Air fryer to prepare food with olive oil

[Ralphsdaughter]

Hello, I am wondering if anyone has any thoughts on using an air fryer with olive oil as part of the Ketoflex 12/3? I love the taste of veggies when prepared in it and also use it for proteins (chicken, burger, etc.). Just want to make sure it's a good way to prepare the food for prevention purposes and sticking with the plan. I know raw is better, but I really enjoy cooked food and especially air fried vegetables. Thank you.

[Julie G]

Welcome, Ralphsdaughter! I'm so glad that you posted about this. It's something that I've been wondering about. How much oil do you use with the air fryer? How would you describe the texture of the veggies after cooking? Thanks!

[Ralphsdaughter]

Hi Julie. You can use as much or as little oil as you want - if you’re trying to lose weight or reduce fat you could use a tiny amount. If you’re trying to be in ketosis you can use a lot I suppose. They come out crispy and a little blackened - kind of like roasting at high heat in the oven. Truly delicious !

[Ralphsdaughter]

Which leads me to another question .... is the consensus that EVOO is ok to cook with or are there any concerns about oxidation ? Thanks

[JML]

Hi Ralphsdaughter, I bet they do taste good. I have never tried this. Another question--do you know how hot the air fryer gets? (Is it a Phillips brand, or another?) Olive oil should not be heated beyond 350F for oxidation reasons, I believe.

[Ralphsdaughter]

Ok thank you! So one option I can look into is that you set the temperature yourself on the air fryer. So I suppose I could keep the heat setting under 350 when using olive oil. My guess is that might take away from the crispy, blackened texture and make them taste more on the baked side, but probably still delicious nonetheless. Yesterday for lunch I made entire meal with a small amount of turkey burger, lots of Brussels, and a few sweet potato chips. I used olive oil at 380 for 15 minutes. It was a quick and delicious hot meal in one basket without having any extra dishes. I am going to try it at 350 perhaps for a few minutes longer and see how it turns out. As long as it's healthy and meets the ketoflex diet I am trying to do, I think the air fryer is going to be my new best friend.

[circular]

I would personally use an air fryer for occassional ‘treats’ unless you can cook at super low heat and enjoy it. It’s not just heat but dry heat that generates unhealthy components from the foods (AGEs for example). Wet heat cooking is much healthier. For that I love the Instant Pot and it’s easy cleanup too. I have a countertop convection oven I use for the kind of cooking you’re thinking of, but I try not to use it frequently and cook long and low when I do. Don’t want to curb you’re excitement, but with perspective we can often incorporate some of what we enjoy.

[SusanJ]

You could always switch to avocado oil, which is also a good monounsaturated fat and has a higher smoke point than EVOO. I use that when I want to flash sauté something at a higher heat, like scallops, and it works well.

[Jena S]

I would personally use an air fryer for occassional ‘treats’ unless you can cook at super low heat and enjoy it. It’s not just heat but dry heat that generates unhealthy components from the foods (AGEs for example). Wet heat cooking is much healthier. For that I love the Instant Pot and it’s easy cleanup too. I have a countertop convection oven I use for the kind of cooking you’re thinking of, but I try not to use it frequently and cook long and low when I do. Don’t want to curb you’re excitement, but with perspective we can often incorporate some of what we enjoy.

Circular, I was curious about the concern for AGEs with the air fryer as well. With that, can you tell me a little more about the InstaPot? It seems all of my family and friends received one for Christmas and I'm concerned how quickly it cooks the food. Is this a high-heat mechanism as well? How low can it cook and still be "instant?" So looking forward to your response!

[Ralphsdaughter]

Thanks everyone for the replies. Sounds like I need to give this some more thought. Circular, your thoughts make sense to me - and deep down I figured it was too good to be true anyway. Oh well. I do have an Instant Pot and like it, so I will focus on that. Thanks too for the avocado oil suggestion - will start to use that when cooking stovetop.