Let us celebrate National Eat Your Vegetables Day by rethinking how we measure, cook, and eat our healthy veggies. In this nutrition blog article, I will help you learn how many vegetables to eat and introduce you to cooking veggies with the air fryer.
How Many Vegetables Should You Eat?
Current guidelines set by the USDA recommend anywhere from 2-4 cups of vegetables a day. They further break down how to measure what a cup looks like when cooking and discuss other food forms (vegetable juice) to get the recommended intake.
I find measuring food, especially vegetable quantities, an incredibly arduous and unnecessary task. You shouldn’t spend too much time and effort asking these questions:
How much is a cup?
Raw or cooked?
There are some instances where measuring food quantities for portion control is essential, but only a slim percentage of the population has the patience or need to do such a task. Instead of methodically measuring your food to eat your veggies, use your plate or bowl of food as your measuring guide.
Aim to have about half your plate/bowl contain veggies. This is a quick, easy, and incredibly full-proof way to make sure you eat enough veggies while maintaining portion control of the rest of your plate.
Comprising your plate with 1/2 vegetables leaves roughly a 1/4 for your protein and 1/4 for any fats and carbohydrates.
Using this strategy for all your meals throughout the day will ensure you eat well over the recommended 2-4 cups of vegetables per day.
Air Frying Your Vegetables
I never like to advise with no actionable steps. You have the roadmap now. Let me provide you with direction.
Air Fryers have come onto the cooking scene in the past decade but have recently become very popular in households. NPD's Kitchen Audit estimated in July of 2020 that roughly 37% of households have an Air Fryer.(1)
If you have never used an air fryer, you are either now saying,
"Yes! Air fryers are amazing!" or "What the heck is an air fryer."
Air fryers are like a small convection cooking oven. They contain a heating element that quickly heats up due to the small size of the machine. This hot air is rapidly blown around with a fan to cook and brown the food quickly.
The food sits in a perforated basket, allowing the hot air to heat all sides of the food evenly. The small size, perforated basket, and rapidly swirling hot air from the fan - make the air fryer unique, and a fantastic tool and addition to your kitchen.
This appliance is incredibly excellent at cooking vegetables because of the small size of the food. Foods like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, zucchini, green beans, etc., are all bite-sized and ideal for the hot air to cook all sides of the food to a perfect crisp.
Not only are vegetables perfect for the air fryer, but they also come out tasting delicious. A little bit of seasoning and oil on the veggies provides a tender yet crispy bite every time. There is no need for processed and unhealthy sauces or toppings to make the veggies tasty.
Air-fried vegetables are also just as healthy as cooking them on the stovetop, oven, or microwave. With only a tiny amount of oil needed to provide an outer crisp, there is nothing unhealthy about it! This low-calorie food will fit perfectly into any paleo, keto, or low-carb eating plan.
Multiple types of veggies can go in the air fryer at once to provide a colorful variety of food on your plate. The days of mushy, bland veggies from a can are over. It is time to fill up your plate with color using an air fryer for cooking healthy and delicious tasting vegetables all summer long.
Here are our two favorite air-fried vegetable recipes for better health:
(1) “2021 Outlook for the U.S. Food and Beverage Industry” NPD, 2021, https://www.npd.com/wps/portal/npd/us/blog/2021/2021-predictions-for-the-us-food-and-beverage-industry/. Accessed 16 June, 2021.
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FAQs
Air-fried vegetables are also just as healthy as cooking them on the stovetop, oven, or microwave. With only a tiny amount of oil needed to provide an outer crisp, there is nothing unhealthy about it! This low-calorie food will fit perfectly into any paleo, keto, or low-carb eating plan.
Why are people getting rid of air fryers? ›
While air fryers are popular, the most expensive models can start to get a little pricey which could undermine their status as a budget item. Many people came out for halogen ovens as the better option.
What vegetables can you not cook in an air fryer? ›
It's important to eat your veggies, and while there are many ways to cook them—the air fryer isn't a good choice for leafy green vegetables, such as spinach, bok choy, Swiss chard, and kale. This is because the speed of the air causes them to heat unevenly.
Can you cook frozen ready meals in an air fryer? ›
There's no debating the convenience of microwaves, but they're not always the best regarding food quality. Fortunately, you can use another commonplace kitchen device to cook ready-made frozen meals instead: The mighty air fryer.
