, here are the steps you take:

1. Remove the starch from the sweet potatoes as instructed before.
2. Cut your sweet potatoes into the shape of fries.
3. Season with salt, black pepper (or seasoning of your choice)
4. Set the oven to 400℉. Line a tray with parchment paper and sprinkle it with olive oil.
5. Place the seasoned fries on the oiled parchment paper and bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes.
6. Shake the baked fries to remove excess olive oil and serve.

Serving Suggestions For Sweet Potato Fries On A Ketogenic Diet

Sweet potato fries aren't keto friendly, but you can eat them in moderation if you don't plan on staying strictly on ketosis or have a craving that just won't go.

How Many is Too Many?

No set amount predicts if you've eaten too many sweet potato fries, but it's best to eat a maximum of 12-15 fries at a time.

Ways to Eat Sweet Potato Fries on Keto

I've told you how to remove starch and reduce carbs in sweet potato fries, but let's discuss the best way to fit sweet potato fries into your keto diet.

●    Pairing Sweet Potato Fries

It's best to pair your sweet potato fries with another dish because it'll help you control the quantity you eat, so you won't unintentionally disrupt your diet.

Here are some dishes that go best with sweet potato fries:

➔  Keto Fried/Baked Chicken

What's a fried chicken without fries? Incomplete. You can pair your sweet potato fries with keto friendly fried/baked chicken.

➔  Roasted Pork Chops

Sweet potato fries go incredibly well with roasted pork chops. You can even add a little tangy sauce over the pork chops to match the sweetness of the fries.

➔  Keto Fried Mahi Mahi

Make a zesty lemon sauce, coat the Mahi Mahi with a delicious mix of almond flour and spices, and enjoy the fried fish with sweet potato fries.

➔  Keto Friendly Burger

Burgers aren't typically keto, but you can make a keto burger by substituting non-keto ingredients. You can use buns made from almond/hazelnut flour and create a keto-friendly burger sauce.

Sweet potato fries will never disappoint with a keto burger.

●    Eating Sweet Potato Fries As A Snack

You can eat sweet potato fries in limited quantities without adding another dish. You can try pairing the fries with keto friendly sauces like:

➔  Hollandaise Sauce

Hollandaise is a creamy butter, egg yolk, and lemon juice mixture. It is a high-fat, low-carb sauce.

➔  Tahini Sauce

Tahini is a delicious mix of sesame seeds, garlic, lemon, and sea salt. Tahini is a high-fat, low-carb sauce that compliments sweet potato fries.

➔  Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise is a high-fat, low-carb condiment that won't mask sweet potato fries' sweetness and richness.

Conclusion

Sweet potato fries aren't keto friendly because they're loaded with carbs and have very little fat. Generally, dieticians recommend skipping sweet potato fries until you're finished with the keto diet. Eating only a small amount of sweet potato fries can reverse ketosis.

However, not all ketoers are on a diet to stay in ketosis; some prefer adding carbs to keep a balanced lifestyle. Sweet potato fries are okay for such ketoers to eat.

Sweet potato fries can improve immunity, strengthen the body and counter inflammation, so they're quite beneficial for ketoers; the only drawback is their high carb count.

You can reduce the number of carbs by removing starch from the sweet potatoes before cooking. It's best to bake the fries instead of deep frying them to reduce oil consumption.

FAQs

Are Sweet Potato Fries Keto?

No, sweet potato fries aren't keto because they're loaded with carbs.

But you can strip them from the starch and eat them in moderation, especially if you're not planning on staying in ketosis.

Are Baked Sweet Potato Fries Better than Fried?

Eating baked sweet potato fries is best because you won't use too much oil, so they're healthier than deep-fried sweet potatoes.