Are air fryers healthy? For those of us who love the handy kitchen gadget, it’s a question we sometimes ponder about as we load our favourite foods ready to cook. The popular device is often sold as a healthier cooking alternative, but does the claim stack up? We speak to the experts to find out.
There’s no hiding from air fryers and their popularity nowadays, even if you’ve resisted buying one of the best air fryers you’ve no doubt seen or heard about them multiple times. And with all the foods you can cook in them, it’s easy to see why so many households now own them, with most preferring them over the usual cooking methods.
Often, the draw of air fryers is that they are a ‘healthier’ (and easier and quicker) way to cook certain foods; everything from chicken to potatoes to even popcorn. But is this true, and are they actually a healthy way to cook? We asked nutritionists, chefs, and air fryer experts to understand whether our air fryers are a healthy choice or not.
What is an air fryer and why are they said to be healthy?
An air fryer is an appliance with a tray at its base, which pulls out to allow you to put food inside. They work by using convection cooking, rather than the heating systems of a conventional oven. At the top of your air fryer is a heating mechanism and a large fan. The best news is that knowing how to use an air fryer is super easy to master – no doubt contributing to its popularity, as well as the best air fryer deals currently available.
Registered nutritionist Jenna Hope explains, "air fryers cook your food by heating up really quickly, and then use the fan technology to drive the heat around the food, which is what creates that crispy texture. In frying or oven cooking, you require more oil to create this texture, as these methods don’t use the same technology as air fryers. As such, air fryers use very little, if any, oil."
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Air fryers don't get better than this. The Ninja cooked our chips in record time (with no pre-heating) and made the perfect crispy bacon. Having two drawers makes this super versatile, since these can work independently or in sync. It might be more expensive than some, but I still think it's a great value.
This can work as one mini oven or as a dual-drawer air fryer. All you have to do is slide the divider in and out of place. Each half of the oven can air fry independently from the other, and you get to choose between deep baskets as well as solid and mesh trays. It covers every function and every possible option.
This is one of the cheapest models in Ninja's offering, but you don't have to make any compromises on quality. It's powerful, versatile, and convenient. I'd recommend it for couples because you can easily fit food for two into the basket, or four at a stretch when you're hosting.
Are air fryers healthy? The 5 benefits
Now we know how they work, are air fryers healthy? Below, we share the health pros and cons of this handy machine.
1. They require much less oil than normal frying
As mentioned, one of the biggest reasons why an air fryer is a healthier choice than some other forms of cooking is the fact that they only require the tiniest amount of oil. And often, once you know how to use an air fryer, you'll find that many air fryer recipes don’t need any oil at all. Chef Jenna Moran, founder of whimsyandspice.com, explains: "On average, an air fryer needs only a third of the amount of oil (if at all) compared to traditional fried food." Knowing how to clean an air fryer is important when you do use oil.
The negatives of cooking with too much oil are well-known. “When you cook with lots of oil, the fats end up being stored in the body, and get deposited within the arterial walls”, Jenna Moran explained. “If a lot of oil is consumed regularly, this can result in blocked blood flow, which can lead to serious health conditions such as unhealthy weight gain, a stroke, or even a heart attack.”
Jenna Hope expands, saying, "Using air fryers can also reduce the trans fats in your food, which are often produced when oil is heated at very high temperatures." In this sense, then, air fryers are healthier than their equivalent alternatives, such as deep frying or regular frying.
2. Air frying preserves nutrients
When compared with other forms of cooking, air frying can help to preserve more of the nutrients in your food, many of which can be lost during the cooking process. Nutrients are generally broken down by heat, oil, and water, but the air frying process requires just heat (which is also at a lower temperature when deep frying) –meaning it can be better for keeping those nutrients locked in.
“However,” says Jenna Hope, “nutrient preservation can depend on the nutrient in question, and the food. The absorption of some nutrients increases when foods have been cooked. For example, beta-carotene (the orange component found in butternut squash, carrots, and sweet potato) has a higher bioavailability when cooked.”
3. They’ll help you to consume less calories
When cooking foods with oils, fats and calories can easily and inadvertently stack up. For example, there are around 40 calories in a teaspoon of oil, and many of us will use double or triple this amount. As such, an air fryer can be a great alternative if you are specifically looking to enjoy tasty, crispy foods whilst managing your calorie intake.
Of course, many cooking oils contain healthy fats that, as part of a balanced diet, are beneficial for our bodies. The antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties in olive oil have, for example, been shown by studies to improve heart health and lower disease risk.
But if you’re currently on a weight loss journey, your air fryer could be a useful tool in helping you achieve your goals.
4. Offers a healthier alternative to deep fried food
To be clear, air frying isn’t the same as deep frying, as Hope explains: “Air fryers are not technically a form of deep frying. Deep frying is where food is placed at very high temperatures for cooking. Air fryers work more like an oven.”
