Fried Foods are Bad for You

Fried chicken and french fries in the cafeteria, waiting for Fatty

Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall. -Confucius

You may have noticed that deep frying isn't included in the MindfulEats "How to Cook Healthy and Fast" series. That's because it's not. Healthy or fast to cook. 

Trust us, we know that fried food is delicious - we can polish off a plate of french fries in minutes. Just having a plate of fried food in front of us can be irresistible - that's why it's best to avoid even looking at fried food (avoidance isn't the best policy for healthy relationships, but it's okay for bad food. Trust us.)

Cutie, if you are confronted with fried food, we recommend reaching down and grabbing hold of your belly or your love handles. Feel that? Do you want that around your heart and in your arteries? Do you want to add more around your waist? We didn't think so. Put the doughnut down. If you have nothing to grab around your middle, then you are in luck! Put the doughnut down so you stay that way.

Why is fried food so bad?

• It can contain trans fats, which puts you at higher risk of heart disease. Restaurants like trans fats since it raises the flash point and lets them use the same oil over and over again. At MindfulEats, we recommend everything in moderation, but we have zero tolerance for trans fats. Avoid this completely. If you have fried food, make sure there are no trans fats in it!
• It can make you obese. A Spanish study found that people who ate the most calories in fried food had a positive correlation with obesity. OK, maybe you're not shocked by this finding, but fried food is loaded with calories and fat. The breading on fried food soaks up the grease. It's kinda like drinking oil straight from the vat. Which you would never do. 

Quick comparison: 

• Wendy's large French fries (420 calories, 20g fat) vs. large baked potato (278 calories, 0.4g fat) 
• PF Chang's Kung Pao Chicken (1228 calories, 79g fat) vs. Ginger Chicken with Broccoli (656 calories, 26g fat) 
• KFC Original thigh & drumstick (460 calories, 32g fat) vs. Boston Market thigh & drumstick (300 calories, 17g fat) 

Cut down on your fried food to cut down on calories and that heavy, greasy feeling. You'll feel lighter for it.

If you want to make your own fried food, and you are a meticulous person, it can actually be healthy. It ain't easy though. Just don't bread the food, use clean peanut oil heated up to 365 degrees Fahrenheit slowly (no smoking), cook only a few pieces of food for the right amount of time, then drain on a rack.

What to do: Cut down on fried foods

1. Avoid fried food; it's bad for you!
2. If you have to indulge, be mindful when you do and limit it to once every two weeks, then once a month. If fried food is your ultimate fantasy, cut it way back. It's about reducing it to improve your batting average; you don't have to be perfect. Once a month won't kill you, and you'll start feeling better after a while.
3. If you are indulging, make it a luxury and go to a high-quality restaurant and ask if they use partially hydrogenated oils. No trans fats!
4. Fry it yourself to keep strict control on quality. Follow the above directions.

Want to see examples of fried food to avoid? Check out This is Why You're Fat.  This seems to have been removed 11/29/11

What I ate: 2 tangerines, 1 espresso, 1 hard boiled egg, 1 oz. almonds, 1/2 cup yogurt + 1t Sarabeth's strawberry-peach jam + 2T flaxseeds, 1 Eggs Copenhagen and potatoes (L'Express), 1 latte, 1 handful Mindful Mix, 1 kiwi, 1 grapefruit, 1 tofu+spinach+mushroom wrap (Grey Dog), 1 large green tea, 60 oz. water

Exercise: 3 miles + 4 mile race (ran my fastest race in years but still got beaten by 1200 people. Sweet.)