Which is Healthier, Homemade Chips or French Fries?

October 24, 2025 •

3 min read

According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, frequent consumption of fried potatoes, like fast-food French fries, is linked to a higher risk of health issues. This raises the question: Which is healthier, homemade chips or french fries, and can you prepare a better-for-you potato snack at home?

Quick Summary

Homemade chips offer greater control over ingredients, oil type, and cooking method, making them generally healthier than restaurant or store-bought French fries. Factors like oil reuse and added preservatives in commercial options often lead to higher fat, sodium, and calorie content. Healthier preparations, like baking or air frying, significantly reduce the fat and calorie intake of homemade versions.

Key Points

Homemade Advantage: Homemade versions offer full control over ingredients, oil, and cooking methods, making them generally healthier than commercial alternatives.
Deep-Fried Risks: Commercial chips and fries are often deep-fried in reused, cheap oils, leading to higher fat, calorie, and potentially harmful compound content.
Healthier Cooking Methods: Baking and air frying are significantly healthier alternatives to deep frying, reducing the amount of oil, fat, and calories in both homemade chips and fries.
Ingredient Control: At home, you can use higher quality oils, less salt, and avoid the preservatives and additives common in store-bought products.
The Best Approach: For the healthiest outcome, bake or air fry homemade chips or fries using a healthy oil like avocado or olive oil, and season with natural spices instead of excessive salt.

Most people automatically assume that homemade food is healthier than its restaurant or store-bought counterpart. While this is often true, the methods and ingredients used in the home still play a significant role in the final nutritional outcome. When comparing homemade chips and french fries, the answer is complex, but one option consistently offers more control over health factors.

The Nutritional Breakdown: Homemade vs. Fast-Food

On average, homemade potatoes are generally healthier because you can control the entire process. Commercial preparation, whether for chips or fries, often involves multiple frying rounds in reused industrial seed oils, which can degrade and create harmful compounds. This is where the homemade advantage truly shines.

Chips and Fries: Nutritional Comparison

Looking at standard commercial versions, there's a notable difference in fat and calorie content. For a 100g serving, standard potato chips have significantly more calories and fat than commercial french fries. However, this comparison changes dramatically when you move from deep-fried to baked or air-fried homemade options.

Comparison Table: Commercial vs. Homemade (100g serving)


Attribute	Commercial Chips	Commercial French Fries	Baked Homemade Chips (approx.)	Baked Homemade Fries (approx.)
Calories	547 kcal	274 kcal	~200-250 kcal	~150-200 kcal
Fat	37g	15g	~10-15g	~5-10g
Sodium	High, variable	High, variable	Low, controlled	Low, controlled
Ingredients	Preservatives, additives	Added sugars, preservatives	Potatoes, oil, seasonings	Potatoes, oil, seasonings
Oil Quality	Often low-grade seed oils	Often low-grade seed oils, reused	High-quality oil (e.g., olive)	High-quality oil (e.g., avocado)

Why Homemade is the Healthier Choice

There are three primary reasons why making your own chips or fries at home gives you a healthier result:

You control the oil. Commercial frying often relies on cheap seed oils that can create harmful compounds when reused or heated to high temperatures. At home, you can choose healthier oils like olive or avocado oil, and you aren't reusing it hundreds of times.
You control the cooking method. The healthiest way to prepare either snack is to bake or air fry them, which dramatically reduces the amount of oil needed and, subsequently, the fat and calorie count. An air fryer, for example, circulates hot air to create a crispy texture with minimal oil. A study found that restaurant-fried foods increased heart attack risk, but home-fried foods didn't carry the same risk, suggesting the differences in oil and heating are key.
You control the ingredients. Commercial products often contain excessive sodium, artificial flavors, and preservatives to enhance taste and shelf life. At home, you can use high-quality, fresh potatoes and natural seasonings. This level of control allows you to significantly lower the sodium and fat content, making for a cleaner snack.

How to Make a Healthier Version at Home

For the healthiest result, consider baking or air frying your chips and fries. Here's a simple process:

Select your potato: While most potatoes work, sweet potatoes are a nutrient-dense alternative, packed with fiber and vitamins.
Soak the cuts: For crispy fries or chips, soak your potato slices or strips in cold water for 30 minutes. This removes excess starch, helping them crisp up better.
Use minimal, quality oil: A tablespoon of olive or avocado oil is often enough. Use just enough to lightly coat the potatoes.
Season naturally: Skip the heavy salt and use seasonings like garlic powder, paprika, or rosemary for flavor.
Use an air fryer or oven: Spread the potato pieces in a single layer to ensure even cooking and maximum crispness.

Alternative Healthy Swaps

If you're looking for even healthier options, consider substituting potatoes with other vegetables. Healthy alternatives include:

Zucchini fries
Baked parsnip fries
Kale chips
Beet chips
Sweet potato fries

Conclusion

Ultimately, homemade chips and french fries are healthier than their commercial counterparts because you control the ingredients, oil, and cooking method. By opting for baking or air frying, using less and higher-quality oil, and controlling the amount of sodium and additives, you can create a far superior and healthier snack. The choice isn't just about 'chips or fries' but about the preparation method, which homemade options give you complete power over.

Frequently Asked Questions

Air frying is generally better for making crispy, flavorful fries with minimal oil in less time, while baking uses steady, lower heat, which might not produce the same level of crispness but is still a much healthier option than deep frying.

Yes, baked chips are almost always healthier than deep-fried ones because they require significantly less oil to cook, which results in fewer calories and less fat.

For a 100g serving of commercial products, potato chips typically have almost double the calories of french fries, primarily due to their higher fat content.

For frying or baking at high heat, healthy options include avocado oil or olive oil, as they have high smoke points and contain beneficial monounsaturated fats.

Yes, some fast-food french fries, like those from McDonald's, have added dextrose (a form of glucose) to enhance their flavor and browning.

Sweet potato fries are a great alternative, as sweet potatoes are high in fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. However, the healthiness still depends on the preparation method, with baking or air frying being the best options.

Restaurant fries often absorb more oil because commercial kitchens reuse cooking oil repeatedly, which leads to oxidized fats and increased absorption. At home, you use fresh, high-quality oil for each batch, reducing fat absorption.