University of Diyala

College of Engineering
Department of Chemical
Engineering

Strategies for Healthier Fried

Food

Name: Hussein Ali Ibrahim

Stage: The third
Fried Food
It is the food that it consists of a cooking method in which food is
submerged in hot fat, such as cooking oil. This is normally performed
with a deep fryer or chip pan, and industrially, a pressure fryer or
vacuum fryer may be used. The frying is classified as a dry cooking
method because no water is used. Due to the high temperature
involved and the high heat conduction of oil, the food is then
prepared quickly.

Why fried food is unhealthy

For several reasons, the most important of which is: _
1-They Have a Lot of Calories: That’s because fried foods normally are
coated in flour or batter before they’re fried. Also, oil replaces the
natural water in the foods as it’s cooked, absorbing the fat and
sending the calorie count up.
2-They’re Loaded with Trans Fats: Trans fats are formed when
unsaturated fats experience hydrogenation. Hydrogenated fats
increase stability and shelf life, which is why they’re often found in
highly processed foods. Hydrogenation also transpires when oils are
heated to high temperatures – like during the frying process.
Too many calories and Trans fats are difficult for the body to break
down and lead to harmful effects on your health, such as increasing
the risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and some types of
cancer.

What are the healthy fried strategies food?

Although frying foods can certainly make them taste a lot better, it
also has the potential to make the nutritional value decrease, if not
prepared correctly. If you are looking to eat healthier, without
sacrificing eating fried foods, be sure to follow these hacks.

1- Choose food fried in healthy oil.

At its very base level, the healthiness of fried food depends on the
type of oil you use. Thus, you need to make sure you pick the
healthiest oil possible. Healthier oils typically have less saturated fat
and little to no trans fats, which is linked to heart disease and other
health risks. Some healthy oils include:

 Sunflower oil and Safflower oil

 Olive oil (though this is only suitable for low-temperature frying)
 Unhydrogenated coconut oil. This oil is high in saturated fats, but
also contains lauric acid, which increases levels of "good"
cholesterol.
Avoid partially hydrogenated oil or oil with a lot of trans fats, such as
palm oil or hydrogenated coconut oil. Coconut oil labels do not always
give you the information you need but avoid any that are liquid at
room temperature or have any color other than clear (as a liquid) or
white (as a solid).

Olive oil is probably the best kind of oil you can use to make your fried
foods. Olive oil itself holds many health benefits, so it has an
advantage against its other competitors.
Olive oil is more stable at high temperatures compared to corn oil,
sunflower oil, and soybean oil, meaning you can use it longer than the
other kinds of frying oil, and it will still maintain its quality and
nutrition.

2- Choose an oil with an appropriate smoke point.

Each oil has its own smoke point, the temperature when the oil starts
to smoke. Smoking oil produces bitter, sometimes toxic fumes, and
degrades its flavor, shelf life, and nutrients. Whenever possible,
choose an oil with a smoke point lower than the temperature you
plan to fry at.
Canola oil clarified butter and refined safflower, sunflower, or
coconut oils all have high smoking points. Olive oil and most unrefined
oils should only be used in low-temperature frying.
Refined oils have a higher smoking point than their unrefined
counterparts. These tend to be less healthy than unrefined oils,
unfortunately, but some refinement processes are less damaging
than others.
3- Keep your oil clean.
It is important to make sure you keep the frying oil nice and clean. If
you let it get old, and collect debris, the oil will start to burn, and it
will make your food taste burnt. Using old oil also means that the oil
probably lost its nutrients as well.
Some ways you can help keep your food tasting good and staying
nutritious is included removing debris in your oil as often as possible
and, of course, changing out your oil once it starts to get old.

4-Consume fried lean meats.

When you eat meat that is fried, make sure it is lean. Ultimately,
eating fatty fried food hurts your health doubly since you’re
consuming extra fats. Thus, make sure you pick the fried meat you eat
carefully.