What are the negatives of cooking in an air fryer? ›
What are Disadvantages of Using an Air Fryer? Air fryers vary in the amount of foods they can hold, but usually do not have a large capacity. Air fryers may not be convenient when cooking for large groups. Foods that are air fried have different sensory characteristics than foods that are deep fried.
Is it true air fryer is not healthy? ›
Overall, air frying is healthier than deep-frying. But if you rarely deep-fry food and have a healthy fat intake, using an air fryer might not make much of a difference to your health. Also, everyone responds differently to the fats in their diet.
Why do chefs hate air fryers? ›
Air Fryers Reduce Taste Quality
It has numerous benefits and can cook food efficiently. However, the taste can be subpar compared to other cooking methods available at the commercial level. People traditionally enjoy the authentic taste of conventionally fried or deep-fried food items.
What is the new alternative to air fryers? ›
People are 'ditching' their air fryers for a 'much cheaper alternative' they say gives 'fantastic results'. On Amazon, thousands of shoppers are heaping praise on an 'affordable' halogen oven that promises to save you money on your energy bills.
What is better than air fryers? ›
Cooking times: Instant Pots can often prepare food more quickly than air fryers. Food choices: Although both small kitchen appliances can prepare a wide range of foods, Instant Pots offer more recipe options. Ease of use: Air fryers are good for beginners, while Instant Pots have a learning curve.
Does air frying vegetables destroy nutrients? ›
Nutrient-dense foods like fruits, veggies, whole grains, fatty fish and lean meats are generally just as nutritious in the air fryer as in the oven. However, the air fryer isn't a "free pass" to eat unlimited amounts of higher-calorie foods just because it's healthier than deep frying.
7 Foods You Should Never Cook In Your Air Fryer
- Wet Batters. Those beer-battered onion rings, fries, fish cutlets, plus tempura veggies and more are not well suited for a crisp in the air fryer. ...
- Cheesy Items. ...
- Large, Bone-In Meat Cuts. ...
- Baked Goods. ...
- Greens. ...
- Raw Rice and Other Grains. ...
- Too Much of Anything.
These not-so-hot air fryers will leave you underwhelmed.
- The Cuisinart Express Oven Air Fry received the lowest score in our air fryers test.
- Brains over beauty: the Kitchen Couture air fryer.
- You get what you pay for with the cheap Kmart Anko 9L Twin Air Fryer AFD2906.
Absolutely! Air fryers are versatile appliances that can cook a variety of foods, including ready meals. They use hot air circulation to create a crispy texture similar to frying, making them a great option for heating up convenience foods.
Can you put Marie Callender's in an air fryer? ›
How to Cook Marie Callender's Chicken Pot Pie In An Air Fryer - Fork To Spoon. If you're looking for an easy way to cook Marie Callender's Chicken Pot Pie, look no further than your air fryer! This delicious dish can be cooked in under 20 minutes, and it's a perfect weeknight meal.
What frozen foods are good in an air fryer? ›
Here are eight frozen foods you may not have thought of to cook in your air fryer, according to these experts.
- Frozen Chicken Leg Quarters. ...
- Frozen Pork Loin. ...
- Frozen Fish Fillets. ...
- Frozen Salmon Portions. ...
- Frozen Meatballs. ...
- Frozen Broccoli & Cauliflower. ...
- Frozen Whole Brussels Sprouts. ...
- Frozen Corn on the Cob.
Steaming veggies can preserve nutrients, color, shape, and texture, without having to add any unnecessary fats through ingredients like oils or butter. To steam, place food into a steam basket and cover over simmering water. Since food is not directly touching the water, vegetables retain more of their nutrients.
Is it better to bake or air fry vegetables? ›
These air fryer veggies cook in half the time it takes to make roasted vegetables in the oven! Second, it's delicious. The air fryer vegetables are perfectly tender, with crisp, caramelized edges. Bonus: garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice add tons of great flavor.
Is cooking in an air fryer healthier than oven? ›
Which is better between air frying vs. oven baking? Air-frying is a healthier alternative to deep-fried foods, but oven-baking often preserves good nutrients while filtering out the bad ones, making oven-baked foods even healthier than most air-fried foods.
Does air frying vegetables add calories? ›
Aid in Weight Management
Air fryers also can reduce calories since they require significantly less oil. For example, air-fried foods may only need one teaspoon of oil, adding 40 calories. In contrast, just one tablespoon of oil absorbed into foods during deep frying adds about 120 calories.
