Is It Healthier to Cook in an Air Fryer?
Over the past few years , the air fryer has established itself as a kitchen staple. They’re widely available, small enough to fit in cramped kitchens (like my Brooklyn apartment), and fit a variety of budgets without sacrificing efficiency. They work great, and their popularity has been fueled in part by claims that they can cook food in a healthier way—after all, you’re not deep-frying, you’re air- frying. So is cooking in an air fryer really healthier? Well, like most things that seem too good to be true, it all depends on the situation.
What is an air fryer?
If this is all news to you, an air fryer is essentially a countertop convection oven. These are efficient kitchen appliances that can make cooking faster and easier in some ways. They come in bright colors and different styles. Here’s how air fryers actually work : In short, they use a fan to circulate hot air, and this quick cooking replicates the effect of frying, but using air instead of oil.
Are air fryers healthy?
“Healthy” is a vague word, so let’s be more specific.
Fried foods absorb oil. Deep frying, or even shallow frying food in half an inch of oil, requires the food to be fully or partially submerged in hot fat. The frying and cooling process causes oil to be absorbed into the food, increasing the overall calorie content of the fried food. This may not be what you need.
The air fryer does not require puddles of oil . Since convection cooking is not hot at all (it’s closer to baking), the main heat transfer agent is not oil, but hot wind. You can cook food in the air fryer with virtually no oil and get a delicious, crispy snack. An air fryer allows you to add less oil and still give you the results you want.
It’s about what you cook
Does a breaded chicken nugget thrown into the deep fryer have fewer calories than if it were dropped into the deep fryer? Yes. Is this Air Fried Chicken Nugget more nutritious than coleslaw? Doubtful. So, is the air fryer the answer to healthy eating? Not really. You can use it solely as a French fry reheater , and while that’s an important use, it won’t deliver a ton of nutrients to your body. Eating healthy is more about what you cook; it suits your dietary needs and available options. By the way, healthy eating is not the same as a diet .
If you’re interested in eating healthy, there are other valuable factors to consider besides counting the calories in the small amount of oil you use for air frying. Consider the air fryer a useful gadget in your culinary toolbox. It makes great, nutritious oil-free roasted peppers as easily as melting cheese on a frozen pizza. Depending on your dietary needs and goals, you decide what is included.