What is the hottest home appliance in recent years?
I guess the air fryer should be able to rank in the top three.
"Low fat", "air frying", "oil-free cooking"... Many people have also started an air fryer in recent years, which can make a variety of fried and baked foods with just a few buttons and without too much oil.
Is this small appliance that claims to be healthy really healthy?
Compared with traditional frying, air fryers are indeed healthier
The principle of the air fryer is actually to use air instead of hot oil, and to remove the moisture on the surface of the food through hot air, so that the ingredients can achieve the effect of near frying without rolling oil.
Through the closed pot body, the surface of the food can form a crisp surface layer through high temperature hot air, and the water inside is also locked, coupled with infrared radiation, the inside of the food can also be cooked thoroughly, and it is crispy and tender to eat.
Compared with traditional frying, the oil content used in the air fryer is reduced, the fat content will be reduced, and the polar compounds such as methoxyaniline generated by traditional frying can also be reduced.
Therefore, from the perspective of traditional frying, the air fryer is relatively healthy.
Of course, it is only relative.
Air fryer, I heard it causes cancer?
For the air fryer, there have been many rumors in recent years, saying that it will elongate suspected carcinogens of acrylamide and be harmful to the human body.
But the truth is that the air fryer is just a way of cooking, if the food contains both carbohydrates and amino acids, after high temperature cooking, it will produce a "Maillard reaction", the food will become attractive color.
Even if you don't use an air fryer, if you change to an ordinary cooking method, such as high-temperature frying, frying, braising, grilling, etc., acrylamide will appear more or less.
In addition, the safe dose of carcinogens itself is not clear, so how much to eat will cause cancer, and medicine has not been able to give a definite answer, but it can only be said that less contact is good.
Although it is relatively healthy, it is still not suitable for eating it often
Compared to the traditional method of frying, the fried food in the air fryer is relatively healthy, but it does not mean that you can eat it with impunity.
The fried food itself almost destroys most of the vitamins, vitamin B1 is almost completely destroyed, and the rest of the vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, lycopene, and the omega-3 fatty acids in the fish will be greatly reduced after frying.
Therefore, it is recommended that when eating fried food, it is also necessary to maintain a balanced diet, which can be combined with some fresh vegetables and fruits to supplement the body's vitamins.
Air fryer, what should you pay attention to when using?
First, non-stick coatings are the most common but not scratch resistant
The biggest disadvantage of the air fryer is that it is not resistant to scraping, so it needs to be cleaned with a sponge to avoid the coating peeling off and affecting the non-stick function. When purchasing, it is also necessary to select products with a smooth surface and clean and maintain according to the instructions, thereby extending the service life.
Second, pay attention to the "meat on the dish" layering pattern when using
Due to the short heating time of vegetables, while taking out vegetables, the meat is often not yet cooked thoroughly, so the meat is placed on the upper layer, and the meat crumbs or gravy that are not cooked through fall into the vegetables below, resulting in cross-contamination.
Third, wipe with a damp cloth at residual temperature after use
Because food contains starch, protein, grease and other components, when food debris sticks to the inside of the air fryer, if it is not removed in time, after repeated heating, carcinogens may be generated.
Fried food is indeed delicious, a small amount of intake is not a big problem, as long as it is not often eaten, the correct treatment of fried food, will not be as terrible as some articles say, do not have to be overly nervous.
But in life, it is also true to eat lighter and put less oil, which is beneficial to health.
bibliography:
[1] GU Chuanling. "Air frying" vs. "traditional frying" who is more nutritious[N]. Family Doctor Daily, 2021-08-02(008).
[2] Lin Lin. A brief discussion on the formation of acrylamide in food heat processing and prevention and control methods[J].Grain and Oils,2021,34(10):149-152.
[3] Ou Jinqiang, Song Zhihua, Shao Linya, Huang Jianhua, Wang Xingguo, Tang Junjun. Contents and distribution of trans-linolenic acid in the process of flaxseed frying temperature in the process of flaxseed α fries under two frying temperatures[J/OL].China Oils and Fats:1-10[2021-11-17].