Are Your “Healthy” Snacks Actually Better for You? Air Fryers & Viral Myths

28 May 2026 · 36 min · 18 chapters

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In short

Listener Q&A on “healthy” snacks and kitchen myths: yogurt vs kefir, hummus/lentil crisps vs regular crisps, air fryers and toxins, and whether coconut oil is healthy.

Guests

No named guests; hosts Ella Mills and Rhianna Lambert answer questions and read listener emails.

Key claims

Kefir is best for gut health (more strains); Greek yogurt (not “Greek style”) is highest in protein; skyr is similar; natural yogurt is thinner with less protein. Lentil crisps aren’t truly healthier than regular crisps—still deep-fried and can have additives; better crunch options are popcorn, fruit, or hummus with crackers. Air fryers are essentially convection ovens using less oil; nutrient loss isn’t uniquely worse, and “toxins” refer to acrylamides from high-heat cooking generally. Coconut oil is mostly saturated fat (85–90%), not a health food; use small amounts, prefer olive oil.

Notable examples

frying sage/garlic/pine nuts; “coffee yogurt” with espresso and chia; charity shop puzzles; Oddbox wonky produce; acrylamide discussion tied to charring/overheating starchy foods.

Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.

Chapters

Tap a time to open that second in VO

Hosts' Health Updates

0:42 to 0:54

Ella and Rhianna share their current health states and feelings.

“designed to deliver over 75 essential daily nutrients and pre and probiotics to support energy, digestion, and mood.”

Hosts' Health Updates

1:20 to 1:45

Ella and Rhianna share their current health states and feelings.

“I am chugging away on some ginger tea still and carrying around all week.”

TV Recommendations and Reviews

1:46 to 2:26

Discussion about favorite TV shows and recent watches.

“I'm just waiting for the next ones, which actually when you're listening to this everybody it should have dropped another episode because there's only three available on Disney Plus.”

Culinary Recommendations

2:27 to 4:19

Ella shares a delicious sage and garlic recipe.

“Yeah I mean we're like seven weeks in or something.”

Listener Puzzles and Mindfulness

4:20 to 4:44

Listener shares puzzle habits for mental relaxation.

“So Lily has said that she gets, I mean, this is genius, charity shops and puzzles only for about three pounds.”

Importance of Stillness for Creativity

4:45 to 6:15

Discussion on how stillness helps with creativity and brain function.

“Is it like meditation for a puzzle, isn't it?”

Listener Recommendations for Healthy Living

6:16 to 6:54

Listeners share their health and wellness tips and tricks.

“This is very apt for me, given my recommendation a second ago, about garlic and hand washing.”

Question from Danny: Wellness Habits

6:55 to 7:16

Danny asks about prioritizing wellness activities.

“Okay, our first question today comes from Danny.”

Personal Wellness Routines

7:17 to 9:03

Hosts share what they would prioritize in their wellness routines.

“I suddenly think of all the things I could do and want to do.”

Understanding Yogurt Varieties

9:04 to 14:01

Discussion on different types of yogurt and their benefits.

“And for me, the one cup that is never full enough is the friendship cup, because it's the first thing to go when you run a business or you're prioritizing your family is social interaction.”
Show all 18 chapters

Yogurt Varieties and Their Benefits

14:01 to 17:16

Explore the differences and health benefits of various types of yogurt.

“Skia, very, very high in protein, naturally low in fat.”

Navigating the Supplement Industry

18:27 to 22:35

Understand the complexities and regulations of the supplement market.

“That was so nice to hear Can you recommend a good quality omega supplement that's not from fish oil?”

Healthy Snack Alternatives

22:36 to 28:03

Evaluate whether 'healthy' snacks like hummus and lentil crisps are genuinely better for you.

“Yeah, Ella and I are not here to preach at diets.”

Air Fryers and Concerns

28:03 to 28:37

Learn about the common misconceptions surrounding air fryers and toxins.

“I don't really know what else to add, Ella.”

How Air Fryers Work

28:38 to 30:08

Understand the mechanics of air fryers and their benefits for cooking.

“I have seen quite a lot of this as well online.”

Cooking Safety and Regulations

30:09 to 31:30

Explore safety concerns regarding air fryers and cooking methods.

“You don't want to eat heavily charred food often.”

Kitchen Gadgets and Cooking

31:31 to 32:34

Discuss the practicality of kitchen gadgets, focusing on air fryers.

“But the most concern online is around the nonstick coatings and chemicals in pans.”

Coconut Oil: Health or Hype?

32:35 to 34:39

Evaluate the health implications of using coconut oil in cooking.

