National French Fry Day takes place every second Friday (Fry Day?) in July. The day is observed as we’re well into the summer season when people hold outdoor gatherings and barbecues.

The origin of the fried spuds is highly debated. Many argue that french fries aren’t actually French, but Belgian. Belgians claim Americans called them french fries when they were stationed in their country during World War I. Some soldiers were in the French-speaking region of Wallonia where they saw fried potatoes being served.

On the other hand, Belgian historian Pierre Leclercq has traced fries back to French origin. Bavarian musician Frédéric Krieger cooked fries in Paris in 1842 and then introduced his fried potatoes to Belgium in 1844. Also, earlier style fries differ from the ones today. The modern style of fries originated in Paris in 1855.

The most unfortunate change in french fries was going from real to denatured ingredients. The biggest problem is frying the potatoes in seed oils such as canola, corn, and soybean oil. Another problem is relying on stabilizers and fillers. And then there’s the use of pesticides and herbicides in the ingredients. Potatoes themselves are on the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen.

The good news is we’re finally seeing seed oil free frozen french fries on the market. These fries are cooked in healthy oils including avocado and olive oil and fats such as beef tallow. And they  use simpler, cleaner, and less ingredients.

In alphabetical order, here are the 4 best seed oil free frozen french fries:

Folkland Foods

Folkland Foods was founded by the Troyer family, who have been potato farming since 1930. In 1967, they started Troyer Farms Potato Chips and ran it until it was sold in 2008. Now third generation members Colton & Zachary Troy run the farm. The brothers created Folkland Foods, which focuses on organic and regenerative agriculture and minimally processed potato products. Their first entry into this line is their french fries cooked in olive oil. The fries come in the varieties of Himalayan salt, garlic rosemary, and cajun spice.

Jesse & Ben’s

In 2010, Jesse Konig & Ben Johnson started college and became best friends. Three years later, they ran a food business on campus and knew they were ready to enter the food industry after they graduated. The duo moved to Washington D.C. and launched a food truck. Jesse & Ben expanded their business to two food trucks, multiple farmers markets, and a mobile catering service. Over time, they realized they needed to do something they were passionate about if they wanted to remain in the food industry. They transitioned their food truck from gourmet hot dogs to better fast food. By 2019, their burger business was a success, so they decided to open a brick and mortar. Set to open in the spring of the 2000, they struggled when the pandemic hit. During this time, they began making their own frozen french fries as a backup plan. When they walked the frozen food section of the supermarket and didn’t see any new brands of fries, the two knew there was a place for theirs and they founded Jesse & Ben’s. Their regular sea salt fries come in both avocado oil and grass fed beef tallow. Rosemary garlic fries are also available in avocado oil.

Roots Farm Fresh 

Roots Farm Fresh is a collective of farmers and makers who share the goal of producing delicious and sustainable foods near where their crops are grown. Roots is Upcycle Certified, using potatoes which otherwise may go to waste. The potatoes are then steamed to make the fries crispier. This process saved billions of gallons of water. Their products are all certified organic with their potatoes being fried in avocado oil. The company is also big on giving back. For every pound of their products purchased, they donate a pound of sweet potatoes to food-insecure community members. Roots Farm Fresh offers both regular potato and sweet potato fries in a wide variety of shapes and forms.

Tallow & Fries 

In 2020, the Tallow & Fries founder’s wife was diagnosed with cancer. As a father of three young kids, he was balancing work, remote learning, and cooking for his family all while the pandemic was occurring. He ended up feeding them a lot of quick and easy meals like french fries and chicken nuggets. When his wife was in remission in 2021, he realized it was time to control of his family’s health beginning with what they ate. Neither the rest of the family nor he could agree on eliminating french fries. The problem was he couldn’t overlook how all frozen fries were made with seed oils and linked to inflammation and other health issues. Then he rediscovered beef tallow. He found not only was it healthier, but it brought out a richer and more pleasing flavor. He began making his own french fries for his family with Tallow & Fries becoming a business in 2024. Tallow & Fries has choices of both regular and sweet potato fries.