Super Snack: Baked Parsnip Fries

French fries are really delicious. It's true. They're salty, and hot and perfect for grabbing with your fingers and plunging directly into your open mouth.

But they're really bad for you. They're greasy, fatty little weight gaining sticks that hate you. I'm sorry, but that's also true.

Cue: parsnips. Parsnips are those weird beigey-carrot looking things that you see bashfully hanging out in the produce section of your grocery store. They look like sad, unwanted thin potatoes. Newsflash...they're really good for you. AND BONUS: they make excellent "fries".

Parsnips are high in dietary fiber, folate and potassium and are lower in starch than potatoes...making them a better bet than baked potato fries.  Whip a batch up tonight, it takes almost zero culinary skill, and you will be enjoying the fruit (or vegetable?) of your labors in no time flat. (Or in the 15-25 minutes it takes to bake them).

This recipe can be adjusted to fit your needs. Feel free to add whatever spices you think would be tasty, and use as many or as few parsnips as you can eat (or bear to share with others).

Baked Parsnip Fries

Gather:
parsnips
olive oil
sea salt
optional seasoning ideas: rosemary, red pepper flakes, garlic,

Method:
-Preheat oven to 375*
-Scrub parsnips and get them REALLY clean. Like, CLEAN.
-Slice into thin strips, or chips if you prefer
-toss with a drizzle of olive oil and a few good pinches of salt and any other seasonings that strike your fancy
-Bake until golden, flipping midway through baking to cook evenly. (About 15-25 mins. total cooking time depending on thickness of fries)
-Remove from oven and eat immediately (fries are tastiest when hot, duh!)
-Serve with ketchup, (mayo..if you must) or eat plain.

Finding ways to eat your favorite "unhealthy foods" is an important part of a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Enjoy!