All you need to know about fried foods

Vegetables, chickens, fish… all of them are often immersed in oil and their worldwide consumption continues to increase and even reaches 11 billion kilos per year. And yet, we know that fried foods are not healthy.

Here are the 10 things to know about this method of cooking.

1. A very fatty cooking method

The success of this cooking is explained by the crunchy texture it achieves.
One potato has a fat content of 0.1 g. When it is soaked in oil it increases to 12 g. How to explain this? First of all because the frying oil replaces the water in food which has evaporated during cooking and it also infiltrates after frying during cooling. Certainly the fats in the food will help make the energy balance surplus, but not all fats are equal. However, in excess, some fats are harmful to health : such as fatty acids. Unfortunately these fried foods are full of them. 

2. Pay attention to pre-cooking

You often buy frozen french fries to save precious time in preparing your meals and yet nutritionally they are not recommended.
How can we explain it? In fact, frozen fries are always precooked from bad fats, it should also be added that they are more porous (than fresh fries): the surface of the potato is dehydrated during the first cooking which results in an increase in oil absorption during the second firing.
It is the same for fries "  House  »Which undergo a double cooking or which undergo a water blanching beforehand. A fresh unbleached fry will therefore have less fat (6% fat) than a fry blanched in water or oil (more than 8% fat).
So be careful in some friteries their precooked frozen fries undergo a double cooking !!!!

3. Pay attention even to cooling

The oil that has been absorbed during frying is certainly on the surface but when cooling occurs a large part.
When the fried food comes out of the oil, be quick: because the oil gets into the food when the temperature is still above the boiling point of water (i.e. 20 seconds after their release). This is when you need to shake the fried food and even place it on absorbent paper to slightly reduce the final fat level.
To reduce this rate, you can also salt it but beware it is also bad for cardiovascular health….

4. Choosing the right oil

At high heat , oils undergo chemical transformations which often lead to the formation of toxic compounds. Some are nevertheless more stable than others: oils obtained from saturated fatty acids, for example, have a longer useful life.
Unfortunately from a nutritional point of view, they are harmful for the integrity of the artery walls.
Oils obtained from polyunsaturated fatty acids are considered to be better for your health. And yet, these will oxidize quickly and become unfit for consumption (sunflower oil, soybean, rapeseed ...). So which oil to choose? Both factors must be taken into account and favored for stable oils with a reasonable amount of saturated fatty acids. In this case, refined olive oil and peanut oil seem to be the best choices. On the other hand, animal fat, praised for the taste it provides and used in certain chip shops, should be avoided: its saturated fatty acid content wins the medal!

5. Fine foods are more fatty

Indeed, fine foods more easily absorb oil to retain it.
According to studies, thin fries can be 3 times as fat as large fries (at the same weight).
This is explained by the ratio: the higher the surface / weight ratio, the higher the fat content. It is for this reason that crisps are the highest fat / fat fried foods.


6. Check the temperature of your frying

Always keep an eye on the temperature of the frying which will influence the fat content of the fried food.
Above 200 ° C (400 ° F), the quality of the oil deteriorates and the absorption of food increases.
It is therefore recommended to keep a frying temperature between 155 ° C and 180 ° C (311 ° F and 356 ° F).
When temperatures are higher, there is an appearance of acrylamide, which is a carcinogenic molecule and which affects male fertility. A temperature of 215 ° C (419 ° F) for 6.5 minutes develops 6 times more acrylamide than a temperature of 185 ° C (356 ° F) for 12 minutes.
It is the same for too low temperatures which will increase the duration of the frying and therefore the fat content will be higher.


7. Acrylamide: carcinogenic molecule - explanation

Take the example of a potato. This is rich in carbohydrates therefore presents ideal conditions for forming this carcinogenic molecule during frying. To avoid the formation of this compound, it is first of all necessary to be vigilant as to the place of storage of the potatoes: the sugar content is increased when the potato is preserved in the cold and in the light (refrigerator for example). .
It is therefore ideal to consume your potato at temperatures between 8 and 10 ° C and protected from light.

8. How to use your oil well?

There are several factors that influence the aging of an oil. It is therefore difficult to determine when to replace it. However, we know that its misuse can precipitate its deterioration. When the oil is greater than  200 ° C (392 ° F), it will age twice as fast. However, the older the oil, the less fluid it will be and the more it will be absorbed by food.
Advice: change your oil regularly, it should be clear and clear in color, it should not smoke and above all should not foam.

9. Fried vegetables: a bad idea

Avoid vegetable chips. Although these chips and are tasty, these foods are not considered healthy foods. They are obtained in the same way as potato chips: therefore just as fatty and salty. Take a look at the nutrition labels, you will understand :)

Tip: If you want to make vegetable chips for your guests, choose homemade products cooked without fat in the oven . Recipe: Finely cut your vegetables into slices and bake them for about an hour at 200 ° C (392 ° F).

10. Fried protein

Unfortunately, fried chicken and fish are no exception to the rule. So avoid them and if you really want to do them "  House  ".