Now that you know what an air fryer is and how it works, you may be curious about how to use the air fryer for healthier foods. The main way an air fryer is healthier is by not using an excessive amount of oil to coat your food and deep fry it. Instead, you get that fast cooking time and crispy texture, but the air is frying your food instead of fattening oil.
Fried Food without the Calories
According to providers of functional medicine Studio City, one of the top reasons an air fryer helps with healthier dishes is that you are cutting down on the fat and calories substantially. Just a tablespoon of oil has over 100 calories alone, and you are using a lot more than that to fry up your food. With an air fryer, no oil is being used as you are relying on the circulating air to cook the food and give it a crispness. This allows you to have your fries, fried chicken, or mozzarella sticks where the oil isn’t being added to the overall calorie count.
You Eat Less Processed Foods
Sherman Oaks Functional Medicine highlights this important benefit to your health that you should keep in mind. If the time or difficulty of cooking at home is what is keeping you from eating whole, fresh foods, then the air fryer can be perfect for you. Not only can you make all your own favorite foods right in your kitchen to help save money, but it is so easy and fast that you are encouraged to cook at home a little more often. This decreases how often you are driving through a fast food restaurant to get the same fried foods you can make at home, plus you are going to be eating more whole foods in the process.
It Doesn’t Require a Lot of Space
Functional Medicine Burbank observed that another thing that keeps people from eating healthier is the lack of proper kitchen space. You might live in an apartment or have a tiny kitchen without a lot of room for cooking appliances. However, this should not mean you are going out to eat or ordering pizza every night. Air fryers are small appliances, no larger than the standard slow cooker. It should fit just fine on your countertop and is usually small enough to fit in cabinets with just a little organization. Even with a small kitchen, you can use the air fryer for fast, healthier meals.
Easy Recipes to Start With
When you first get your air fryer, you might be a little overwhelmed with everything you can and want to do with it. Here are some super simple recipe recommendations from the providers of functional medicine Los Angeles to start with. All of the following are healthy and contain lots of nutrients.
Stuffed Peppers
This is a recipe that might have a lot of ingredients, but is really easy to put together. Plus, you can have stuffed peppers in a matter of minutes. It is also a healthy option since the majority of the dish is a vegetable, with some lean protein on the inside. Cook your bell peppers in boiling water for a couple of minutes to soften them after you have removed the seeds and stems. Preheat the air fryer, and while you do that, sauté your onions and garlic in oil. You can then cook the beef and other ingredients like Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and tomato sauce. Fill the peppers with the mixture, and pop them in the air fryer. This is super simple!
Banana Chips
If you have been looking for a healthy snack that is easy to prepare ahead of time, why not make some banana chips? You can buy these in bags at the store, but they often contain preservatives in order to keep them fresh. You can reduce the additives and save money by making them yourself. The important thing to keep in mind is that you need to use raw or barely ripe bananas so they aren’t too mushy. Slice the bananas into thin slices and coat them with salt and any seasonings you want to use. Add some olive oil to the chips and place them in the air fryer basket for about 15 minutes.
‘Fried’ Green Beans
A good way to get the kids to eat more vegetables is to make them appear fried. This is much healthier to do when you have an air fryer, plus it makes it super simple. You will prepare the green beans just like most of the fried food for the air fryer. You want to season the green beans first, then create a coating with egg, flour, and breading of your choice. If you want them to be lower carbs, use grated cheese instead of regular breading, or you can use pork rinds.
There are many things you can do with an air frye. These are just some easy recipes that our functional medicine doctors recommend to help get you started. Keep posted for more helpful tips from Functional Medicine Los Angeles!
Services Areas Covered:
Studio City, CA, Beverly Hills, CA, Burbank, CA, Encino, CA, Glendale, CA, Los Angeles, CA, North Hollywood, CA, San Fernando, CA, Santa Monica, CA, Tarzana, CA, Toluca Lake, CA, Valley Village, CA, Van Nuys, CA, and West Hollywood, CA