Why you should not always eat foods fried in oil or ghee class 5

December 2, 2025 •

4 min read

According to a 2017 survey by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) among children aged 9–14, many eat packaged and fast foods frequently, and many of these are fried. It is crucial to understand why you should not always eat foods fried in oil or ghee, especially at a young age, to build good eating habits for life.

Quick Summary

This article explains why limiting fried foods is important for a child's health. It covers the risks associated with high calories, unhealthy fats, and harmful compounds, and suggests better cooking methods to ensure a balanced diet and proper development.

Key Points

High in Calories: Frying food causes it to absorb extra oil, significantly increasing its calorie count and risking weight gain.
Contains Unhealthy Fats: Reheating oil or ghee at high temperatures creates harmful trans fats that are linked to heart disease and obesity.
Digestive Issues: Fried foods are hard to digest, causing bloating, indigestion, and putting a strain on your digestive system.
Formation of Harmful Compounds: High-temperature frying of starchy foods like potatoes can form acrylamide, a potentially toxic substance.
Offers Healthy Alternatives: Healthier cooking methods like baking, air frying, steaming, and grilling provide delicious food with more nutrients and fewer health risks.
Promotes Balanced Diet: Limiting fried food helps students focus on eating balanced meals rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy proteins for better growth.

The hidden dangers of fried foods for young students

Many students in class 5 love crispy, fried snacks and meals. While they taste delicious, regularly eating foods fried in oil or ghee can harm your body in several ways, and learning about them now can help you make smarter food choices for the future. Frying adds a significant amount of unhealthy fats and extra calories to food, which can affect your body's growth and energy levels.

More calories, more problems

When food is deep-fried, it loses water and absorbs a lot of oil or ghee, which makes it much higher in calories than if it were cooked in another way. For example, a baked potato has much fewer calories than the same amount of french fries. Eating too many calories without enough physical activity can lead to weight gain and obesity, which puts extra stress on your heart and joints. Maintaining a healthy weight is essential for children's growth and overall well-being.

The issue with trans fats

Heating oils to very high temperatures, especially when reusing them, can create harmful trans fats. These fats are difficult for the body to break down and can increase the risk of heart disease and other health issues over time. Industrially produced ghee and some vegetable oils are particularly known for containing or forming these unhealthy fats. Opting for healthier cooking methods avoids this risk entirely and keeps your heart healthier.

Harmful compounds like acrylamide

When starchy foods like potatoes are fried at high temperatures, they can form a substance called acrylamide. This compound has been linked to certain health problems, and while more research is needed, it is best to limit your exposure. Regularly consuming foods with high levels of acrylamide, such as french fries, is not a good habit for growing bodies.

The digestive system struggles with fried food

Your digestive system has to work extra hard to process fatty, fried foods. This can lead to short-term issues like bloating, stomach pain, and indigestion. The high fat content slows down digestion, making you feel heavy and sluggish. Over time, a diet heavy in fried foods can weaken the digestive system and affect the balance of good bacteria in your gut.

Why a balanced diet is better

For a growing class 5 student, a balanced diet is key to getting all the necessary nutrients for growth and learning. A balanced meal includes:

Fruits and Vegetables: Packed with vitamins and fiber to keep you healthy.
Whole Grains: Provides energy that lasts longer.
Proteins: Builds strong muscles and helps with body repair.
Healthy Fats: Gives energy and helps absorb certain vitamins, but in moderation.

Healthy cooking alternatives to frying

Instead of frying, you can try healthier cooking methods that keep food tasty without the risks. Here are some great options to suggest to your parents or school cook:

Baking or Roasting: Using an oven to cook vegetables or potatoes with a small amount of oil results in a crispy, delicious meal with fewer calories.
Air Frying: This method uses hot air to cook food and makes it crispy with very little or no oil.
Steaming: Cooking with steam keeps food soft and preserves vitamins that can be lost in other cooking methods.
Grilling or Broiling: Cooking food directly over or under a heat source, like a grill or oven broiler, adds a great smoky flavour without needing extra oil.

Comparison of cooking methods


Feature	Deep Frying (using oil or ghee)	Air Frying	Steaming	Baking/Roasting
Oil Used	A large amount	Little to no oil	None	Minimal, if any
Calories	High	Low	Low	Low to Moderate
Healthy Fats	Contains unhealthy trans fats	Avoids trans fats	None	Uses healthy fats sparingly
Nutrient Retention	Can lose some nutrients due to high heat	Retains more nutrients	Retains most nutrients	Good retention of nutrients
Crispiness	Very crispy	Crispy	Not crispy	Can be very crispy

Conclusion

While fried foods taste good, eating them all the time is not good for a growing body. The extra calories and unhealthy fats can lead to health problems like weight gain, indigestion, and a higher risk of more serious diseases later in life. By choosing healthier cooking methods like baking, air frying, or steaming, you can enjoy delicious meals that also help you stay strong and healthy. Remember to eat fried foods only sometimes as a treat and focus on a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, grains, and lean proteins. Learning these healthy habits now will help you feel your best and have lots of energy for studying and playing.

Authority link

For more information on the effects of trans fats on health, visit the World Health Organization: Trans fat.

Frequently Asked Questions

The main problem is that fried foods absorb a lot of oil, making them very high in calories and unhealthy fats, which can lead to weight gain and heart problems over time.

While some people believe ghee is healthier, it is still a fat that adds significant calories when used for frying. Overheating any oil or fat, including ghee, can create unhealthy compounds.

A trans fat is an unhealthy fat created when liquid oils are heated repeatedly to high temperatures. It is bad for you because it raises your bad (LDL) cholesterol and lowers your good (HDL) cholesterol, increasing the risk of heart disease.

Yes, high-temperature cooking like frying can cause food to lose some of its vitamins and nutrients. Healthier methods like steaming or baking are better for keeping nutrients in your food.

You can try air frying, baking, roasting, grilling, or steaming your food. These methods use less or no oil and are much healthier for you.

Fried foods should be a special treat, not a regular meal. Most experts suggest having them no more than once or twice a week, and in small portions.

Acrylamide is a toxic substance that can form in starchy foods, like potatoes, when cooked at high temperatures. Since many fried foods are starchy, they can contain this harmful compound.