Vegetables are always a healthy choice, right? Wrong. Though veggies are natural sources of vitamins, minerals and nutrients, they might not always be good for you. This is because the way we prepare foods can alter the benefits they provide, so even a vegetable can be changed into something unhealthy.
The most common example of this is french fries. While potatoes are naturally low in fat, a plate of fries typically has about 17 grams of fat – all thanks to the oil they’re fried in.
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Health experts advise against frying vegetables in oil, because this method of cooking adds a ton of fat to your food. So all veggies can be made unhealthy from frying - not just potatoes.
And the higher fat content is not the only downside to frying vegetables.
Frying vegetables in oil is considered less healthy because generally fried foods have more fat and cholesterol content," Niyla Carson, a nutritionist at Fast Food Menu Prices, told SheFinds. "Compared to steaming and boiling, frying vegetables involves the use of cooking oil, which, when used repetitively, affects the antioxidants that are supposed to be provided by our healthy vegetables. Consequently, consuming too many oils and fats could, later on, lead to diseases such as heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes.
Agatha Repice, a board-certified nutritional health coach of Clean Clear Body, told us that the type of oil used to fry vegetable can make a difference as well. And some oils are worse for us than others.
She said, "Common oils like corn oil, canola oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil and safflower oil are most dangerous to the body tissues and can trigger inflammation. When they are heated, they create oxidized fatty acids that are known to make blood vessel plaques unstable enough to cause heart attacks."
Repice advises that if you are planning to cook your vegetables in oil, you should use an oil that is less processed. These include avocado oil, virgin coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil.
"It's much better to cook vegetables in bone broth, as it helps to heal the gut lining and it’s easy on the digestive system and super hydrating to the body which is great for elimination," she added. "Steaming is great, because it uses no oil and therefore, reduces the fat content of your meal."
