Fries without oil, crispy chicken without butter… According to fans of the air fryer, this hot air fryer allows you to eat (very) healthily without giving up indulgence. Rightly so? Here is what Julie Boët, dietician-nutritionist, thinks.
Cooking in an air fryer: a good idea for losing weight?
Salmon with asparagus, spring rolls, slimming croque-monsieur, fajitas, light tart… On the Internet, “slimming” recipes using the air fryer abound – to the point of making us believe that it is the ideal ally for losing weight.
However, some experts call for caution on the networks: “Are you thinking of eating “light” with homemade fries or crispy snacks without oil? This is the most vicious trap for your weight loss!“, warns Julie Aymé, naturopath. She explains that this crunch that everyone loves leads to a “rapid absorption of carbohydrates“, causing blood sugar spikes and cravings galore.
But what does our expert think of these statements? In reality, the answer deserves to be qualified.
“This device actually makes it possible to make foods “crispy” without oil thanks to the use of pulsed hot air. However, since lipids provide nine kilocalories per gram, reducing the fat used can reduce the overall caloric intake. Replacing fried foods with cooking in an air fryer can therefore help to create a slight energy deficit, essential for weight loss”,
she admits.
However, even in the context of weight loss, fat should not be considered your supreme enemy. Lipids are essential for the proper functioning of the body: they participate in the production of cell membranes, the absorption of vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E and vitamin K, and especially in the synthesis of different hormones. “Estrogen and testosterone, for example, depend on sufficient fat intake“, specifies the expert.
Without these lipids, fatigue, cravings or even menstrual cycle disorders can occur. Fat also contributes to satiety and pleasure, two important elements for maintaining a healthy diet (and a healthy weight) over the long term.
“Even if you want to lose weight, I therefore do not recommend completely cutting out fats, but rather paying attention to their quality and the quantity used. Unsaturated fatty acids present in olive oil, nuts, seeds or fatty fish have protective effects on cardiovascular and metabolic health. Conversely, excess saturated fats and trans fatty acids from ultra-processed products can promote weight gain and metabolic disorders when consumed regularly in large quantities”, warns Julie Boët.
In summary: yes to the air fryer… provided that it remains occasional
If you already have an air fryer at home, there is no need to throw it away or give it away: it remains an interesting tool provided that it is part of a global approach and that you vary the cooking methods (once the air fryer, once the oven, once steam cooking, etc.).
“This machine in fact facilitates the reduction of added oils and can encourage “home” cooking, which allows better control of the ingredients consumed and the portions. It can also make vegetables more attractive thanks to a roasted and crispy texture, thus promoting a higher intake of fiber, beneficial for satiety, blood sugar and the intestinal microbiota. On the other hand, cooking industrial breaded products in the air fryer does not transform them into slimming foods. The illusion of “healthier” can even lead to increase portions unconsciously”, warns the dietician.
So you will have understood: weight loss does not depend on a single device. This cooking method can help to “lighten” certain recipes, but it is not enough, on its own, to tip the scales.
“Cooking in an air fryer can help reduce excess added fats, but it does not magically make you lose weight. To lose weight sustainably, it is essential to find the right balance by consuming quality fats in appropriate quantities, preserving pleasure at the table and adopting a consistent diet over the long term”, concludes the nutritionist.
Also note that the air fryer is suspected of releasing acrylamide into our food, which is potentially carcinogenic. Conversely, it pollutes indoor air up to 100 times less than traditional frying.