“This is a bit of a misnomer, I would say.”
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Transcript

Automatic transcript. May contain errors.

0:00Expedia and Visit Scotland invite you to come experience the beauty that awaits in Scotland. The sweep of wild coastlines, quiet locks and untamed landscapes Fresh cuisine that feels rooted in the land Come experience the kind of stillness that stays with you long after you leave Plan your Scottish escape today at Expedia.com slash VisitScotland If you've ever blasted synth beats from your boombox or burn CDs for your besties this one's for you. As people get older, much like their music tastes, their health needs change. AG1 is the simple daily health drink designed to deliver over 75 essential daily nutrients and pre and probiotics to support energy, digestion, and mood.

0:51So you can make the most out of every decade and dance break. Learn more at drinkag1.com.

1:01Welcome to The Wellness Scoop, your twice weekly dose of health and wellness inspiration with us. We're always here as your hosts. I'm Ella Mills. And I'm Rhianna Lambert. And we are so excited today to be taking your questions. It's one of our favourite days of the week. So let's do it. Okay, guys, I'm still a little croaky, a little bit better. I am chugging away on some ginger tea still and carrying around all week. But Rhianna, how are you? I'm good, Ella. I'm sleep deprived, but I'm OK. You know, I am very happy because the sun's shining and it makes me happy. And what can I say? My salads are in full swing at home and it's making me feel good.

1:43Retrition Plus is live and people are loving it. And life is good. How about you? Oh, I love it. So good. What are your recommendations? Oh, rivals, rivals. Oh, my God, it's so good. Oh, it's so good. I'm just waiting for the next ones, which actually when you're listening to this everybody it should have dropped another episode because there's only three available on Disney Plus. I was gutted when the third one finished. Me too because I was like oh what's happening where's the next one and it didn't come. And then I started watching Grey's Anatomy again. Oh I love Grey's Anatomy. I mean we're on something like season 22 at this point.

2:16I absolutely loved Grey's Anatomy pre-kids but I do find I find any A &E type drama quite triggering now so I'm definitely sticking to my rivals and um oh what was the name of the other one I was watching it's with the lady that played the Bond girl and she is an MI6 agent well producer Will's gonna look it up okay while we look that up started watching Love Story yes oh my gosh obsessed I think I've watched that who's in you recommended it it's the JFK junior oh ella i know yeah i was hooked on their story for weeks but i'm loving it and then also i've recommended this before but the series two of your friends and neighbors oh my gosh it's so good i liked season one but it's quite stressful season two is actually less stressful much more emotional depth oh i have such a crush on john ham as well season two then it's new it's out we're like i think we're on episode seven at the moment what channel is this disney so i can now watched season two.

3:15Oh yeah. So I haven't already watched it. You knew me it's right now new. Yeah I mean we're like seven weeks in or something. Oh my goodness. Thank you. Now I've got a new series while I'm waiting. And Jon Hamm is the Mad Men guys. What was it Will? Secret Service. Yes Secret Service and what's her name? Gemma Arterton. That's it. That's on BBC I believe. Okay I've got to do that. My other recommendation for you guys this week I'm obsessed with is frying sage leaves chilli little slices of garlic and pine nuts together, generous amount of olive oil, very generous. And then you fry it for maybe like three minutes till your garlic and your pine nuts are going golden.

3:52It's like the best topping for anything in the world. I don't generally buy a lot of sage. It's not necessarily my favourite. Because I associate sage, even though I've got it in a few recipes, not loads, but with the whole I'm saging and cleansing the house. So actually cleanse and use your sage. Oh my God, it's so good because I'm obsessed with the all plants tortellini. And that's got the pine nuts, I remember. Well, and it's a butternut squash one. I always think squash and sage are such a nice combo. So we started doing it anyway. And we have some amazing recs from the listeners. So Lily has said that she gets, I mean, this is genius, charity shops and puzzles only for about three pounds.

4:27She's an avid lover of puzzles and usually tries and finds some time in the week as a good switch off or wind down one to do. I mean, that's just such a good idea. She says, in fact, when my mind is most busy, I can find it the most useful time to do just 10 minutes as ideas can come to me when I allow myself some space. It's so true. Is it like meditation for a puzzle, isn't it? It's so true that there's some really interesting research. I actually read a book at the beginning of the year called, I think it was something like This Is Your Brain at Rest. And it was talking about this, about the default mode network and these parts of your brain where we think we have to always be busy for ideas.

