“Put back the potatoes please”: McDonald’s new vegetable French fries leaves internet divided

In France, McDonald's is looking at different root vegetables to create new Vegetable Fries. The new limited-edition fries are a combination of beets, parsnip, and carrot fries.

Apart from the unique flavor, the new trio has an eye-catching color scheme of orange, red, and yellow. For the fries, 1,500 restaurants across France will receive about 1,500 tons of carrots, 1,000 tons of red beets, and 700 tons of parsnips.

One user commented:

Comments on the official Instagram post (Image via @mcdonaldsfrance/Instagram)

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Fans aren't too excited about McDonald's France introducing vegetable fries

The new fries are described by the brand as a "new crispy and gourmet variant" of the chain's famous fries.

While some may regard them as a "healthier" alternative to typical French fries, it must be noted that they are still deep-fried and therefore cannot really be labeled healthy.

Some netizens were quite critical about this new offering:

User @I_instance_de_m commented:

Comments on the official Instagram post of the brand's page

While user @elody33990 was not against the idea, @lisa_louve did not seem to be on board with the vegetable fries.

Comments under the official Instagram post (Image via mcdonaldsfrance/Instagram)

Here are some other reactions to the fries seen on Twitter:

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A spin on the classic fries

While traditional fries are composed of potatoes, it is not uncommon for fast-food restaurants to expand that definition. Burger King, for example, sells Chicken Fries, which are fried chicken fingers sliced into the shape of fries. Fried green bean fries and a few other pseudo fries have been seen as appetizers in sit-down casual chains.

Now that fries have been added to the McD menu in France, they have undergone a complete redesign. The brand announced:

"Discover, for a limited time, the delicious French Vegetable Fries! A mix of beets, parsnips, and carrots for a delicious crispy, and colorful trio of fries. Also available in large portions."

Shown below is a list of the ingredients used to make the fries in the US:

Ingredients: Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (canola Oil, Corn Oil, Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Natural Beef Flavor [wheat And Milk Derivatives]*), Dextrose, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate (Maintain Color), Salt.

*natural Beef Flavor Contains Hydrolyzed Wheat And Hydrolyzed Milk As Starting Ingredients.

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About the brand

The McDonald's Corporation, a multinational fast-food chain with American roots, was established by Richard and Maurice McDonald after opening a restaurant in San Bernardino, California.

From Oak Brook, Illinois, to Chicago, the company's global headquarters were moved in June 2018. It became the largest restaurant chain in the world in terms of revenue in 2021, serving over 69 million people daily in more than 100 countries at more than 40,000 locations.