Eating delicious meals is important, but eating healthy, delicious meals is way more important. I know all the ruckus going on about frying, cholesterol, calories, and fat might have discouraged you from treating your taste buds to tasty fried meals and snacks.
Sometimes we crave delicious fried food, but the unhealthy tag pushes us away. I know other methods of cooking are great, but frying is everything, well to me. There is just this feeling that comes with the crunchy feel of snacks, sizzling taste of steak, and brownish looks of chips that ignites your taste buds at any time of the day.
Are you tired of having to count calories whenever you eat fried food? Running to the gym the next day but not exercising, because I am. Well, the good news is that you don’t have to quit fried food if it is healthy. Here are seven tips for enjoying delicious but healthy fried food:
Contents
Is your Oil Right?
Source: The Jakarta Post
What does it mean to use the right oil? There are certain features you should look out for before shopping for oil. Features such as cholesterol, smoke point, etc. These determine how healthy the oil is. Your oil gets to the smoke point once it stops shimmering and starts burning.
The heat breaks the oil compound which can make the taste of your food bad overall. Not only does it make your food taste awful, it gives off some chemicals that are harmful to your organs in your body, especially the heart. It is recommended that you use oil with higher smoke points as they are healthier than those with lesser. Check the nutrition box on the container. Also, you can opt for cholesterol-free oil like canola oil. Your heart will thank you.
Remove Debris
Source: Minimalist Baker
As we know, while frying, little particles of the food end up in the oil. For better health, make sure to keep the oil clean and clear before, during, and after cooking. You can always have a little metal sieve on standby. It can be used to clear out the oil as well as removing remnants and particles. You should not be surprised that particles affect the quality of the food. This is even more obvious when frying meals coated with bread crumbs or batter. These particles get burnt and change the savor, and no one likes burnt food.
Draining Work
Source: Delicious
Always, drain excess oil away. Instead of ingesting all that grease, take two to three minutes to drain off the oil on a paper towel. The paper towel will take in the excess oil, thereby reducing the amount of oil that goes into your body. The amount of oil that gets off during draining is better on paper than in your body. I know you can’t wait, but we are trying to be healthy here. Spend a few minutes taking a healthy step, and you can enjoy a healthy meal after.
Opt for Olive Oil
Source: Pixabay
When it comes to cooking soups and sauce, you might have your preferences, but when frying, you have to consider more than just your choice. Frying involves more oil and grease. So, when cooking your meals, use olive oil instead of corn or vegetable oil because it is much healthier. Doing this saves you unnecessary anxiety about health risks. It also has other benefits for your hair and skin; olive oil has anti-aging benefits. Since the olive oil acts as an anti-oxidant, you have nothing to fear from toxins and free radicals.
Get the Right Temperature
Source: Medical News Today
Have you noticed that sometimes food soaks in the oil? This sogginess is probably because you didn’t fry at the right temperature. If your oil is not hot enough, it makes your fries absorb too much oil. On the other hand, if the oil is way too hot, your food won’t cook properly and get burned.
Soggy or burnt food, neither of them tastes good. Getting the right temperature depends on what you are frying. So you should know what temperature is best for what meal. Note that the ideal temperature for fry oil is anywhere between the range of 325F – 400F. If you are having issues keeping to the right temperature, you could add a small deep fryer from HomeKitchenland to your kitchen gadget. You’re not only adding to your number of cooking appliances, but you’re also adding value to your kitchen.
Carbonated Liquids to the Rescue!
Source: The Spruce Eats
This is a cooking hack on many cooking websites, and it is worth the hype. Using carbonated liquids or baking soda in the batter helps improve the quality of fried food you cook. This allows for the release of gas bubbles; this will prevent the oil from being absorbed into the food. The baking soda in your cabinet just got more useful. You will be setting yourself up for tasty meals and give of health.
Pair with Vegetables
Source: Bluprint
The last tip is a secret, as not everyone knows it. Do you know that you can trick your body? Don’t wander too far, I’ll explain.
Salads contain a high level of essential nutrients, including dietary fibers that help prevent health conditions. Health conditions are results of high cholesterol levels caused by using harmful oils to fry or eating excess fried foods. After frying your delicious dish, pair it with a side serving of lush green vegetables as well. Mixing up your meals with salads and fried foods will be the final step towards better health.
Several studies reported that eating fried food can increase risks to certain chronic illnesses, but I have just shown you that you can avoid this by doing it healthy.
Conclusion
With these seven fantastic tips on how to make your fried food healthy, nothing should stop you from enjoying a nice fried meal ever again! You already know what to do, buy the right oil, ensure it’s clean, and invest in an efficient deep fryer that helps you control the temperature. Follow these tips; then you are good to go. Eat Healthily! Stay Safe!