5:00But actually, the brain is so powerful when you stop. And actually what the scientists were saying is what we've forgotten how to do is do things like literally just sit. And I know people's lives are busy, but like when you're having a bath, maybe just sit and stare out the window or stare at space and just do nothing. Or maybe when you have a cup of coffee on your lunch break, can you take even three minutes or on the train or on the tube? Don't scroll. Just stare. That's really hard to do. I know, but he's saying how important it is for creativity. I have got this new scrub from Tropic, like kind of like a bath bomb.

5:33I need to remember my name. I think it's called Smooth Scrub or something. Oh, I love a scrub. It's so good. But I realised if I'm actually just doing proper skincare, that's kind of the same thing as meditating. But what Lily mentioned here is that you need to get to charity shops because they're in high demand at the moment. And they only usually cost about two or three pound. And you're helping a good cause. I love it. She also recommended Oddbox. If you guys haven't come across Oddbox. Wonky bed. I know, it's really nice. And they deliver to your front door. And it's the stuff that's been rejected from supermarkets because it was wonky, etc.

6:06So that's a really nice thing. She's saying it helps you get those 30 plants a week, which I love. And then we have one more recommendation from Leanne, who's in Bristol, for us all, who said, I just wanted to send in a recommendation. This is very apt for me, given my recommendation a second ago, about garlic and hand washing. Because we said last week, I was like, do you wash your hands straight after? I know. And I was just saying how much I love to just fry garlic to put on everything. When you chop fresh garlic, if you wash your hands holding a teaspoon, the smell disappears. It's so cool.

6:33That makes sense. I'm going to try it tonight. There's something about the metal. You know, I love watching these clinging accounts as well. Ella just sniggered at me, but it's so true. You know, when they use tinfoil. No judgment here, Ru. But you know, tinfoil to clean the tap. It's Nancy Birkwistle style thing again, but genius methods of clinging. Thank you so much, everybody. I'm loving your recommendations. I love them. Thank you. Keep them going. You know where we are. at hello at wellness-scoop.com. Okay, our first question today comes from Danny. Danny said, hi both, really enjoy the podcast and how realistic and achievable everything feels.

7:09I was wondering what habits or activities you'd prioritise if you had more time. I don't have children and I want to take my wellness routine further. Ella, I mean, what a question. I suddenly think of all the things I could do and want to do. My head went into overdrive when I read this question. You'll laugh when I tell you what I want to do. Do you want to go first then? Because I always lead a good laugh. Go on, tell me. I want to go on a silent meditation retreat. Oh my God, do you want to go? Yeah, if you're past now. Yeah, that's what I really want to do. I shouldn't laugh. It actually would heal your voice.

7:39I do highly recommend it. Not for my voice, but my mind. Yes. I would love the experience of that. Yeah, that is really hardcore. I have to say they're meant to be really good, aren't they? Isn't that what monks do? They have, correct me if I'm wrong with everybody listening, and maybe I've got this from a Hollywood film that's completely inaccurate history. But don't you have as part of the etiquette for monks, you have to sit in silence for a prolonged period of time? Isn't it part of the Buddhist training? Yeah, I mean, different traditions and kind of images have different approaches. Because it is healing.

8:13Yeah, I've spoken to monks who've kind of lived in isolation for periods of time. And that's, you know, an amazing kind of devotion and way to take things deeper. Or it's just, you know, many hours of the day or weeks. So there's loads of different versions. But yeah, I've got lots of friends who've done this. That's amazing. These Vipassanas and you go and you have a few days and you literally are in silence. And I don't think I could have done it before because I think I would have been too confronted. But I'm very used to sitting in silence now. That's good. And I would love to do that. That says a lot about where you're at actually in your own journey, which is really remarkable.

8:45I think it's a very brave thing to want to do because I don't think I would want to be in silence with myself at this current stage of my life. but yeah I think that's generally if I had more time I'd be keen to kind of go deeper into things like you know an experience of like retreats and things like that where otherwise you know you never quite get that in no you don't an hour I think that's remarkable that's a very good answer what about you Ray well my notes on this one would be I just want to see my friends more how nice are you you want to see your friends I want to go and stay in silence by myself so it's not a good reflection on me guys it's not a don't do it's the opposite it's um I think it goes to show we're all missing so much from our lives in general, be that your time with yourself, be that social interaction.

