Fried and/or breaded appetizers—such as wings, fries, chicken tenders and crispy vegetable offerings—stand out as popular snack options on appetizer menus. However, Technomic data routinely show that consumers believe fried food is not healthy. In fact, more than half of consumers polled for the “Future of Fried Foods” study (51%) said they think eating fried foods regularly will cause them to gain weight.
Deep-fried foods, in particular, are considered to be less healthy than any other preparation style. However, stir-fried options seem to be perceived as relatively healthy; stir-fried foods—typically vegetables and/or lean meats—use only minimal amounts of oil and are not breaded.