Air fryers or Airfryer are all the rage but is it really less fat and therefore better for your health? Does that give us permission to eat fries more often?
It’s trendy: hot air fryer type “Airfryer” is everywhere. It’s impossible not to have seen her without wanting to give in to the temptation of eat less fatty fries SO less bad for health and the line. But what is it really?
Traditionally, frying is a cooking method that involves dipping food in a significant amount of hot fat, usually vegetable oil. “Oil-free fryers, such as Air Fryerscombine two technologies: hot air circulation and convection cooking, explains Charles Brumauld, dietician, specialist in eating behavior. The fryer will heat the air inside the fryer, and ventilate it around the food. By adding a small amount of oil to this hot air circulating at high speed, this creates aCrispy texture almost similar to fryingwithout the need for a large quantity of oil“.
Fries with 30% less fat?
Given the technological process, it is necessarily less fatty, since traditional frying requires on average several liters of oil, versus roughly a spoonful of oil for air fryers. ‘LFrench fries made in the air fryer are less fatty, confirms our interlocutor. Which can contribute to the weight regulation if we often eat fried products. But the accounting vision of calories is not enough to regulate our food intake.” French fries remain high in calories due to the starch contained in the potatoes. The ideal is toopt for fresh potatoes and prefer natural seasonings with high-calorie sauces.
- 100 g of fries cooked in a conventional fryer correspond to approximately 285 calories
- 100 g of fries cooked in the “air fryer” are approximately 30% less rich, is around 200 calories. It all depends on the quantity of oil added (from 1 teaspoon to 1 or even 2 spoons of oil)
Better for health ?
Air fryer cooking is a little less harmful, since we ingest less oil than with a classic fryer. “But frying oils are often rich in omega-6 and saturated fatty acids, fats that we consume in excess today, to the detriment of omega 3 (rapeseed, flax, camelina oil, etc.)”, replies the dietician. And it must be weighed with the frequency of consumption and the associated lifestyle. “For someone who eats according to a Mediterranean-inspired model (colorful, predominantly plant-based, including a large proportion of seasonal fruits and vegetables, fresh, often raw, whole grains, legumes, seeds and nuts), who moves daily and takes breaks during the day to regulate your stress or his uncomfortable emotions, occasionally eat “classic fries” will be of little exposure to his health”.
Can you eat fries more often if you use it?
It would seem logical to answer yes, according to our interlocutor. But in reality no. Because although the fries are less fatty in a hot air fryer, they are still associated with production acrylamide, a potentially carcinogenic molecule for man and whose European health authorities recommend limiting exposure. In question, the Maillard reaction that occurs between the sugars and proteins of the food during cooking, such as on toast, roasted vegetables or crème brûlées. This browning of food also occurs when cooking in the “air fryer”.
Cooking in an “air fryer” would reduce the formation of acrylamide
According to a recent study, the formation of acrylamide is less in the “air fryer” compared to a conventional fryer.nevertheless this remains a short and very intense cooking processtherefore not comparable to steaming or marinating, which better preserves nutrients, especially those sensitive to heat“. “For this aspect linked to the Maillard reaction, it seems to me useful for his health to limit the frequency of consumption, even if, once again, everything has to be weighed with the way of life”, warns the expert.
Better-tasting fries?
In “classic frying”, the oil is absorbed up to 40%, depending on the type of food. This gives them great palatability, a golden appearance and a crunchy-melty texture, which gives the eater a feeling of intense taste pleasure. With an air fryer, the texture is different And may “disappoint” some users. “It is up to the consumer to place the cursor: if they often eat fried products (zucchini fritters, breaded products, fries, spring rolls, etc.), the “air fryer” can be an interesting alternative to cook food evenly and quickly with quite crispy texture. If he eats it occasionally and the taste experience takes precedence over everything else, perhaps he will prefer the classic version“, he concludes.
Thanks to Charles Brumauld, dietician, specialist in eating behavior, and author of the book “Le SAV de l’aliment” (Ed.First)