9:29And for me, the one cup that is never full enough is the friendship cup, because it's the first thing to go when you run a business or you're prioritizing your family is social interaction. I miss dance classes with a friend or just going out for a morning coffee. I'm often quite envious of the other school mums that can do coffee mornings each week you know things like that you just can't do when you run a business or kids and I think also if I was you Daniel I was thinking of that daily inspo I would definitely if I wasn't spending my mornings like you know brushing teeth and getting children to eat something and book bags and out the door and all the rest of it I would definitely see myself as someone who'd have quite a long morning routine yeah I'd love a morning walk you know people talk about exactly it's just not It's realistic for me.

10:15I can't leave the house. Exactly. Because I, yeah, I've got to get them ready for school. But I think I would get up. I would do the meditation. I think I would do like a 20 minute dog walk. I'd, you know, have my ginger turmeric shots. Enjoy a nice one. I would take that hour. And I'm personally, I'm someone who would, like, I like morning. So I'd be so happy, you know, with six or seven o 'clock. Play some classical music and then do your makeup in the morning or your skim routine. Yeah. That's beautiful. Yeah, I think that's what I would do. I love that. This is a good, very insightful question.

10:43and thank you for triggering our brains there. Maddy from Cambridgeshire has said, I absolutely love the podcast. I look forward to every episode. I wanted to ask about yogurt. Is there a hierarchy between Greek, kefir, skier, and natural yogurt? Does fat content matter? And is kefir yogurt different to kefir drinks? It's actually such a good question. It's also confusing. You stand in the supermarket and you're like, what is what? Is that the so much choice? What is what? What is what? What is what? existential questions before I go on a silent retreat yeah when we're overwhelmed with choice and questions we need the silent retreat and let's look that up by the way the history of silent retreat I find that very interesting okay let's break it down kefir drinks are more liquid and drinkable than a yogurt so not as thick usually lower in protein just purely because they're not strained in the same way they're thinner but kefir has amazing multitude of bacteria within it and live microbes are living bacteria although of course some are flavored and you know that can detract value a little bit with stabilizers and things but ultimately kefir is fantastic for your microbiome and you can get vegan alternatives and you can grow these strains and you can make these drinks and there's options for plant-based consumers and for those that have cow's milk you'll really appreciate this obviously and water yes water kefir which i completely failed at and need to try again camilla my mom who's always sending us articles and ideas for the podcast she is now making her own kefir um she's can i just say camilla should have a steak but i do just think it's like built for her um she says it's really easy yeah she says it's really really really easy time consuming wise i don't think so okay i mean i think you know i will ask her i'll come back to you guys next week maybe she can give us a voice note but i'm thinking like 10-20 minutes kind of time consuming like a normal recipe I don't think and she says it's delicious better than the shop bought ones but genuinely once you get the hang of it super super easy it makes sense and just to add the reason why you get these beneficial components of course I'm just going to be straight up here in dairy products is because obviously breast milk from a cow contains lots of beneficial microbes because it's meant for the infant and that's why when you mix anything just why it's harder I think to make water kefir probably because you don't have other mixing bacteria and processes that are happening.

13:05Thanks for making me feel better about it. No, no, yeah, yeah. It was a disaster. Yeah, exactly. It's hard. I think it's harder to make the dairy alternative versions because of that very reason. And so back to yogurts. Greek yogurt is typically highest in protein because it's really thick. You should pick up a Greek yogurt, not Greek style, guys. That is not real Greek yogurt. Look at the pack. With a spoon and it should go plop. You know, that kind of traditional plopping on the plate. Yeah, it's almost solid. Yeah, it's like solid. it's thick it's really filling contains live cultures super high in protein right it's higher in protein than normal yogurt yeah higher than the liquidy type of yogurt and it should contain lactobacillus bifida bacterium minimum on the side of the pack when you look for two beneficial really researched strains so pure like unsweetened greek yogurt very good for gut health oh yeah yogurt's really good for gut health but it's because of that reason it's cow's milk essentially and it's been fermented there's different processes contains these live cultures it's unbelievably beneficial and very researched and good for heart health apparently too so it's really confusing the landscape of dairy and heart health and saturated fat it's funny because i think people make you feel like greek yogurt is like really indulgent but actually it's really good for you yeah although i will say it's very high in fat if you're somebody that's looking at your saturated fat intake on the other hand i would say you need to go for zero percent fat but not added flavorings right or lower percentage and if you're someone that isn't on that projectory enjoy the full fat Greeks.

14:28Skia, very, very high in protein, naturally low in fat. It's similar to Greek yogurt. It's more of the Icelandic origin, does contain live cultures. So very similar to Greek yogurt. And then you've got natural yogurt, which has less protein because, you know, it isn't strained. It's a great option. It does contain live bacteria. But again, the texture is thinner. I would always recommend a Greek over a natural for most people. Kefir yogurt is just fermented for longer so you've got more strains. So there you go. That's your yogurt kefir lowdown. So what's your, if we're doing this hierarchy, who do you crown?

