Is food prepared in an air fryer healthy? Here’s all you need to know

Who doesn‘t love experiencing the crispy texture of French fries or maybe a piece of fried chicken? Face it, fried food gives you happiness quite like no other. Along with satisfaction for your soul, though, comes unending guilt.

This is precisely where air fryers step in. These nifty appliances help provide us the same satisfaction, sans the guilt. Being a relatively recent addition to Indian kitchens in general though, there has been a lot of skepticism around whether food cooked in an air fryer is truly healthy. Worry not though, for this is where we step in, to put all your worries to rest. Read on.

How air fryers work

A good starting point to answer whether air fryers are healthy or not is to understand how they work. An air fryer’s basic working is no different from that of a microwave. A fan on top disperses heated air using a heating element on top. This air is subsequently distributed around the basket and cooks the food placed in it, which is lightly brushed with oil. However, remember that food cooked in an air fryer isn’t entirely oil-free.

Benefits of an air fryer

Now that we know just how air fryers work, you’d probably already have figured out the health benefits it offers. However, just in case you’re still wondering what they are, read on. 

1. Air fryers require up to 70% less oil to ensure the food in it has the same texture and flavour as it would if it were to be deep fried. A lower fat content means fewer calories, which makes the food cooked in it healthier.

2. Air fryers, it has been found, reduce a compound in food known as acrylamide by about 90%. Acrylamide is a known carcinogen found mostly in starchy foods such as potatoes when they’re cooked at temperatures that deep frying requires. 

3. It is also known that convection heat helps preserve nutrients in food while cooking compared to conventional frying, which completely destroys them. 

In a nutshell, food cooked in air fryers is healthy than other fried food. However, keep in mind the fact that even having air-fried food on a consistent basis is also harmful, so make sure you balance it with lots of healthy food every day.