Things You'll Need:
- Sunflower, canola or peanut oil
- Herbs and spices
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Step 1
First, make sure to use a healthy oil to fry your vegetables. All oils are 100% fat, meaning that they all have 9 calories per gram. Oils that claim to be "light" are making a statement about their flavor, not their calorie content. However, what's in those calories still makes some oils healthier than others. Healthy oils include olive, sunflower, canola, grape seed, safflower, walnut, flaxseed and peanut. Not all of these oils are good for frying, though. In fact, if you heat certain oils past a certain temperature, they can become unhealthy. For high-temperature cooking, such as deep frying, stick to canola, sunflower or peanut oil.
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Step 2
You don't have to deep fry your vegetables to get that fried flavor. Instead of dunking vegetables into a vat of oil and drenching them in fat, put a smaller amount of oil in a shallower pan and cook your vegetables that way.
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Step 3
Don't rely too heavily on fat for flavor. Use items like garlic, onions, shallots, salt, pepper, herbs and spices to add pizzazz to your dish.
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Step 4
Pay close attention to cooking time. Overcooking vegetables not only deprives them of their nutrients, but it also makes them mushy and unappetizing. Vegetables should still be crisp and brightly colored when you remove them from the heat.
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Step 5
Finally, consider this alternative to frying that will give you a similar amount of flavor with fewer calories and less mess. Toss vegetables in a bowl with a couple of drizzles of oil, a little salt and pepper, and your favorite herbs and spices. Then, lay the vegetables out on a baking sheet and roast them in the oven at 350 degrees until tender.
