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Alexandra Murcier (Liberal dietician-nutritionist)
You’ve probably heard about it: the Air fryer is the new household appliance to have in your kitchen. It allows you to fry but also to cook vegetables, roast meats or even prepare desserts. But can we eat fried foods this way on a daily basis? Answers from Alexandra Murcier, dietitian nutritionist.
The new household appliance that is on the rise at the moment is the air fryer. This device, of which all major household appliance brands have a model, is in reality a kind of convective heat oven, which uses a forced hot air cooking system.
Is cooking healthier with an air fryer?
Unlike conventional frying, the air fryer allows you to use a minimum of oil to cook fried foods, such as homemade fries for example. Instead of the traditional oil bath, with just one or two tablespoons, it is possible to cook your potatoes.
And as for meat or fish, the air fryer gives foods the desired crispy appearance. Based on this principle, cooking in an air fryer represents a healthier alternative.when cooking in a pan or deep fryer” confirms Alexandra Murcier.
Can we eat food cooked in an air fryer on a daily basis?
However, our expert does not recommend eating foods cooked in this way on a daily basis. “It is a cooking method which reduces the intake of fat and therefore the intake of the food. But I recommend always varying the cooking methods, because this allows you to diversify the benefits provided. For example, we will have less than nutrients on cooking in an air fryer than with foods eaten raw or with gentle cooking” notes the specialist.
Which oil to choose for cooking in an air fryer?
As with traditional frying, we may tend to turn to sunflower oil for cooking in an air fryer. But Alexandra Murcier advises against it, due to its richness in omega 6, which makes it too inflammatory. “I recommend using sesame oil or olive oil, but not extra virgin because it will not withstand the rise in temperature. recommends the dietitian.
NO to diets, YES to WW!
The air fryer does not make processed foods healthy
Finally, the last point of vigilance: the consumption of processed foods remains harmful to your health, even with cooking in an air fryer. Indeed, when we use this type of appliance, it is often to cook frozen fries, breaded fish, cordon bleu… So many foods that we prepare more quickly, without a pan and almost without oil . “But for all that, cooking in an air fryer does not make these foods healthier!” underlines Alexandra Murcier. “However, it is possible to use the appliance to cook certain vegetables in a different way, such as eggplants for example.“.