Scientists Just Discovered A Way To Make Your French Fries Healthier

Scientists may have figured out how to make french fries healthier.

New research suggests that combining microwaving with traditional frying could reduce oil absorption when making french fries, without sacrificing texture.

Researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) studied how “microwave frying” affects the texture, water content, and oil absorption of fries.

Their first paper, “The Effect of Conventional and Microwave Frying on the Quality Characteristics of French Fries,” was published by the Journal of Food Science last year, while their new paper was published by Current Research in Food Science.

The researchers initially worked with colleagues at Washington State University to develop a special microwave fryer. The fryer combined a ceramic container to contain the oil and a rope made from fiber optic material to raise and lower a nylon sample holder. They then cooked several batches of fries using this prototype while measuring temperature, pressure, volume, texture, moisture, and oil content.

Microwaving alone results in soggy food, and frying increases oilyness, but the team found that combining the two technologies resulted in a desirable compromise between health and texture. Microwave cooking heats cut potato from the inside out, creating positive pressure and thereby reducing the amount of oil it absorbs as the fries crisp up. As a result, the researchers found that microwave frying resulted in a shorter cooking time and less oily french fries, but still retained a crispy texture.

Fried foods, fat content, texture, and french fries

Photo shows a diagram of the prototype microwave fryer that scientists used to cook healthier french fries — The Journal of Food Science / Elsevier The microwave fryer incorporates ceramic, nylon, and other metal-free materials

Fried foods are some of the most popular dishes in the world, and deep frying accounts for a significant proportion of global caloric intake. French fries are the most popular American dish in the US, and are even preferred to chips in the UK.

While delicious, the high fat content of fried foods means that frequent consumption can increase the risk of health issues and non-communicable diseases, including hypertension and diabetes, and all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality.

“Consumers want healthy foods, but at the time of purchase, their cravings often take over,” said Pawan Singh Takhar, the principal investigator on the microwave frying research project and a professor of food engineering in UIUC’s Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition. “High oil content adds flavor, but it also contains a lot of energy and calories. My research team studies frying with the aim of obtaining lower fat content without significant differences in taste and texture.”