Alisa InfantiPublished:Updated:
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Turnip Fries – a healthier twist on a traditional french fry made with nutrient-rich and lower-carb turnips roasted in an air-fryer or convection oven. Plus, I have added a low-fat high protein chipotle dip to make it even tastier!
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I don’t know about you but I love french fries! I mean I really love them! But they aren’t exactly the best thing to be eating when you are trying to lose weight. And let’s face it fried food isn’t the best thing to be eating ever really.
Losing weight for me has never been easy so I have recently gone back to my roots and started tracking my calories. Not something I plan to do forever but every once in a while it is good to reset and see where I have fallen off track. When Culinary Tools asked me to partner with them to review their new Weight Loss Calculator I jumped at the chance. I found this tool to be full of great information.
Under the Nutrition Tab, is where you will find your calories per day suggestions by carbs, fat, and proteins. It then clearly breaks out how many calories and the macro split to eat per meal, not just per day which if find super helpful and you can adjust this by how many meals you plan to eat per day. I eat only 4 meals because I usually fast in the morning until about 11:00 so this feature is fantastic!
I learned to love turnip fries first by eating sweet potato fries but they are still quite high in carbohydrates. Then a friend told me that she had fallen in love with turnip fries. At first, I was like hell no. Turnips? To be honest, at the time I had no idea what a turnip tasted like. I just know that most people turn their noses up at them so I went right there. No way!
So What Do Turnips Taste like?
Turnips are actually very similar in my opinion to the flavor and texture of sweet potatoes. When air-fried or baked they become soft and sweet with crispy edges. They do have a slightly spicier taste to them than a sweet potato though which I really like.
When eaten raw they taste like a cross between a cabbage and a radish with a slightly bitter flavor and a texture much like a potato. Eaten this way you can add them to salads or as a crunchy veggie to munch on.
Are turnips lower-Carb than potatoes?
Turnips are much lower-carb than potatoes. One cup of cubed turnip is about 4.2 g of carbohydrates whereas the same size serving of russet potatoes is 13.5 g of carbs. That is about 1/3 less! Click here for a more in-depth comparison of turnips vs. potatoes.
Ingredients you will need for Turnip fries:
- 2 lbs turnips
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Low-Fat Chipotle Salsa Dip ingredients:
- 1/2 cup smooth cottage cheese
- 1/4 cup salsa
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp chipotle chilli powder
How To make French Fried Turnips
To make the chipotle salsa dip simply add all the ingredients to a small bowl and mix well until combined. Serve alongside the air-fried turnips.
Now I am not going to profess that this turnip fries recipe is as good as actual french fries straight out of a fryer. But as a low-carb substitute or healthy snack idea, they hit the spot. Turnips have higher water content and are much less starchy than an actual potato so they will never get as crispy but the sweet flavor and crispy edges when air-fried are really good.
Some of my other favorite healthy snacks with a twist are:
- Air-Fryer Korean BBQ Cauliflower Wings
- Snickerdoodle Dessert Hummus
- Warm Cherry Greek Yogurt Parfait
Air Fryer Turnip Fries
Alisa Infanti | The Delicious Spoon
Turnip – Fries are a healthier twist on a traditional french fry made with nutrient-rich, low-carb turnips and roasted in an air fryer or convection oven.
4.44 from 32 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Total Time 35 minutes mins
Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine 21 Day Fix, American
Servings 4 servings
Calories 192 kcal
Equipment
Air-Fryer or Convection Oven
Air-fryer basket and baking sheet
Large Bowl
Knife
Measuring Cups
Measuring Spoons
Small Bowl (2)
Spoon
Ingredients
- 2 lbs turnips peeled and sliced to 1/2 inch sticks
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Low-Fat Chipotle Salsa Dip
- ½ cup smooth cottage cheese
- ¼ cup salsa
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp chipotle chilli powder
Instructions
Preheat air-fryer or convection oven to 450F.
Peel and slice turnips to 1/2. Add them to a large bowl and toss with 2 tbsp of cornstarch to lightly coat.
In a small bowl add 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Mix to combine and pour over turnip sticks. Mix well to evenly coat the turnips.
Place the turnip pieces in the air-fryer basket and then on top of the baking sheet or likewise in the oven. Air-fry or bake for 20-25 minutes. Turn halfway through and continue cooking until turnip fries are softened and crispy on the edges. Remove from the air-fryer or oven.
While the turnip fries are cooking in a small bowl add 1/2 cup of smooth cottage cheese, 1/4 cup salsa, 1/2 tsp garlic powder and 1/4 tsp chipotle chilli powder. Mix well. Serve as a dip for turnip fries.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 192kcalCarbohydrates: 18.2gProtein: 10.3gFat: 8.9gSaturated Fat: 1.6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5.2gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 546mgPotassium: 598mgFiber: 7.8gSugar: 3.9gVitamin A: 19931IUVitamin C: 41.7mgCalcium: 322mgIron: 4.3mg
Notes
Tips:
- If using a convection oven you may need to increase the cooking time by about another 5 minutes.
- Can’t find smooth cottage cheese? Just add the dip ingredients to a small blender and blend until smooth.
- Turnip fries should be consumed right away so they remain as crispy as possible and any unused dip can be stored in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Please Note:
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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