15:06I'll always crown a kefir for gut health benefits. Yeah. Because I don't worry about people's protein intake in this country. Yeah. Great job. So I think we're all hitting our protein, guys. If you are worried about your protein intake, then just add some Greek yogurt and skir. and you are well on your way you don't need to buy the yogurts that are labeled you know you can buy those yogurts that like typically high protein yeah so we're giving number one place to kefir i feel very uncomfortable yes we're giving my words not yours and then um shortly followed by greek or skier yes i would say yeah before greek style i feel it's a bit of a con and also right in saying what you want to be doing is buying the plain version but if you like it sweeter then add your berries and honey on the top or jam yeah or anything like that exactly you're better off my nephews are obsessed with jam and yogurt yeah so is my son at my eldest the moment because i've i'm i am that mom that introduced jam later because of the sugar content to my kids and he loves it and i'm very happy with him having jam on toast and yogurt and things in the morning yeah for sure do you know what i really want to try i saw on instagram last night I wasn't bricked was coffee yoghurt so people taking yoghurt and then getting a little bit it's not for you no you weren't I sent you loads of recs last night I'm so sorry I was like going ping ping to Ella I was up so late watching Grey's Anatomy because my husband was up late watching the golf I thought you were bricked I was like she's not going to get these I wasn't logged out I was scrolling away watching Grey's Anatomy okay if you like coffee you can make like a tiramisu type yeah it was it was a kind of Greek yoghurt type yoghurt and so like a thick one to hold the liquid and then a few tablespoons of espresso mixed together oh it looks so good all you then need to do is add some chia seeds in front of the most amazing texture oh my god yum yeah i know then they did pan fried caramelized bananas and i was like i have got to make this do you know what i'm going to make tomorrow is a roasted balsamic tomato tartata yum oh my god i'm so excited i love those sort of don't put roasted carrots on it for the kids just keep it tomato tomato loads of basil and pasta i love i'm so excited okay we are going to go to a very quick ad break when we come back we're going to be talking about air fries we're going to be talking about healthy or not healthy ingredients in our kitchen supplements all sorts of things so we'll see you in one sec

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18:34I've heard about algae based options. I don't know what brands to trust. I mean, not knowing who's just a huge part of supplements. There was actually a piece in the Times this weekend that was like the wild west of supplements. And it was saying how dog food and pet food is infinitely better regulated than the supplements industry. Yes, it is. I can wholeheartedly believe it. Yeah, and not the quality of produce, but it's more regulated in terms of what you can and can't do. Yeah, exactly. And I'm not saying I don't want a regulated pet food industry, but I do think it's really interesting in terms of what you're allowed to do.

19:07And like just to say as well, the food industry, although it's wildly complicated, it is very tightly in this country regulated in terms of like you can't make up claims. Like, yes, it gets a bit dodgy. You can, but you can put that then it gets pulled off eventually. Yeah, if you're a bigger brand, you really can't though. I mean, it would be pulled so quickly, the cost wouldn't be worth it. I mean, you can make up kind of random claims, like, I don't know, there'll be stuff for like drain unblocker and also cheaper than a plumber. But when it comes to health claims, it has to be substantiated.

19:41And you always see asterisks on there. Now, obviously, people get around this by doing like breakfast cereals with a sprinkle of multivitamin. And then it will say, you know, good for your health, because it's got a sprinkle of vitamin D in it. But generally speaking, you can like sort of quote unquote trust claims. Whereas in the supplements industry, it is so weirdly unregulated. I think it's really surprising and it is therefore really important. I do think that you buy from trusted brands. I know for me, the two that I have been most recommended when it comes to algae and just also saying the reason that the fish are high in omega-3 is because they eat the algae.

20:19so you're kind of going straight to the source to some extent it's obviously and i know reese got lots of notes on this much more sustainable to do it that way and obviously more ethical in the sense of you know yeah it's a not using these byproducts but bare biology b-a-r-e biology female founded company i think it's a really nice company they have a really good yeah plant-based and algae-based one i would also say it's quite a large capsule but it's soft so i was didn't mind taking it at all and then viridian another really nice company again really trust viridian as in with a v they have a drops one if you don't like taking capsules it's not as high a dose but that's the one for example i give my kids and they're so happy taking it it's just literally kind of olive oil and um the omega-3s but re you've got lots of thoughts on this no i do you know i think you summed it up really perfectly i don't want to over complicate it I want to say go and follow Seaspiracy.

