8 Things You Need To Know Before Eating McDonald’s Fries

Have you ever gone to McDonald’s and not ordered french fries? Yeah, didn’t think so. They’re crispy, greasy, salted to perfection, and hot (on a good day). No matter how many medium fries you’ve downed in your day, you probably have something to learn from our #fryfacts. Here’s some food for thought, if you will.

1.It takes A LOT of ingredients to make them.

You’d think French fries would just be potatoes made with salt and oil, right? Yes, and no. McDonald’s fries have tons of ingredients (some outlets report as many as 19), and many of which you can’t pronounce. On McDonald’s website, you can find a full breakdown of the lengthy list and the various purposes each ingredient serves. I bet you didn’t know the fries include dextrose, a natural form of sugar, to “give the fries their perfect golden color.” There’s also a natural beef flavor, which brings me to our next tidbit…

2. They’re not exactly vegan-friendly…

Though potatoes are indeed a vegetable and free of animal products on their own, McDonald’s gives them a meaty touch. McDonald’s says the “natural beef flavor” that’s added to the fry’s pan-fry oil contributes to “that World Famous Fry taste” which is fine and dandy, if you’re not following a diet that avoids animal products. It’s certainly worth noting that the beef flavor includes hydrolyzed wheat and hydrolyzed milk.

3. A variety of taters are used.

The most common being the Russet Burbank, Russet Ranger, Umatilla Russet, and the Shepody. They’re all potato varieties known for “producing a flavorful fry that’s crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.”

4. The calorie count is a littttttle scary.

340 cals in a medium fry, to be exact. Perhaps that wouldn’t be so alarming if french fries weren’t a side?! I don’t know about you, but I’m going to get a burger or McFlurry with my fries—no questions asked. Let’s not even get into the caloric intake of a medium fry and burger, k? K.

5. You can get them for FREE right now.

Once you finish reading all of this glorious french fry fun, download McDonald’s app on your phone. Then, let the magic happen. Every Friday (yes, EVERY Friday—through the end of the year, that is) you can get a free medium fry with a purchase of at least $1. Dollar Menu, hello??

6. Salt-free fry orders are a PAIN.

Apparently, “the fry person” has to wipe down the station, the fry scoop, and then clear the area for a new batch “to keep salt from contaminating the new batch,” says a former employee told Business Insider.

7. If you want fresh fries, just ask.

Former McDonald’s employees say it’s easy to tell who “genuinely needs it salt free and who’s just trying to get the freshest fries they can.” First of all, the salt is the best part on McDonald’s fries…but anyway—another former employee suggests skipping the salt-free order, and just asking for fresh fries.

8. You have SO MANY dipping options.

Ketchup, mustard, ranch, ketchup + mayo for a DIY Mayochup, McDonald’s new Signature Sauce, Tangy BBQ, Honey Mustard, Oreo McFlurry (don’t @ me).

Maya McDowell is a Chicago-based writer and editor who covers lifestyle, beauty, and entertainment. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading memoirs, at improv class, or planning her next adventure.