Is Cooking with An Air Fryer a Healthier Choice than Deep-Frying?
Many people are still skeptical about the benefits of using an air fryer. Are they better than the conventional way of frying in oil? Will the food taste better? Is it a healthier way of frying?
We hope that this post will give you the answers you seek to start your air fryer adventures.
How does an Air Fryer Work?
An air fryer uses heated air, circulated by a built-in fan, to “fry food” (technically, air fryers don’t fry food. Instead, they are more like mini convection ovens).
Little to no oil is used, and temperatures can reach up to 400°F. The hot air circulates around food placed in a basket, giving the outside a crispy, crunchy texture, while keeping the insides moist. Fats and grease from the food melts and drips into a tray for removal.
Is Cooking in an Air Fryer Healthier than Deep Frying?
An air fryer requires about a tablespoon of oil to achieve a similar texture and taste of deep-fried foods cooked in about 3 cups of oil. This reduces fat content in foods by up to 80% in some models of air fryers. This makes air fried foods a much healthier alternative to deep-fried foods.
Deep-fried foods are not only higher in fats, but they are also higher in calories. If you eat too much fried foods, you run the risk of obesity. Being over weight or obese puts you at risk to various types of cancer such as:
Multiple myeloma (a malignancy that begins in plasma cells)
Postmenopausal breast cancer
Esophageal (cancer that occurs in the esophagus)
Thyroid
Pancreas
Uterus
Kidneys
Liver
Gallbladder
Stomach
Ovaries
Colon
Rectum
Many people are switching to healthier oils for their cooking. But even healthier oils contain a lot of calories. When you fry food, the calories can increase fast. Deep frying increases trans fats that can raise bad cholesterol and increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
Another concern about deep-frying is the oil that’s left in the pan. This oil is usually reheated to fry other foods. Reheating oil results in breakdown products. Studies have shown that reheated cooking oil is linked to cancers of the breast, lung, colon and prostate.