Fried foods are delicious and we all love munching on them. They are tasty on the taste buds but unhealthy for the body. However, you don’t need to compromise on your taste or health because a solution is here in the form of air fryers
With an air fryer, you can cook all kinds of fried foods, including French fries, kebabs, samosa, patties, and more. You can enjoy all deep-fried foods guilt-free and oil-free. Air fryers have taken the culinary world a notch higher. In this article, let’s understand whether cooking with air fryers is healthy or unhealthy.
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Working with an Air Fryer
Before understanding whether cooking food in an air fryer is healthy or not, let’s understand its working first. You just have to place food in the container and set the temperature. Then, the appliance works by starting to generate heat. Hot air now circulates across the food, preparing perfectly fried crispy and soft foods. Most advanced fryers also come with options like baking, grilling and steaming.
Is It Healthy to Cook with Air Fryers?
The below advantages will help you understand whether using an air fryer is a healthy option.
Minimal Oil Usage
When you cook food in an air fryer, you need to use only a few drops of oil. The rest of the task is done by hot air generated inside the appliance. The food is cooked with a crisp layer outside and moist interiors, thus resulting in fried food with 80% less oil and fat.
Reduced Calorie Intake
Managing cholesterol levels can be difficult if you are a foodie because eating oily foods can be bad for your health. Air fryers help prepare food with less oil, thus reducing calorie levels. Also, if you are health-conscious, air fryers are a good choice to manage calorie intake and maintain a healthy weight.
No Formation of Harmful Layers
When food is deep fried, there is a formation of a slightly burnt layer that can increase the risk of cancer. When the oil is heated at high temperatures, these layers increase causing more harm to health. However, when an air fryer is used, there is no risk as very little oil is used with precise temperature setting.
Preserves Nutrients
Food has to be cooked at the right temperature to preserve the nutrients. At high temperatures, it loses all its nutrients. However, when food is cooked in an air fryer, vitamins and nutrients are preserved, leading to a healthy cooking experience.
Safe and Affordable
Air fryers have an automatic shut-off feature that automatically turns off the appliance in case of a current overload or overheating to avoid unfortunate accidents. They are a budget-friendly option for people who can’t afford to buy an oven. The air fryer price is comparatively lower than that of other cooking appliances.
Disadvantage
The only disadvantage of an air fryer is its cooking capacity. When you want to cook a vast amount of food, you can’t do so in a single batch. You will have to fry foods in multiple batches owing to the small size and low capacity of air fryers. However, this disadvantage is managed by quicker cooking time.
Well, these are all the advantages and disadvantages of using an air fryer. From this discussion, it is clear that this appliance is indeed a healthier option for consuming fried foods. Besides being healthy, it is also versatile and easy to use. If you’re looking to advance your kitchen with healthy kitchen appliances, you know what to choose. Give your thoughts, consider all your options and budget, and then decide.
