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• Posted April 7, 2026

This New Method May Make French Fries Lower in Fat

Love French fries but not the extra fat? Scientists say they may have found a way to make them healthier without losing their crunch.

Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign say combining traditional frying with microwave heating could reduce how much oil fries absorb.

The goal? To make fried foods healthier while keeping their delicious taste and texture.

In typical frying, potatoes absorb oil as water inside evaporates, creating tiny spaces where oil can move in.

“High oil content adds flavor, but it also contains a lot of energy and calories,” said lead researcher Pawan Singh Takhar, a professor of food engineering.

“My research team studies frying with the aim of obtaining lower fat content without significant differences in taste and texture,” he added in a news release.

Microwaves heat food in a different manner than traditional frying.

"When we heat something in a conventional oven, the heat moves from outside to inside, but a microwave oven heats from the inside out, because the microwaves penetrate everywhere in the material," Takhar explained.

"The higher pressure in microwaves helps reduce oil penetration," he added.

In tests, the method led to:

• Less oil absorption

• Faster cooking times

• Quicker moisture loss

But microwaves alone didn’t work as well. 

"If you just use microwave frying, you get soggy food. To obtain a crispy texture and taste, you need conventional heating. Therefore, we propose combining the two approaches in the same unit," Takhar said.

"Conventional heating maintains the crispiness, while microwave heating lowers the oil intake," he said.

Fried foods are popular but are linked to health issues like obesity and high blood pressure.

Researchers say this new method could offer lower-fat options without sacrificing the taste.

They also say the approach could be added to existing industrial fryers, making it easier to use on a large scale.

More information

Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials has more on why fried foods alone are bad for you.

SOURCE: University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, news release, April 2, 2026