August 2, 2024

One of the newest kitchen appliances is the air fryer, which has gained popularity over the past few years. If you walk into most people’s kitchen, you will find one sitting on the countertop. The popularity grew as advertisements for the air fryer claim that it is a healthy guilt free way to enjoy some of your favorite fried foods. The air fryer promises to give food the taste, crispy texture and golden-brown color of foods fried in oil with less added fat and calories.  

 

How does the air fryer work?  

Air fryers feature perforated baskets, wire racks, and/or ceramic plates with holes that allow hot air from above to circulate around food at temperatures around 400 degrees Fahrenheit. This cooks the outside of the food first, producing a crunchy, crispy outside while keeping the inside soft. As the food cooks, a container below the basket or rack catches any grease.  

 

Are Air-fried foods better for you?  

Air-fried foods require less oil when compared to fried foods. When deep frying foods, you need to use a large amount of oil, with the air fryer, you will need a small amount, usually a tablespoon or less. Instead of submerging food in oil to get a nice crispy outside, you can air fry it and you will get a similar consistency, but your food will have a lower fat content and calories. When cooking with any fats, even healthier oils, including olive oil and avocado oil, all will contain a lot of calories. Gram for gram, fats (such as cooking oil) contain more than twice the calories of protein or carbohydrates. Because air-fried foods are lower in fat than deep-fried foods, switching to an air fryer may be an easy way to help cut calories which can help with weight loss, reduce cholesterol levels, and lower your risk of heart disease. This cooking method might also cut back on some of the other harmful effects of oil frying. The reaction that happens when you fry starches, such as potatoes, makes the chemical acrylamide, which research links to a greater chance of getting cancer. Studies have shown that air frying lowers the amount of acrylamide in fried starches. It is important to note that any high heat cooking can potentially produce these chemicals, so some may be present.  

 

What can you cook in the air fryer?  

What you cook in the air fryer is also important when you are trying to eat a healthy diet. The air fryer is not only for typical fried foods. If you are only cooking foods that are normally deep fried such as French fries, mozzarella stick or chicken nuggets, you still may be getting too many calories from fat. The good news is if you search the internet, Tik Tok, Instagram or Pinterest for healthy air fried recipes you will find hundreds. Air frying is a quick cooking method for many foods. Proteins, vegetables, starches and even fruit can be air fried. One of the best things you can cook in an air fryer is vegetables. Toss veggies with a spray of olive or avocado oil and your favorite seasoning and they will have a roasted vegetables consistency. Proteins such as chicken, fish, lean red meat, or pork can all be cooked in the air fryer. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, and squash are easy to throw in the air fryer for a quick side dish. You can even make combinations of food such as chicken sausage and bell peppers or seasoned diced chicken and broccoli. The possibilities are endless. The only restriction may be the size limit. Some air fryers are larger than others, but smaller ones may require your meal to be cooked in batches.  

Air fryers are a great tool to have in the kitchen. They not only are versatile and can cook many types of foods, but they can also help reduce fat and calories by limiting the amount of oil used in cooking.  

If you have an air fryer and have not tried different recipes, give a few of these a try: 

Vegetable recipes:  

 

Protein recipes: