You don’t have to give up fried food, but you also don’t want to overdo it. “Have fried potatoes once in a while as more of a treat than a daily part of your diet,” Sasson says. “Moderation and variety with any food is the key to healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle,” Lee adds.

To mimic the chain’s original oil blend, which was mostly beef tallow, the oil is laced with chemical flavoring to replicate that mouthwatering smell. In other words, the delicious scent we know and love is actually the smell of potatoes cooked in beef fat, an aroma so powerful it makes the fries seem even tastier!

French fries have a lot of fat and salt that could raise the risk of cardiovascular disease. High consumers of French fries might also be high consumers of other high-fat or high-salt foods, sweetened beverages, and red meat.

There may be reasons to stay away from McDonald’s fries, but not because of any highlighted in this unnecessarily alarmist video. The fat content, the high glycemic index, the amount of salt added and maybe some of the compounds formed during high temperature frying are reason enough to make fries an occasional treat.

Junk foods are not required as part of any diet. If you are a healthy weight, try to eat junk foods occasionally and in small amounts. If you are trying to lose weight, you will be more successful if you limit junk food.

While it’s okay to eat a piece of frozen, fast-food or pizzeria-style pizza occasionally, it’s best to limit consumption to no more than a few times per month. However, for true pizza lovers who want to enjoy this food more frequently, there are ways to make this cheesy dish a whole lot healthier.

“It’s OK to indulge once in a while, study suggests: The body adapts to occasional short-term overeating: Body focuses on removing glucose to preserve insulin sensitivity in short-term overeating bout.” ScienceDaily.