It’s National French Fries day! Some of us call it chips, while others call it fries but we all know it’s yummy!

Here’s a short history lesson: despite the name, french fries did not, according to some, originate from France but rather from Belgium. According to Belgian lore, the people of a small fishing town back in the 1600s were unable to fish in the dead of winter with the river frozen over and so in a bid to not starve, they turned to cutting and frying potatoes in the way we all know and love. The term ‘french fry’ had been coined by American soldiers stationed to francophone Belgium. Other historians argue that french fries originate from a street vendor on the streets of Paris in the late 1890s. Without the invention of the time machine, we might never know the inventor of the greatness that is french fries, nonetheless, we are forever grateful for it. 

In the decades and centuries, after it’s controversial birth, the french fry has taken on several forms and goes by many names like the finger fry, chips, etc. While nothing can ever compare to french fries, there are always other options. So yes, on this iconic day on which we celebrate fries, I’m here to tell you all the other things you can eat instead as a substitute for potato chips.

Fries are an excellent side for many dishes like burgers and can even serve as an integral part of a dish itself like in the case of fish and chips, but if you really don’t want chips, you can try any of these:

Carrots

Hear me out, hear me out. Carrots can be an amazing, healthier substitute for french fries. It’s a delicious and vegan option and slaps when seasoned properly and baked. Carrots are good for people like me, who are practically blind.

Sweet Potato Fries

This is another tuber that can be a made into fries- and is already done in many restaurants and with several recipes. Due to its natural sweetness, it makes for a delightful substitute for french fries and is more versatile- it can be baked or fried.

Yam

This shouldn’t be too surprising to any Nigerian. Yam is delicious when fried and is in fact, a personal favorite. The pepper sauce is essential.

*Tip: when frying yam, add a little water to the oil to make inside of the chops soft, the oil would take care of the crispy exterior. You can skip this if you prefer to be choked by your food.

Plantain

Members of the Dodo gang, rise up! I’ve always said and will continue to say it: plantain is elite food. In all its forms, plantain slaps and fries made from it are not exempt. Plantain fries is top five. 10/10 I always recommend. 

There are other substitutes, apparently, like eggplant and avocado but I refuse to accept those. Firstly, nothing can be as tasty as actual French fries and definitely not certain things that have the same texture as vaseline.

If you know any other proxies for fries, do let us know in the comments!