IBS and the Benefits of Using an Air Fryer

I live in the southern United States. The stereotype of southerners frying everything exists for a good reason. We do. Unfortunately, fried foods are a problem if you have irritable bowel syndrome. It is hard to be southern and try to avoid fried foods. Is there a solution?

If you love fried foods but your IBS does not, you might enjoy cooking with an air fryer. Yes, you can bake a lot of things as opposed to frying them. The problem is some foods do not get quite as crispy as I would like. Using an air fryer allows me to get the right amount of crispiness with either no oil or just a tiny bit of oil.

Deep-fried deliciousness of all kinds

Just the smell of hot oil makes me queasy. I know what it does to me, and it makes my stomach flip just thinking about it. Still, I grew up on a typical Southern diet of fried squash, okra, green tomatoes, and more. Here in the south, everything can be fried. Some people deep fry butter.

Yes. You read that right. They deep fry butter. I do not eat it, but plenty of people do. However, I love a lot of vegetables fried. My IBS flares up when I eat vegetables, but if I fry them it will be so much worse. Growing up eating these foods means I cannot avoid cravings, and sometimes I must give in to them. This is why an air fryer is helpful for someone with IBS.

Satisfying cravings while trying to tame flares

If I am craving something, I can fry it in my air fryer. Most things do not need oil, but if I want something extra crispy all I need to do is spritz it with a tiny amount of oil. This does not eliminate flares, but it has reduced the severity of flares. I am not deep frying foods and eating tons of grease. That helps tremendously.

I have always had a thing for a certain fast-food restaurant chain’s fries. Unfortunately, they are the equivalent of curled sticks of grease. You know what I mean. If you lay them on a paper towel, the grease soaks through it. There is just so much grease in their deep-fried deliciousness. These particular fries are also available in your grocer’s freezer section, and if you air fry them they are far less bothersome.

Cutting down the grease cuts down flares

My husband has a thing for burgers. Beef bothers me quite a bit. A fried hamburger makes me miserable, and I do not like burgers enough to endure the pain. It is rare for me to actually crave a burger, but I have found cooking it in my air fryer is better. There is not as much grease. It drips off it without the burger becoming dry. If you use the leanest ground beef, it is much better.

If you have certain kinds of meat that you love fried, try using an air fryer and see if it helps reduce the severity of your IBS flares. It has helped me satisfy some of my cravings without making me absolutely miserable. I am not going to say it eliminated flares, because it did not. I will say it has lessened the severity of my flares, and every little bit helps.

Have you used an air fryer? Has it helped reduce the amount or severity of your flares? I would love to know your experience and your favorite recipes for satisfying nagging cravings.