Are air fryers healthy? It depends on how you use them.
Let's be real: The air fryer trend isn't going anywhere.
When this mini appliance — known for crisping up anything from meat to desserts in minutes — became popular a few years ago, most converts haven't looked back. Part of that appeal is the convenience of speed, but a major pro is also the allure of "healthier" fried food.
But how much of that narrative is true, and how much is merely myth? We're here to lay out all the pros and cons of whether air frying is healthy, so you can make an informed decision when it comes to feeding your family.
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Are air fryers healthy?
The short answer: It depends.
If you're comparing air fried foods to deep-fried foods, the former is definitely a healthier alternative.
Rather than being fully submerged in hot oil, which seeps into the food and amplifies its trans fat and calorie content, air fried foods typically only call for a small amount of oil. Air fryers then use convection cooking technology to turn things like fried chicken or French fries into crispy, deep-fried-like delights. And if you're using a high quality air fryer — like our favorite, the Ninja Speedi — the results will be pretty close to the real thing, at just a fraction of the calories and fat.
Fried foods are also high in acrylamide, a chemical found in carb-rich foods when cooked at high temperatures, which may increase the risk of several types of cancers. Luckily, air frying can reduce the presence of this chemical by up to 90%, according to scientific studies.
But air fryers can have downsides, too. They're still cooking your foods at high temperatures, which comes with its own inherent risks.
According to the National Cancer Institute, potentially harmful chemicals like heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (HCAs and PAHs) form in meat and fish when they're cooked at high temperatures. So even though you're not deep-frying those chicken thighs or salmon filets, you'll still want to be careful not to overcook them while air frying (which can be easy to do, since those machines cook foods so quickly).
Now, this isn't to say that air fried foods can't be healthy. In fact, air frying things like fresh veggies and lean proteins (without overcooking) can be one of the easiest — and tastiest — ways to keep your healthy eating goals on track.
With just a small amount of oil, you can achieve crispy and tasty results with just a percentage of the fat, calories, and harmful chemicals that come with the territory of deep-fried foods. Plus, no hot oil to contend with — a win-win!
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This article originally appeared on Reviewed: Are air fryers healthy? The risks and benefits of air frying