But for many, they are a great alternative to deep fat fryers, as they both create that ‘crispy-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside’ texture that is so satisfying. And, air fryers do this with minimal oil, as opposed to the masses of oil used in deep frying, or even during stovetop frying.
So if you are someone who likes to eat fried foods such as crispy fish, bacon, or fried shrimp, an air fryer is certainly a healthier way to cook them.
5. There's less of a risk of producing carcinogens
Whether you have one of the best Ninja air fryers or another one of the best non-toxic air fryers can be a great way to lower the risk of carcinogens produced while cooking. Carcinogens are substances, both natural and man-made, that have the potential to cause ill health.
Chef and air fryer expert Liana Green, of Liana's Kitchen, explains, “Foods cooked at higher temperatures lose more nutrients and have an increased risk of developing acrylamides, which is a carcinogen. A 2015 study by the National Library of Medicine showed that using an air fryer reduces acrylamide by up to 90%, compared to deep fat frying.”
Key disadvantages of cooking in an air fryer
When answering the question, are air fryers healthy? It's important to evaluate the cons of these machines, too.
Air fryers reduce healthy fats in some foods
For example, Jenna Moran explains that air frying may reduce the amount of healthier fats in some foods. She states, “Sometimes when cooking oily fish, for example, air fryers can actually reduce the amount of 'healthy fats' in our food. Because of the way air fryers work, they can 'dry' the food out, sometimes taking out valuable fats. This, in turn, can affect cholesterol levels."
Those with low cholesterol need to boost the number of healthy fats in their diet, so using a device that can reduce these is usually not a good idea.
Air fried food is still fried food
So, are air fryers healthy? It’s important to note that despite the positives, air frying is still just one method of cooking. And while it may be a healthier method in comparison to frying and deep frying, air fryers still produce fried food, which should only be consumed as part of a healthy, balanced diet full of other cooking methods too.
For example, steaming or boiling your food is considered to be healthier, as it also requires no oil and helps to preserve your food's nutrients.
But as ever, balance is key. Hope explains, “While the health of our food is important, the taste, texture, and experience all contribute to the enjoyment, and therefore I recommend combining air frying with methods like boiling, sautéing and steaming."
And, taking a moment to consider what you are actually cooking is still as important as it would be for any other cooking method. "It’s important to note that higher sugar, higher fat foods can be cooked in an air fryer, and therefore the aim should still be to focus on nutritious foods which are rich in vitamins and minerals," says Hope.
FAQs
Why are people getting rid of air fryers?
You may have seen the recent debate about whether air fryers are toxic and wondered why people are beginning to get rid of their previously beloved appliances.
"While I can't speak for everyone, we've seen some kitchens ditching the air fryer due to it being just not big enough to cook meals for whole families. Air fryers are wonderful in that they're easy to use, easy to clean, and most importantly, quick to cook food in, but a standard air fryer can be small," starts Steve Horner, kitchen hygiene and appliance expert at Cladding Centre.
"If you have a big family, you'd either need a large, expensive air fryer or you'd have to use the air fryer alongside other appliances, such as the oven, which therefore means that you're not really saving much money or time, which is likely what the air fryer's for," he adds.
Steve also goes on to say that many people may be finding that they don't have the extra space for air fryers in their kitchens. They can be big and bulky, and if you're trying to keep counters clear in a small kitchen, they can be more of a bother than anything else.
Is the air fryer healthier than the oven?
In the same way you might be wondering what's best between an air fryer and microwave, there's some competition from traditional ovens, too.
“Ultimately, while the main health benefit of an air fryer is that you can cook with less oil, it really depends on what you’re cooking," says Martin Senders, Philips' in-house air fryer expert.
“It’s tempting to use an air fryer just for quick and easy oven food - like chips, nuggets, and breaded fish. However, if done properly, users can unlock a fantastic range of healthy, nutritious food cooked in the air fryer," he adds.
Are air fryers really worth having?
Are air fryers worth it? If you're umming and ahhing about making the most of the best air fryer deals right now, we asked the experts whether it's worth the purchase.
“If you’re looking to cook the food you love in a faster, more efficient way - air fryers are the perfect choice. As well as speed, you have the added versatility of being able to cook multiple dishes simultaneously - perfect for busy families," explains Martin.
On the other hand, Steve says, "If you have a small kitchen or need to cook for a lot of people at once, however, then you may struggle with an air fryer. If you don't have the counter top space to store it, then they can add to the clutter of your kitchen and make the kitchen harder to clean and maintain to a high enough standard."
While there are a few things you'll need to know before buying an air fryer, they're extremely easy to use and are much healthier than traditional frying.
