Let’s face it nutrition experts, your doctor, and many others have spent decades trying to convince you fried foods are not exactly good for your diet or health. In so many ways they are quite correct, yet in others it is equally possible that certain deep fried foods have their place in a healthy diet. In order for this to be true your foods have to meet two very important conditions. First you must choose the right foods to fry, and second you need to choose the right types of oil in which to fry them.
Different Types of Fats
Fried foods have long been seen as quick and easy meals and snacks, yet many of us have stopped preparing them at home because of the prolific misinformation regarding fried foods. For the most part this fear of fried foods is a left over from years of using trans-fats to fry everything from chicken to potato chips or French fries. Now that the use of trans-fats has all but been eliminated there is more room for simple fats such as lard, butter, and a large number of cooking oils such as vegetable, olive, peanut, and grape seed.
While you can definitely add food fried in the right oils back into your diet, the key is to use the right oils and as with anything else, eat these foods in moderation. You should consider your choice of cooking oils very carefully. While grape seed oil is a very popular choice, many have never tried it due its high cost. The good news is that this relatively neutral oil has been coming down in price recently. Alternatively you can use the flavors of oils such as olive and peanut to your advantage as they add their own unique flavor to your dishes.
The Right Ingredients
The other side of the coin is to choose healthy ingredients which will become tasty dishes and snacks once they have been deep fried. There are a number of plant based options to consider such as mushrooms, cauliflower, and of course onions. Although your family might think twice before they pick up a mushroom or a cauliflower floret on its own, you may find they can’t’ get enough of them once you deep fry them. Add a range of dipping sauces and suddenly you have created healthy deep fried foods your family will love and beg you to make more of.
