Are air fryers healthy and deliver what they claim? Air fryers are appliances that promise the same taste and texture of fried foods without calories or fat.
The pleasure of having a plate of fried chicken or French fries hits you right away with their crispy crunch and chewy center.
However, the mesmerizing taste does come at a cost. The oil used can cause type 2 diabetes, heart diseases, and cancer. On the contrary, air fryers provide a healthy alternative. Read on and find out more about it.
Are air fryers healthy?
Yes, the food prepared in air fryers is completely healthy compared to other kinds of deep-fried foods. That's because air fryers use about 80% less oil.
That way, the food becomes tasty and healthy. There has been a rise in the popularity of air fryers because of the growing awareness of a healthy lifestyle.
American people consume more potatoes than other vegetables and 40% of them are in the form of frozen products like French fries.
Manufacturers of air fryers claim that it is the best way to enjoy fried foods without hampering your health. Air-fried foods are low in fat content compared to deep-fried foods.
Air fryers make good use of the circulating hot air that prepares the food from every side without using a lot of oil. An inbuilt fan heats the air to up to 400 Fahrenheit around the food.
As such, it helps you to make healthy roasted, fried, and grilled recipes without compromising on taste.
This method of cooking food could cut down on some of the ill-effects of oil frying foods. A certain chemical, acrylamide is produced when you deep fry starchy foods like potatoes.
Some researchers link the chemical to cancer-causing agents. Another study highlights that air frying can lower the amount of the chemical by around 90% in fried potatoes.
Are air fryers safe for health?
Foods made on-air fryers tend to have lower fat and calories compared to deep-fried foods. As time goes on, consuming air fried foods could be better for your waistline. And, this is only the beginning for good health.
Air fried foods help protect your heart by avoiding trans fat content. Also, it helps your health from exposure to harmful chemicals like acrylamides, which are believed to be a cancer-causing agent.
Foods prepared on air fryers are good for health because of the lower calories and fat.
A chicken thigh deep-fried has around 250 calories along with 19 grams fat. Whereas an air fried one consist of 135 calories and 5 grams fat.
When you consume a lot of deep-fried foods, you gain weight over time. One of the best ways of avoiding trans fat is consuming air fried foods more often.
Trans fat gives rises to type 2 diabetes and different types of heart diseases. Some manufacturers claim that when you use air fryers, you can cut the percentage of fat from your food by up to 75%.
Many recipes for deep-fried foods need at least 3 cups of edible oil. Yet, air fryers need about a single teaspoonful of oil to cook in the same quantity.
Is Air Fryer healthier than oven?
Yes, an air fryer is a healthy option in comparison to an oven. When you cook food in an air fryer, you don't have any proportion of oil.
That's because the appliance heats up and becomes hot enough to make your food crispier without the need to add oil.
With an oven on your side, you can't achieve that, even with a sophisticated one. That way, if you add no oil to the dishes you are preparing on the air fryer, the dishes would be healthy to consume.
And, the important nutrients present in the food aren't changing either.
If you have more money to invest in one of the best kitchen appliances along with the ease to store it, the air fryer would be the better choice.
With an air fryer, you can get the crunchy texture of different kinds of fried foods without the excess fat and grease.
Although an air fryer and convection oven make use of a fan to circulate hot air around, the air fryer moves more air in a short time inside the small chamber.
That way, it increases the speed of the overall cooking process. Also, air flyers employ a basket so that the hot air can move easily around the bottom of the cooked food.
These are the reasons that make an air fryer healthier than convection ovens.
Is air fryer worth buying?
Yes, an air fryer is a good investment and worth buying. It has plenty of benefits associated with healthily cooking the food. When you switch to air-fried foods from deep-fried foods, you promote weight loss.
Deep-fried foods are associated with obesity. Air fryers are safer to use than ordinary deep fryers.
While an air fryer can get hot, there is no worry to spill, splash, or accidentally touch the hot oil. However, people should carefully use this appliance and follow instructions.
One of the reasons that make air fryer a worthy buy is that it reduces overall calorie intake by around 80%.
Another great feature of the appliance is time-efficient ability. You can bake a piece of chicken much faster than you can cook in your oven. Also, it takes little effort to clean up the device.
If you like to eat leafy greens, you can use an air fryer to make them crispier and tastier.
When you deep-fry some of the dishes, your house gets filled up with the smell of fried foods. But with an air fryer, you won't face such a situation ever.
Moreover, air fryer helps in decreasing the formation of harmful elements like acrylamide. It is a chemical that has connections to certain types of cancer.
Final thoughts - Are Air Fryers Healthy?
So, air fryers are a healthy option when it is about less calorie intake. While lots of research on the effectiveness of air-dried foods are yet to be made, experts recommend that people should limit the consumption of dried foods.
However, compared to deep-frying, food prepared in air fryers reduces the amount of fat along with harmful elements in food.
