HEALTHY RECIPES COLLECTIONS

Discover the secret to frying with less fat and fewer calories.

You love fried food, right? But you also know it’s pretty bad for you. What if we told you “fry” is OK? No, not deep-fried, trans-fat-laden junk, but a lighter, smarter type of “fry.” 

Our easy, oven-frying technique delivers a crisp, seasoned exterior and moist, tender interior without all the fat and calories of deep-frying. For the basic technique, we have you coat your food in a light breading, spray it with oil and bake it on a rack. An oil spray bottle works great and so does cooking spray. Sometimes we go for a slight variation—brown the coated food in a bit of oil in a skillet and then finish it in the oven. That way it gets crisp on the exterior but doesn’t burn and requires only a little oil.

Recipes | Tips

Healthy Fried Recipes

• Almond-Crusted Chicken Fingers
• Beer-Battered Tilapia with Mango Salsa
• Coconut-Crusted Tofu with Peach-Lemongrass Salsa
  
• Cornmeal-Crusted Chicken with Pepián Sauce
  
• EatingWell Fish Sticks
  
• Fried Green Tomato Sandwiches with Remoulade Sauce
  
• Home Fries
  
• Oven-Fried Fish Fillets
  
• Oven-Fried Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes
  
• Oven-Fried Zucchini Sticks
• Oven Fries
• Pan-Fried Trout
• Picnic Oven-Fried Chicken
• Pistachio-Crusted Tuna Steaks
• Potato-Horseradish-Crusted Mahi-Mahi
  
• Salt & Pepper Shrimp
• Scallop & Shrimp Dumplings
  
• Skillet Tofu Parmigiana
  
• Spicy Pecan-Crusted Chicken
  

Healthy Eating and Cooking Tips

• Know your sources of trans fat. Since 2006, the FDA has required food manufacturers to list reportable amounts of trans fat on the Nutrition Facts label. What’s considered reportable? Food manufacturers don’t have to report the trans-fat content if it’s less than 0.5 gram per serving. So check the ingredients list for hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils even if the Nutrition Facts label reports 0 grams of trans fat.
• Skip the deep fryer. With just a bit of breading or batter and a little oil or cooking spray, you can get a crispy, delicious coating on fish, chicken or even zucchini without a Fry-Daddy in sight!
• Making baked tortilla chips: Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly brush one side of 4 corn tortillas with about 1/4 teaspoon canola oil each and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Stack the tortillas and cut into 8 wedges; arrange on lightly oiled baking sheets. Bake until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Makes 32 tortilla chips.

Learn more:

Are nonstick Teflon pans safe?
Where are trans fats found and how to avoid them?
On the Road: Fast Food Survival Tips
Healthy Eating for Kids Recipes and Menus

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