AIR-FRYERS

 LET'S TALK ABOUT AIR-FRYERS


AIR-FRYING; HEALTHY OR UNHEALTHY?

Most consumers love to fry their foods in lots of oil known as deep frying. This makes food

crunchy and appealing to one’s sight and enhances the taste. The average concern for healthy

eating coupled with eating fewer fatty foods has led to a new method of frying foods called air-

frying. This method involves frying foods with little or no oil using special equipment called the

air-fryer.

WHAT IS AN AIR-FRYER?

An air fryer is a cooking appliance that uses hot air to fry foods while producing crunchy food

with little or no oil. It is advertised as a healthy way to enjoy fried foods making it a popular

kitchen appliance in recent times. It can be used to bake, grill, reheat (similar to a microwave)

and fry (main purpose) foods such as yam, potatoes, meat, fish, and many other staples.



HOW DOES IT WORK?

An air-fryer releases heat up and down and on all sides of the food. The heat comes from a heater

element and two fans situated above and below the cooking chamber which rotate to spread the

heat around the food. This continues until the food is cooked uniformly but with limited time and

temperature. Are you worried about extra heat and pressure that can be produced? An exhaust

system in the air-fryer helps to get rid of this to ensure safety in the kitchen for the consumer.


HOW HEALTHY IS COOKING WITH AN AIR FRYER?

Compared to deep-frying, air-frying cuts down the amount of fat in food because it requires

significantly less fat for cooking. Without the extra oil, the air-fryer prepares crispy foods that

taste like deep-fried foods. This results in a less fatty food product thus reducing calories

(energy) and one’s risk of weight gain. A higher intake of fried foods is associated with

overweight or obesity which is a forerunner of many diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.

Besides cutting down calories by air-frying foods, it also reduces some harmful effects of deep

frying by reducing the formation of a cancer-causing compound known as acrylamide in foods.

This compound is formed when hot temperature is applied to foods, especially carbohydrate-rich

foods. According to research, air-frying of foods is usually done at lower temperatures thus

reducing or preventing the formation of this harmful substance. However, it is important to note

that other harmful chemicals associated with frying may still be formed during the process of air-

frying. Finally, research has shown that air frying is a safe way to cook meat because it makes it

easy to be broken down in our body while keeping all the nutrients intact for good nutrition and

health.


AIR-FRYER AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION

The average electrical energy an air-fryer uses is 1425W with most being between 800W up to

2175W and higher units for some brands. Research shows that the higher the watts used the

higher temperature the air-fryer generates to cook food, thereby increasing electrical costs. The

amount of electricity an air fryer consumes will depend on the duration of usage, the amount of

time required to cook a particular food, and the quantity of food. Air fryers have longer cook

times compared to deep frying because of their low temperature.


CONCLUSION

Air-fried foods may be a healthy alternative to deep-fried foods, because of their lower fat

content. Although, this method reduces the formation of some cancer-causing compounds other

harmful chemicals that are formed during the frying of foods are still present. Cooked food in an

air fryer is still fried food. Dietary recommendations emphasize moderate consumption of fried

foods because of their association with weight gain which increases a person’s risk of chronic

disease. Air frying of foods should be an occasional rather than an everyday cooking method.

Choosing a variety of healthier cooking methods such as boiling, steaming, stir-frying, and

poaching will contribute to a healthful diet and optimal health.

Do you want;

Weight management plan

Customized meal plan

Family/school menu

Nutrition screening

Corporate health talk

Nutrition counselling

Medical nutrition therapy

Then do not look too far, Lina-the-dietitian is here for you!!!

Contact us;

Phone:

(+233) 552928711

Whatsapp;

https://wa.me/message/A25TS46FG4QPJ1

Email:

linathedietitian@gmail.com

My name is Lina-the-dietitian and I await your bookings👍

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