 Think about eating fried poultry like chicken or turkey.

 Try to choose fried meats that are unprocessed. For instance,
chicken nuggets made with fillers are usually not very healthy.
 Foods like corn dogs are unhealthy because of the frying process,
the batter, and the meat.

5- Improving batter or dough used with food.

Having a good batter for your food is super important to having a
great tasting meal, but how you make your batter can determine if
your fried delights are going to be a healthy treat or a greasy mess.
A lot of people probably use all-purpose flour for their batter. All-
purpose flour works well because it contains gluten, which helps stick
to the food really well, but it can also absorb a lot of oil. Instead of
high gluten all-purpose flour, you can use gluten-free ingredients, like
cornmeal or rice flour in your batter.

 Go for a lighter breading, if possible. The less breading or batter,

the less oil it will absorb.
 Use cornmeal or rice flour. This will decrease oil absorption.
 Try a batter that has a leavener or carbonation. This will lessen the
amount of oil the batter absorbs.

6- Use carbonated liquids or baking soda.

Another popular way to help improve the quality of fried, battered
foods is to use a carbonated liquid or baking soda in the batter. What
this will do for your food is when it is cooking, it will release gas
bubbles, which will help reduce the oil absorption in your food.
Pairing this method with gluten-free ingredients in your batter is a
sure-fire way to promote a tasty and health-conscious batter for your
foods.

7- Maintain your oil temperature.

One thing that most people fail at when trying to make a healthy fried
dish is making sure the oil temperature is right where it is supposed
to be. The ideal temperature for fry oil is anywhere between 325°F-
400°F.
If your fry oil is not hot enough, your food will not cook as fast as it
should, and it has a lot more time to soak up more of the oil. If you
cook it too hot, it can cause your fry oil to burn and smoke, which will
not only make your food taste terrible, but it is also a major safety
risk.

 If you aren't following a recipe, it's generally best to preheat the oil
between 365 to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (185 to 190 degrees
Celsius), or wait until the oil is shimmering but not smoking.
 Foods should be properly defrosted. For example, do not ever fry
frozen food.
 Try using a frying thermometer to gauge the temperature of your
oil.

8- Use other frying methods. Such as: _

Air-frying – Hot air fryers are very popular and for good reason, since
they offer an alternative to deep frying that circulates hot air around
foods to make it crispy.
Oven-frying – Bake foods at a high temperature to get them crispy
without the use of oil.
Some other quick tips to keep in mind is to always try to use a deep
fryer, rather than a pan. This will decrease safety risks, and it is easier
to maintain the condition of the oil.
Try oven-fried food. Oven frying is done in the oven and uses much
less oil than deep frying. Thus, oven-fried food contains less saturated
fat and usually has more nutritional value.

9-Eat fried vegetables.

While frying a food necessarily decreases the healthiness of it, by
picking a healthy fried food, you’ll help come to a compromise
between health and tastiness. Thus, make a list of your favorite
vegetables and consider eating fried versions of them. Try fried:

 Eggplant
 Okra
 Green tomatoes

10- Recycle & Reuse.

Although many restaurants tend to filter and reuse their oil, this is not
a healthy option and should be avoided where possible. The oil will
begin to break down within its first use which will lead to an
accumulation of trans-fats and other unwanted by-products of frying
food – always use clean, fresh oil when frying your food as it is much
better for the food and it’s also better for your body.
11- Draining or Drying Foods.
Once you’ve removed the food from the hot oil using a slotted spoon
you should immediately place it upon a paper towel so that it can dry
or these papers help absorb excess oil from outside. If you do not
drain your fried foods on paper towels immediately the excess oils
will not only cling to your food but will also be absorbed by the food
as the food and the oil reduce in temperature.

 Take the food out of the oven or fryer and place it in a metal
colander over a plate.
 Allow the food a couple of minutes to drain properly before
removing it from the colander.
 Dab the fried food with a cotton paper towel or something similar
to sop up any extra oil.