French fries, potato chips, fried chicken, nuggets, and breaded pork chops; these are just some of our favorite deep-fried dishes that most of us can’t resist. Before, we only got to choose between delicious high-fat fried foods or bland healthy dishes. But with the development of air fryers, you can now enjoy delectably crunchy fried dishes that are healthy and low in fat at the same time.
Unlike conventional deep frying machines, air fryers make use of mechanical fans to rapidly circulate the hot stream of air that will cook the food. The result is an evenly cooked fried dish with a nice crispy layer on the outside. Aside from cutting down the oil content of your food to as much as 80%, air fryers are also easy to use, quick-cooking, compact, convenient, and way safer than conventional deep fryers wherein scalding oil is always a hazard. Air fryers are so versatile that they can also be used as an alternative to ovens and grills. Check out this Actifry review to learn more about the advantages of using an air fryer.
To guide you in cooking low-fat yet delicious fried dishes, consider these 4 tips on cooking healthy meals with an air fryer.
1. Add vegetables to your favorite dishes.
While air fryers are usually used to cook chicken, pork, and fish, there are also some vegetables that are compatible with this machine. Some of these veggies include potatoes, carrots, peppers, asparagus, zucchini, broccoli, sweet potatoes, and corn on the cob. Just cut the vegetables into small serving sizes and gently season with salt and black pepper before loading into the fryer. Leafy vegetables and beans are, however, not ideal to be cooked using air fryers.
2. Do not cook frozen food directly from the fridge.
Remember to thaw meat and vegetables before loading them up inside the air fryer until at least the ice completely melts. This prevents uneven cooking which leaves your food burnt on the outside and raw on the inside. It also reduces the cooking time and makes your food crispier. For a well-cooked healthy meal, avoid overcrowding the fryer and remember to flip the food halfway through the cooking time.
3. A little bit of oil is great.
A light coating or a few sprays of oil will not only help prevent the food from sticking to the pan but will also make them crispier and evenly browned. Remember to use vegetable oils with low saturated fat content and high smoke points such as olive oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, and soybean oil.
4. Cook in a lot of different ways.
Despite the name, air fryers can be used to bake wheat bread, pasta, and fruit pies. You can also use it to grill and roast meat and vegetables. Since an air fryer cooks by circulating hot air, you only need to shake and mix the food once halfway through the cooking process. You may search the internet for fresh and innovative ideas in cooking healthy and delicious meals with an air fryer.
Disclosure: Guest Post
Photo Credit: AirFryerHub & Tefal
