I think from reading various posts on this forum that most of us are looking to improve our health. I don't care to deep fry many items these days, but of course I enjoy the taste of fried food as much as most people. I came across a post the other day on Twitter from a chef, and it mentioned hot air frying. I looked around and found that hot air fryers seem to accomplish the same purpose as deep fryers or stove top frying, but only use a fraction of the oil used in traditional methods. Here's a link that explains what hot air frying is, and how it works. Has anyone here tried using a hot air fryer? If so, I'd love to hear your thoughts, and which product you used.
There is nothing unhealthy about deep frying. This method of cooking has been around for thousands of years. This is another one of those cases where people believe the myth rather than the evidence. Obesity wasn't a widespread problem during those thousands of years of cooking in fat. Even with all the evidence to the contrary there are still a lot of people ( maybe most people ) That believe that margarine is healthier than butter, eggs and dairy products are bad, etc. Obesity is a real problem but it has nothing to do with fried foods. But air frying, oven frying and such ( although you'll have to change the definition of frying ) are fine methods of cooking, they aren't necessarily any healthier.
I agree Sheldon, that fat has gotten a bad rap. There are good fats. But oils heated over 400 degrees turn into saturated fat and that's still considered bad for you. Some oils have a higher tolerance to heat like Grapeseed Oil, Avocado Oil, Sunflower Oil (or is that Safflower)….but they too have a limit. Plus, we can't forget that too much of anything will cause obesity…including fat. Obesity culprits are sugar, sitting, not enough water, sugar, not enough dark greens and protein, sugar, eating too much of anything, processed foods, carbs, sugar, eating too close to bedtime, imbalance of essential vitamins, sugar, exercise, sleep, sugar, stress, not enough fiber…did I mention sugar?
Sugar is definitely one of the worst foods for causing fat, and I agree with you totally, @Lara Moss . When I was reading about how insulin works, the book was explaining that when we eat a food that has sugar as a main ingredient, our blood sugar goes up too high, then our body sends out insulin to lower the elevated blood sugar. Insulin is our body's fat-storing hormone, and that is one of it's primary jobs; so when we eat sweets, and our blood sugar is elevated, insulin will store it as fat. Even the artificial sweeteners can do the same thing, simply because our body tastes the sweetness, and thinks we are having sugars, so it still sends out the insulin army, even though we do not have elevated blood sugar. Then, the insulin steals whatever sugar is in our blood, turns it into fat, and we are now hungry because our body is signaling us that our blood sugar is too low. So we eat when we should not need to. Some people (unfortunately I am one of those) have extra sensitive sensors for insulin, and when you even LOOK at sweets, your body thinks you are going to eat it, and sends out the insulin. After reading this, I decided that my body is probably one that would not know the difference between a real cinnamon roll or a picture of one that made me hungry looking at it. So now, I try to avoid even looking at pictures of foods where there might be desserts. That is why you seldom see me participating in any of the threads where there are pictures of food, especially desserts.
Oh my, Yvonne. I knew that our brain thinks fake sugar is real but I had no idea about seeing pictures of it. Your post explains a lot of things…excellent!
I don't fry anything and haven't in years but not because of the fat but because it still adds calories. I am a person that cuts calories wherever possible because I want to be able to eat more.
My family never fried anything, at least not in the way I think is meant here, as in deep fried? My mother never even made fried chicken. We didn't even make French fries at home. I got sick the first time I ever ate deep fried onion rings. We used frying pans and fried bacon but we usually made fish in a small amount of butter, I guess saute' would be the word, but we said "fried". We browned meatballs in frying pans, too. A few years ago, I read that frying in leaf lard was healthier than anyone could have thought: http://lifehacker.com/fry-in-lard-at-high-temperatures-for-healthier-fried-fo-1513754811 http://empoweredsustenance.com/lard-is-healthy/
I agree with @Sheldon Scott on the myth of unhealthy frying. My reason is the same that it is a traditional way of cooking and the oil itself gives the good taste to fried food otherwise it will be cooked but bland in taste. As long as the cooking oil is clean and not the diluted one in bottles (being sold in the wet market) for me it is okay to have fried foods. This thing we call "deep fried" takes away the cholesterol and it is a wrong notion that fried foods are fatty. What is fatty is the meat itself and not because it is fried. With hot air frying, this is kinda new to me.
Well cooking food with healthy oils helps. I've read in magazines that virgin & organic olive oil is good for stopping cancer cells in your body. Food got to be cooked and which ever way you choose to cook food is going to be eaten. I saw the commercials on the air frying and it seems very healthy and good plus it cooks in a short time too. It's a good idea to check into things that interest you for your good health too. This commercial is a long one with Emeril Lagasse. 10 best air fryers.
I'll pass on the air fryers if they're anything like those terrible air poppers for popcorn. I also agree with @Sheldon Scott. I've read that olive oil helps get rid of the bad cholesterol but has a low smoking point.
You're right about olive oil. It is good for salads but a poor choice for frying. I usually use peanut or canola oil in the deep fryer and butter, bacon grease or, lately, coconut oil for pan frying.
Lara you mention sugar a lot but you failed to mention things that are much worse than sugar and may be the main culprit in causing obesity. Sucralose (Splenda) and Aspartame (Equal) Sugar needs to be kept in moderation but it is much better than artificial sweeteners. We use Stevia in drinks but use sugar in some form or another in cakes, pies, candy, etc. There is no Splenda or Aspartame to be found in our food.
Sucralose and Aspartame aren't sugar and have not even been in my radar since the health risks were exposed a decade ago. They're just chemicals. Do people still use them? I never have. There are many health risks besides obesity. Not only do they cause obesity but also studies are leaning toward brain cancer, leukemia, and lymphoma. If I use sugar, which I'm not at the moment, it would be organic cane sugar, non GMO, unbleached, natural (less processed). I have used Stevia but don't like the after taste. Stevia also tells your brain it's no different than sugar. I don't use Stevia anymore.
REFINED Coconut Oil…better for frying (up to 450 degrees) but the processing has killed the nutritive value. UNREFINED Coconut Oil…not good for frying (350 degree limit) but it still retains all it's health benefits because it has much less processing. As soon as you see smoke from the oil, it has turned to Trans Fat. Mayo Clinic still says Trans Fat is bad for your cholesterol levels.
@Lara Moss , that's good to know about coconut oil. I wouldn't care about the nutritive value of refined coconut oil being lost. The high temperature is more important here