21:15It's a charity that I really fully rate. I don't know if you'd even call them a charity, they're activists. But they do a lot of work in the ocean trying to protect krill, which is the main source of food for large areas of the ocean at the moment. And the problem is we're now seeing a lot of people doing a lot of krill farming and krill fishing because sustainability of getting algae supplements as well from fish like salmon and all sorts of things. There's a whole host of problems which we on land are not seeing happening at sea because it seems so far away, doesn't it? It's not on your peripheral, you know, what's happening in the ocean, but mass destruction is happening in the ocean.

21:54So if we can go for the algae option, you are still getting all the benefits. If anything, they last slightly longer. They have less chance of going rancid like the fish oil versions of this Amiga do. And they offer the same benefits. So try and get some more flaxseed in your diet, some more chia seeds and walnuts and hemp seeds. Yeah. And I just want to add in that, I think, you know, really important to say, like, neither we or I are advocates of making everyone veggie or vegan. It's all about getting the right balance for you and your health and your lifestyle. It's absolutely not anti eating fish.

22:29I think for me, I just look at things like this and think, is it necessary to get your omega three from there? you know it's very different if you enjoy the taste and you know it's got lots of health benefits for eating fish to me that's really different whereas when I look at this I'm like oh there's lots of complicated issues that arise from it and we can just go straight to the algae why not well also the quality of your omega-3 supplements from fish are really questionable now because of the that's been in the headlines a lot recently that actually it can be quite bad for you we need to let's bring that to the show very soon I'm going to make a note of that okay Yeah, yeah, make a note of that.

23:04Yeah, Ella and I are not here to preach at diets. It's just I like informing. If I have an opportunity to give you extra knowledge on this podcast that helps you make different decisions, then I will absolutely do that. It's up to you what you want to do with that. The next one we've got is from Jessica. Hi, I love the honesty. The honesty, there you go. She likes the honesty and evidence-based advice you give. I love this question. Are hummus or lentil crisps actually healthier than standard crisps? Should I still be choosing them regularly? And are there better alternatives that still give that crunch?

23:36Great question. I love this one. Is the ultimate like our quote unquote healthy snacks actually better for you? I think obviously, can we just start the question with? It depends. The matrix, as you always say, I love that word of your diet. Like what else do you eat? When, how much of the time are we eating these? In what context is it happening? like for me for example i would say generally have a very healthy diet generally get my five a day generally get my 30 plants a week not trying to be smug um but obviously it's my job it'd be quite ironic if i struggled with that we love crisps as a family oh my god you know again this is so bougie but you know those torres truffle crisps that people are obsessed with okay they do a vinegar version i've never liked salt and vinegar i'm afraid your your claim is wasted on me the The Torres Vinegar Crisps are the best thing I've ever eaten.

24:29So you're cheese version. I'm cheese and onion. I don't like cheese and onion. I've had something about that. I've always hated it. Oh, my God. The worst growing up was the prawn cocktail. Oh, no, don't. See, no. And the barbecue one. For me, I just can't bear those. Oh, me, it's the same. I can't bear those. But I love the salt and vinegar. Anyway, very bougie. But the Torres Vinegar ones, they're so vinegary. Okay. And I love vinegar. Nice. Anyways, there we go. But I love those. You can tell. I love those. She loves them. I really look forward to those and so I don't particularly like the lentil crisps I find them a little chalky to me they're kind of less good version of the real thing and for me like I would rather enjoy crisps on on a Saturday with my family as part of an overall healthy diet because they're still crisps at the end of the day they're still fried they're not a lentil so I kind of think you should have what you enjoy when we're looking at balance now if you struggle to ever eat lentils or chickpeas or things.

25:24It becomes a bit of a different story, but Rhea's not sure if she agrees with that. I'm not sure because it depends on the ingredient list and deck. Like you said, these crisps compose as lentil crisps and actually contain very little lentil. Yeah, and they're also, I mean, they're still deep fried. Yeah, and they're still mashed up and made and perhaps may have more additives than just a standard classic baked potato crisp. Yeah, because if you take your big brands... They have more fiber, the baked potatoes over the flaked ones. All of the like big, not like super premium brands, but like a Tyrell's or thing.

