This holiday season, eat fewer fried foods!

Frying is a common cooking method around the world. The most popular fried foods are potatoes, chicken fingers and cheese sticks, but you can fry almost anything! However, do you know why fried foods are bad for your health?

Reading time: 4 minutes.

Many of us like the taste of fried snacks and dishes. However, these foods tend to be high in calories and trans fats.

Compared to other cooking methods, frying adds a lot of calories.

First of all, fried foods are usually battered or floured before they are fried. In addition, when foods are fried in oil, they lose water and absorb fat. This increases their caloric content even more. For example, a small potato (100 grams) contains 93 calories and 0 grams of fat, while the same amount (100 grams) of French fries contains 319 calories and 17 grams of fat.

Calories add up quickly when we eat fried foods!

On the other hand, there are the harmful trans fats.

Trans fats are formed when unsaturated fats undergo a process called hydrogenation. This process changes the chemical structure of fats, making it difficult for the body to break them down. As a result, they can have negative health effects.

In fact, trans fats are associated with an increased risk of many diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity.

Because fried foods are cooked in oil at extremely high temperatures, they are likely to contain high amounts of trans fats.

 

But not everything is lost!

If you love the taste of fried dishes, consider cooking them at home using healthier oils or alternative “frying” methods. Especially during this holiday season, when we tend to break our diets and indulge in a few too many treats, it’s important to avoid wreaking damage to our health.

Use healthy oils.

The type of oil used for frying greatly influences the health risks associated with fried foods. Some oils can withstand much higher temperatures than others without diminishing their quality or acquiring harmful agents, making them safer to use.

Coconut oil, olive oil and avocado oil are among the healthiest.

The use of these oils can reduce some of the risks associated with the consumption of fried foods. In addition, we leave you with a list of autumn foods and the benefits of including them in your diet during this season.

Remember that everything in excess is bad and enjoy the holidays!