Broccoli is one of the healthiest vegetables around. It’s packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. However, many people enjoy cooking broccoli in oil to enhance its flavor. This defeats the purpose of eating healthy broccoli.
Air frying is a popular oil-free cooking method. It uses hot air to cook food, producing a crispy texture similar to deep frying without all the added fat and calories. This raises the question – is air fried broccoli still good for you? Let’s find out.
Nutritional profile of broccoli
Here is the nutritional profile of 1 cup (91g) of raw broccoli (1):
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 31 |
| Protein | 2.5g |
| Carbs | 6g |
| Sugar | 1.5g |
| Fiber | 2.5g |
| Fat | 0.3g |
| Vitamin C | 81.2mg |
| Vitamin K | 92.5mcg |
| Folate | 57mcg |
| Potassium | 288mg |
As you can see, broccoli is very low in calories and fat. It’s high in fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate and potassium.
Broccoli also contains antioxidants like sulforaphane and indoles. These may provide anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory benefits (2, 3).
Nutrition changes when broccoli is cooked
Cooking broccoli reduces some of its nutrients.
One study found that steaming broccoli for 5 minutes reduced its vitamin C content by 10% and its sulforaphane content by 15-25% (4).
Boiling broccoli causes even bigger nutrient losses. After boiling broccoli for 6 minutes, its vitamin C level drops by over 50%, calcium and potassium by around 10%, and iron and B vitamins by up to 35% (5, 6).
However, the remaining nutrients that survive cooking become easier for the body to absorb.
Steaming, microwaving or stir frying broccoli for 3–4 minutes actually increases its bioavailability of sulforaphane by eliminating epithiospecifier protein, a compound that interferes with sulforaphane absorption (7).
Additionally, cooking broccoli breaks down fibers, making the minerals, vitamins and antioxidants more accessible for the body to use (6).
So while cooking decreases some nutrients in broccoli, it enhances the absorption of others. Light cooking methods like steaming appear optimal.
Air frying vs deep frying broccoli
Deep frying broccoli completely submerges it oil, allowing direct heat transfer from the oil to the broccoli.
Typical deep frying temperatures range from 350–375°F (175–190°C). The combination of hot oil and sustained high heat can degrade broccoli’s nutrients (8).
Studies show deep frying broccoli for prolonged periods causes more vitamin C loss compared to other cooking methods like boiling, microwaving or stir frying (9, 10).
Deep frying also adds a significant amount of calories and fat. For example, 1 cup (91g) of deep fried broccoli prepared with canola oil provides (11):
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 211 |
| Total fat | 14g |
| Saturated fat | 1g |
In comparison, air fryers cook food by circulating hot air at high speed. Typical air frying temperatures range from 370–400°F (200–200°C).
While not as hot as deep frying, air frying still cooks the broccoli at sustained high heat. This likely degrades some nutrients, especially vitamin C and antioxidants.
However, air fried broccoli absorbs little to no oil. One study reported an oil reduction of 70–80% when deep frying broccoli in a traditional fryer vs air fryer (12).
With minimal oil absorption, air fried broccoli retains all its fiber and does not have all the added calories of deep fried broccoli.
Ultimately air frying is the healthier cooking method. But both deep frying and air frying likely cause more vitamin loss than other gentler cooking techniques.
Vitamin and antioxidant loss from air frying
Few studies have looked specifically at the nutrient loss from air frying broccoli.
However, research on other vegetables sheds some light:
– Air frying tomatoes at 392°F (200°C) for 8 minutes caused significant losses in vitamin C and the antioxidant lycopene (13).
– Air frying carrots at 356°F (180°C) for 15 minutes reduced their vitamin C and polyphenol antioxidants (14).
– Air fried eggplant had 30% lower antioxidants compared to deep fried eggplant in one study (15).
Based on this, air frying likely degrades broccoli’s heat-sensitive nutrients as well. Vitamin C and sulforaphane may be most affected.
However, the exact amounts lost will depend on factors like air fryer temperature, duration of cooking and how much surface area is exposed to air flow.
More research is needed on this, but it’s reasonable to assume some vitamin/antioxidant destruction from air frying. Gently steaming instead would likely preserve more nutrients.
Fiber, carb and fat content
The main advantage of air frying broccoli is its minimal oil absorption, often less than 0.3 grams per serving (16, 17).
This means virtually no changes or additions to broccoli’s original fiber, carb and fat profile from air frying. It will be the same as raw, aside from the water loss that occurs with cooking.
In comparison, deep frying adds significantly more fat and calories as mentioned earlier.
This table compares the nutritional values of 1 cup raw broccoli vs deep fried and air fried (18, 19, 20):
| Nutrient (per 1 cup) | Raw | Deep fried | Air fried |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 31 | 211 | 38 |
| Fat | 0.3g | 14g | 0.3g |
| Carbs | 6g | 6g | 6g |
| Fiber | 2.5g | 2.5g | 2.5g |
Air fried broccoli retains all the fiber and a near identical carb profile to raw broccoli. No extra fat or calories either.
Glycemic index and antioxidants
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly foods raise blood sugar.
Cooking broccoli increases its GI due to the breakdown of fiber. However, research shows air frying has a minimal impact.
In one study, deep frying increased broccoli’s GI from 15 to 33. Meanwhile, air frying only raised the GI to 17 (21).
So air fried broccoli has an almost identical glycemic profile to raw. Its blood sugar impact is still very low.
As mentioned earlier, air frying likely decreases some antioxidants in broccoli, but not as severely as deep frying.
In one study, air fried broccoli retained more of the antioxidant kaempferol vs deep fried. Total antioxidant activity only dropped 18% for air fried vs 61% for deep fried (22).
So while air frying reduces some antioxidants, broccoli retains significantly more vs deep frying.
Bioavailability of sulforaphane
Sulforaphane is possibly broccoli’s most beneficial compound, known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects (2).
Some studies suggest sulforaphane bioavailability may actually increase with air frying.
One study found that air frying broccoli for 9 minutes increased sulforaphane absorption by 29% (7).
Researchers noted that the high heat likely eliminated myrosinase inhibitors that can block sulforaphane absorption.
However, an earlier study found no difference in sulforaphane bioavailability between microwaved, sautéed and air fried broccoli (23).
So results are mixed. But air frying is unlikely to decrease sulforaphane absorption, and it may even improve it in some cases. More research is needed on this.
Conclusion
Air fried broccoli is still very healthy, albeit slightly less nutritious than raw or steamed:
– Air frying likely destroys some vitamin C and antioxidants through the high, sustained heat. However, nutrient losses are less severe than deep frying.
– With minimal oil absorption, air frying adds negligible fat and calories. The fiber, carb and glycemic profile is nearly identical to raw broccoli.
– Evidence is mixed on sulforaphane bioavailability. Some studies show air frying may increase its absorption.
– While not completely harmless, air frying appears far superior to deep frying in preserving nutrients and health benefits.
In summary, air fried broccoli loses some nutritional value but remains low in fat and carbs with high fiber content. And it’s far healthier than deep fried options drowned in oil and calories. Air frying seems one of the better cooking methods for broccoli.