25:57The Kettle Crisp. Exactly. And all your kind of... Is that a brand Kettle? Yeah, Kettle Chips. Yeah, Kettle Chips. And then all the kind of supermarket brands, pretty much. They all have their like own label standard, ready salted kind of crisp. Or just like... They're not like a Walker's Crinkle. There's obviously loads of potato flakes crushed together. No, I mean your classic. Yeah. Normally the ingredients are literally potato, oil, salt. like there's an actually I'm not saying they're like a health food they are obviously deep fried and you don't want you know excess deep fried food in your life but they're not selling something they're not pretending to be I have a problem with the deception I have an issue with that so do I and I just don't think they're as yummy and they're still deep fried and they often have more additives in so I don't know I would personally be like as you're more kind of quote-unquote like treaty type food I feel you should have what you enjoy and what gives you that yum in my life and then get your lentils into your salads yeah personally that's my approach and I agree with I think some of these things can be a little bit of a con personally whereas I do like things like the roasted chickpeas or um I love those posh bags of like little like roasted amame beans and roasted chip peas and things in a bag popcorn is because popcorn's got lots of fiber more fiber than crisps yeah and it's not deep fried in the same way full disclosure i recently collaborated with popcorn brands so i'm not just a popcorn was in my book the fiber formula ella didn't she just now has found her new love of popcorn thank you prep because ella's now on the same page as us but yeah the pink prep popcorn thank you oh my god the sweet and salty i know it's my kid 10 out of 10.

27:37We love it. Did we answer that fairly? Yes or no, are they healthier? So do I think the crisps are healthier? Lentil, vert? No, I don't actually. I think crisps are crisps and you need to look at the label of ingredients. And I'm all about enjoy, enjoyed items. Yeah, they probably have a smidge more fibre. But it's, again, you could get the smidge from also having a piece of fruit. If you're comparing fibre, go for fruit or popcorn over your crisps. But to be honest with you, I mean, yeah, if you love crisps, you love crisps. I don't really know what else to add, Ella. I'm loving this. I'm absolutely loving this.

28:09And I would say, like, nice crackers with hummus. If you're trying to get the fiber in or the kind of chickpea lentil type ingredients, that would be better. Have hummus with crisps. Everyone's a winner. 100%. Okay, our next question is from Noor from Brussels. She said, hi, Ella and Rhee. Your podcast is the highlight of my week. Someone told me air fryers are harmful, full of toxins and destroy nutrients in food. It sounded quite extreme. Is there any truth to this? It does sound quite extreme. I have seen quite a lot of this as well online. I totally understand why you feel concerned about it.

28:47Now, I think the toxin is normally talking about the centre of it, isn't it? And also, I don't know if all of you saw here in the UK, but I'm a celebrity recently, Gemma Collins came out and said something like, I feel, she said, oh, you know, I put my air fryer on. I feel like the air has been sucked out of the room or something, she said. and I do feel they're quite an alien object in your house. It must, the science must be a bit bamboozling. Yeah, I don't have one. I haven't jumped on the trend of it. Is this something people should be worried about? No, not at all. I just want to really reassure you first of all and I was one of the first ever air fryer consumers at university well over a decade ago.

29:23I had a massive one in halls because I didn't want to share the kitchen so I had one in the corner of halls. I don't have one today though So an air fryer is basically a small, very powerful convection oven. So I don't know if you remember science at school looking at how heat travels and goes around a room, almost like a radiator. If you put a radiator in the corner of the room and the heat rises, you know, to the top and then will go across the roof and go around the room. So it cooks by rapidly circulating hot air around it, which means you can achieve a crispy texture using far less oil than traditional deep fat frying.

29:57So I think air fryers were really created to replace that deep fat frying component from kitchens, which is very beneficial. And nutritionally speaking, it's really good because it can help reduce overall added fats to foods. But in terms of nutrients and toxicity, that's the false, you know, all cooking methods to some degree alter the structural component of a cell because you're heating, you know, boiling, roasting, grilling, microwaving, all denature enzymes. they all they all do something but you still retain nutrients it's only things like vitamin c that are a bit more susceptible or b vitamins but most of us never have those deficiencies particularly of vitamin c if you eat fruit and vegetables so air frying doesn't destroy nutrients first of all fact number one um it cooks in a much shorter time which is a benefit but the toxins now these components are centered around a conversation on aclamides which can form when starchy food like potatoes are cooked at very high temperatures this is what i spent a long time writing about in the science of nutrition back in 2020 and i've got a diagram on how this works but it isn't specific to air fries it's when you overheat anything you know we talk about olive oil and it's smoke point or oil smoke points it's how how much you can heat a food before it becomes essentially not good for you and this is part of the barbecue conversation isn't it as well that's like heavily charring.

