Air-Frying and Baking With Olive Oil Makes Your Food More Nutritious

Cooking your food in extra virgin olive oil could make it healthier, new research has found. Specifically, the research showed that air-frying or baking plant-based foods with extra virgin olive oil can increase healthy unsaturated fats, reduce saturated fat intake, increase antioxidant levels, and preserve protein integrity.

Olive Oil Boosts Nutrition in Cooked Veggies

The study, published in the journal Foods, adds to what we know about cooking with extra virgin olive oil, which has long been associated with heart health.

Researchers in Chile conducted the study by cooking vegetable patties in various ways.

They prepared 42 patties and added about half a teaspoon of olive oil to half of them. They then baked, air-fried, or deep-fried the patties. After comparing raw and cooked samples, the researchers found that patties made with olive oil and either baked or air-fried were more nutritious than the others.

“This study shows that air-frying or baking foods with extra virgin olive oil can change the fat profile of foods to increase healthy unsaturated fats, reduce saturated fat content, increase antioxidants, and preserve protein integrity,” Kara Bates, MS, RD, CNSC, clinical dietitian with Keck Medicine of USC, told Verywell.

Why Cooking With Olive Oil Is So Healthy

The benefits of extra virgin olive oil are wide-ranging and can impact multiple bodily systems.

“Olive oil has antioxidants that help protect the nutrients in vegetables from heat and reduce the formation of harmful compounds during cooking,” Alissa Rumsey, MS, RD, author of “Unapologetic Eating” and founder of Rumsey Nutrition Consulting, told Verywell.

“Baking, sautéing, or air frying with extra virgin olive oil allows you to get these benefits without the excess oil absorption that happens in deep frying,” she added.

Specifically, the fat in olive oil plays a role in helping your body absorb fat-soluble nutrients, including vitamins A, D, E, and K, carotenoids, and plant antioxidants, that are found in vegetables, Rumsey said.

Easy Ways to Cook With Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Air fryers are no doubt great for people who are pressed for time and need to make nutritious meals quickly.

“It’s easy to throw vegetables such as squash, cauliflower, zucchini, sweet potatoes, and carrots topped with some extra virgin olive oil into the air fryer for a delicious side dish,” Bates said.

“Air-fried potatoes drizzled with olive oil are a great alternative to a fry, and lightly breaded chicken can be thrown into the air fryer or oven along with some extra virgin olive oil for a crispy main dish for some healthy fats and protein without the grease.”