Steaming plate, smell of golden potatoes… Fries remain the little pleasure that often brings everyone together at the table. Many prepare them in the oven, thinking that they will be lighter, others have adopted the Airfryer, this hot air fryer sold as “oil-free” or almost. So who wins the calorie battle? A dietician conducted the test with a very real portion, the one you order at fast food. The reality of the figures is surprising.
Fries in the oven or Airfryer: what the dietitian looks at
For the specialist, everything depends on the quantity of oil absorbed. In a report for the show 66 Minutes on M6, she begins by analyzing 300 g of fries put in a conventional fryer: there are 42 g of fat, i.e. “42g of oil, or a little more than four tablespoons of oil“. As a result, this tray increases to approximately 868 kcal.
The same portion cooked in an Airfryer goes down immediately: we go to “10g of oil, or a tablespoon“. For 300 g, the counter then displays around 300 kcal. When we apply this principle to the oven, the comparisons show that with around two tablespoons (20 g of oil) for 300 g, we are around 520 kcal. The Airfryer, for its part, remains close to 300 kcal for the same quantity.
How many calories in 100g of oven or Airfryer fries?
The nutritional tables confirm this discrepancy. Per 100 g, fries in a classic fryer often reach 300 to 350 kcal. In the oven, we go down between 180 and 250 kcal depending on the dose of oil and the type of product. In Airfryer, the range is around 150 to 200 kcal per 100 g. In other words, the Airfryer maintains a small lead, especially as soon as you stay at just one spoonful of oil.
Another detail that changes everything: the choice of frozen foods. Some “special oven” fries have up to 7% fat and exceed 200 kcal per 100 g. Fries intended for the fryer, cooked in the oven or in the Airfryer without added oil, tend to be around 2.5% fat, or around 115 kcal per 100 g. Three reflexes help you find your way:
- Choose fryer fries cooked without adding fat;
- Limit oil to 1 tablespoon for the entire dish;
- Keep a portion of approximately 100 to 125 g per adult.
Airfryer, oven, fryer: what choice if you’re watching your calories?
In summary, in terms of figures, the classic fryer remains the heaviest, the oven already improves the situation, and the Airfryer takes the lead as soon as you really control the oil. For a “large” portion of 300 g, the difference goes from around 300 kcal in the Airfryer to more than 500 kcal in the generously oiled oven, and up to almost 868 kcal in the deep fryer.
On a family that eats fries once a week, replacing the oiled oven with the Airfryer can easily save 200 kcal per person per meal. Over a month, this already represents several hundred kcal less, without giving up the crunchiness so loved by children and adults alike.