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31:20Yeah. You don't want to eat heavily charred food often. I also saw people are using these metal devices in barbecues and they're flaking off and they're getting caught in the food. There've been like injuries. Anyway, that's another subject that's not remotely concerned with this. But the most concern online is around the nonstick coatings and chemicals in pans. But you can get stainless steel ones. Yeah. And most modern air fries that are sold in the UK and Europe anyway must meet these strict safety regulations. So I would not be worried, but you don't want to be scratching and damaging nonstick surfaces.

31:50I would switch personally to a stainless steel. Like Ella and I spoke at the very beginning of the podcast about the pans and how we've changed our kitchen. Yeah, or you can get these ceramic coated ones, like the Our Place ones, which do look quite trendy. Which is the one we've got. We've got the Our... Oh, have you got it? I've got all the Our Place ones. Oh, have you got that? No, have you got the Our Place air fryer? No. Oh, do they do an air fryer? Yeah. Oh, wow. I don't have it either. No, I have a space on my kitchen counter for another big... Meaning that I can't cope with another gadget.

32:15My KitchenAid's big enough. and that's like getting that out and lifting that onto the counter. They are so heavy. They're so heavy. It's like a little workout. I just bought the pasta attachment for it. Did you? Yeah, I'm going to try and make pasta. I love this. I'm excited. Why not? Apparently it's very quick and easy to make pasta, isn't it? I think it is. I'm just scared of it. It's just flour and egg. You just have to roll it through. I'll update you guys. Okay, let us know. Our final question today. Yes, go. Is coconut oil healthy? I see it in so many healthy recipes. I'm reluctant to use it.

32:42This is a bit of a misnomer, I would say. This is 2015. Let's go again a decade later. We always need to remind ourselves of the same thing. Coconut oil was marketed, I think, massively in particular to your point in 2015 as a health food. It was in so many things, energy board type products. Also because as people are moving to quite a lot of plant-based focus, it is a very effective replacement for butter. And it helps things stick together as well if you're not using eggs. So I think that's part of the reason as well it really took off. It's a kind of quite convenient ingredient when it comes to baking in particular.

33:15But it's not a health food. No. And you don't want to consume it in excess. And it's confusing as hell because everyone online is talking about MCT oils again. I remember when this first came around, they were adding them in shots in juice bars. They're called medium change triglycerides, the type of fatty acid, and particularly laric acid, which may have antimicrobial properties. And also that dates back to Ayurveda, actually, because of oil pulling with your teeth and all sorts of things. So coconut oil has been in certain cultures for many, many years. But what we know from so much large, robust data is that the high amounts of, I mean, it's 85 to 90 % saturated fat.

33:54It's got more saturated fat than most other items that you'd assume does so. It's got more than butter, significantly more than butter. So if you are someone that's looking after your heart health, it's not good to have this in excess at all. And we've got plenty of randomized controlled trials that state this actually. So you want it in small amounts in your cooking. I still would go for olive oil, extra virgin olive oil any day. Controversial, seed oils don't have the same antisaturated fat as coconut oil. Shouldn't be controversial to say that because it's true. But there we go. I know. But the British Heart Foundation and the World Health Organization are on my side here.

34:31or I follow their advice, they're still recommending mostly choosing unsaturated fats in that way, nuts, seeds, olive oils, overusing coconut oil. So every now and again in certain dishes, I think it has a great place. Even for skin, I remember sometimes it can be put on your skin. Oh my God, it's such a good hair mask. Oh, is it actually? Does it work? Yes. Okay, there you go. Another, maybe we could try some hair masks this week. The smell, it's got a natural odour, hasn't it, coconut? lot but it's not suffocatingly awful i agree and so there you go don't label it health food it's just another cooking ingredient for your kitchen love it any questions send us an email hello at wellness hyphen scoop.com we love hearing from you we're so grateful for you every single week have a fantastic day have a great week bye

35:22Bye.

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From the publisher

This week we’re unpacking some of the biggest wellness questions and food fears taking over the internet right now. Are lentil crisps actually healthier than standard crisps? Are air fryers really toxic? And is coconut oil genuinely good for us, or just clever wellness marketing?

We also dive into the yogurt hierarchy — kefir, Greek, skyr or natural — discuss algae-based omega-3 supplements, soy and hormones, and the growing confusion around what “healthy” really means online. Plus, we chat sleep deprivation, meditation training, dance classes, charity shop puzzles and the joy of wonky veg boxes.

For more from Rhi and Ella: 

Order your copy of Ella's new book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quick Wins: Healthy Cooking for Busy Lives⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Order your copy of Rhi's new book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Fibre Formula⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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