By Paul Goldfinger, MD, FACC

Tuesday, July 2, 2013. Today was the first of two fish fries held each July and August in the Auditorium Pavilion by the Ladies Auxiliary of the Auditorium Ushers.  A crew from the famous Argyle Fish and Chips company in Kearny, New Jersey (75 years of deep fried  success)  was working in the back, frying fish and chicken nuggets. The line was out the door; well, actually there is no door, but the place was packed. Diners were not only eating in, but there was a brisk take-out business as well.

Argyle restaurant deep fryers.

We spoke to the cooks. They said that they only use canola oil for their frying. If you have to deep fry, canola oil is a good choice because it has less saturated fat and more “healthy” mono and polyunsaturated fats.  However, canola oil is just as fattening (9 calories per gram) as any other oil.  And, if you overheat it, it can be transformed into life threatening trans fats. Reduction in dietary  fats is a good idea for any lifestyle plan that wants to reduce cardiovascular risk. This is especially true for saturated and trans fats.

I think we ought to consider any deep fried food to be unhealthy, although I suppose you could say that some may be less unhealthy than others. My advice: Do not eat any fried food if you can help it.

Links  below about fish fry calories, which come to about 1,000 calories per portion—40-50% fat, some of which are saturated and some are trans fat.    Note that an 8 oz portion of deep fried fish with batter  is about 450-500 calories. The rest comes from French fries, tartar sauce, cole slaw, buttered rolls and ? hushpuppies.

Fish fry caloric information number one

CNBC link on a fast food fish fry

FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE. “Saturday Night Fish Fry,” Original Broadway Case Album