
The nutritional assessment of the fried foods depends largely on the fat used and how the frying has been carried out, but it can be said that the caloric value is significantly increased due to the absorption of frying fat by the food.
Food can be fried raw, floured, battered or breaded. In these cases, the caloric value of the ingredients incorporated must be added to the fat of the frying that absorbs the coverage, which can be important.
It is advisable to introduce the food when the oil is very hot (not burned) to cause rapid dehydration on the surface of the food and the formation of a kind of crust that reduces the output of water and other components, and thus limit the penetration of fat or oil. Contrary to what is believed, in frying, being a fast process, nutritional losses are minimal, so for example some chips retain more vitamin C than boiled ones.
Frying also has a negative side, since oxidation reactions occur that mainly affect fat and some vitamins. The oxidation of fats generates undesirable compounds such as peroxides and free radicals, which in high quantities have toxicological significance. These compounds appear more in reused oils than in those first used.
Using olive oil for frying has clear advantages; It favors the formation of surface crust and improves texture because it reduces water loss and limits oil absorption. In addition, its higher content of vitamin E protects the oil and food from oxidation.
In short, frying modifies the nutritional value of food, but not because it causes a loss of natural nutrients but because above all, it causes an increase in fat and caloric value. If it is well made and with olive oil, it is a perfectly advisable culinary technique in a healthy diet, although it should not be abused.
But, if I don’t eat fried foods and still don’t lose weight?
Not all the fat we eat is visible; There are foods that are rich in fats but since we do not see them we do not realize that they are there. For example, nuts contain approximately 50% fat, which from the nutritional point of view is very beneficial, but when considering losing weight it is better to reduce the diet. It is the same as with oily fish.
Ana Rosa