About 4 million air fryers are sold every year in the United States.
If you’re exploring the possibility of purchasing an air fryer, you may be wondering: “Is air frying healthy?”
To help you answer this question, we’ve gathered a complete guide revealing everything you need to know about air fryers.
Keep reading to learn more about these devices and their benefits to human health.
What Is an Air Fryer?
Simply put, an air fryer is a countertop device that uses heat to work as a powerful mini oven.
The inner chamber and suspended basket allow hot air to circulate around the food. This circulation process makes food cook quickly and evenly. It also makes food crispy, recreating the same consistency of fried food.
The hot air used for cooking the food dries the outside of whatever you’re cooking. This is what gives it that crispy texture that we all love to bite into.
Is Air Frying Healthy for You?
No matter what your weight loss or gain goals may be, there’s plenty of evidence that shows eating foods which have been fried in oil is not good for you.
While occasionally indulging in something greasy isn’t going to kill you, it’s important to limit your oil intake as much as possible if you want to be as healthy as possible.
For most people who struggle with their weight, it’s the amount of unhealthy food that’s being eaten that is the problem. That’s essentially why the air fryer was invented. It satisfies your cravings for crispy foods without the extra calories.
As you’ll see in the next section, most of the benefits of choosing an air fryer over an oil one are related to your health.
Benefits of Air Frying Your Food
There are a number of benefits when making use of air fryers properly. Let’s take a look at just a few of them.
1. Promotes Weight Loss
Fried foods are delicious but a high intake of fried foods is directly linked to higher rates of obesity. This is because deep-fried foods are usually high in fat and calories.
As stated above, air fryers make use of heated air flow to cook food without adding unhealthy oils and fats to your food.
Switching from deep-fried foods to air-fried foods and reducing regular intake of unhealthful oils can promote weight loss.
2. Air Fryers Are Safer
If you’re afraid to place your chicken wings in the hot oil, you’re not alone.
Deep-frying foods involves heating a large container full of scalding oil. This can be a safety risk for you. The oil can splash up as you add food by hand. It can also spit surprisingly far if the oil mixes with water.
While air fryers do get hot, there is no risk of spilling, splashing or accidentally touching hot oil. This makes air fryers much safer than frying machines.
3. Reduce the Risk of Toxic Chemicals
Frying food in oil can cause dangerous chemical compounds to develop such as acrylamide. This chemical forms in certain foods during high-heat cooking methods, such as deep frying.
Studies have shown this chemical has been linked to some forms of cancer. By switching to air frying you can avoid these toxic chemicals.
4. Lower Disease Risk
With obesity and the frequent consumption of fried foods that contain dangerous chemicals comes a higher risk of disease. Obesity is linked to diabetes, heart disease, and many other serious conditions.
Using an air fryer can lower your cravings for fried foods since they provide a crunchy texture. By cutting this unhealthy food you’ll be also lowering your risk for several diseases.
Best Ways to Use an Air Fryer
Of course, you can think of an air fryer as a substitute for a deep-fryer but the truth is there’s a lot more you can make with an air fryer than an oil fryer. Pizza, for example.
Be sure to always follow a recipe the first time you’re making something in your new air fryer because you can’t just put it in for as long as you would have placed your meal in your deep fryer.
If you’re wanting to try fried chicken, check out this recipe. It’s a great way to get started in the world of air frying.
For the best result, always preheat your air fryer before placing the food inside and always clean your device in between uses. Check your model for any additional instructions you should be following to keep it properly maintained.
What to Look for in an Air Fryer
Now you know all the benefits of air frying, you may be considering buying one. To help you give you some insight, here are some factors to consider before making this purchase.
1. Wattage
Most air fryers today operate within an average power range of 700 and 1500 watts. So you can choose the ideal one for your electrical system.
2. Type of Use
Know what will be the purpose of your air fryer can determine which size will be the right for you.
If you’re preparing meals for more than three people then a family size air fryer will work perfectly.
3. Cooking Style
This is might be the most important determinant when buying an air fryer.
If you are a big fan of fried foods and desire something that will cook fast without leaving too much mess, the air fryer is definitely a good choice for you.
5. Capacity
The capacity of air fryer you want to buy will be determined by the amount of food you want to cook.
Most air fryers are designed to prepare foods weighing between 1.5 to 2.5 pounds.
6. Adjustable Cooking Settings
The cooking settings are important when choosing an air fryer most of these devices are designed to enhance sound and decision making when preparing your meals.
The different settings can also go along way to define taste and how well cooked you want your food.
Are You Looking for Health and Fitness Tips?
Now you know the answer to the question “is air frying healthy?” As you can see, there are a number of benefits when using an air fryer primarily because you can skip the use of unhealthy and greasy oils.
If you just changed your eating habits but you’re looking for health and fitness tips. Check out our blog, we have a ton of information to help you keep up with your new healthy lifestyle.
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