| How to Build Muscle Posted: 11 Feb 2020 12:00 AM PST Building muscle can boost your confidence, but it takes time and consistency. Fortunately, you can see results if you work hard and stick with it. The key to building muscle is exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy diet. You can build muscles while working out at home or in a gym using the same types of exercises. [Edit]Establishing Your Exercise Routine - Build an exercise routine. Write out a workout plan for yourself so that you know what days you will work each muscle group. You can choose to work them all on the same day, or you can work them on different days. Be sure to rest your muscle groups 24-48 hours between workouts.[1]
- For instance, if you workout your arms on Monday, don't work them again until Wednesday or Thursday.
- If you're not sure where to begin, find a solid workout program online and try it out for a while. Don't immediately jump from one program to the next or you may prevent yourself from making steady progress.
- Schedule your workouts. To avoid over-training, set up a schedule that works for you and your goals. Organize your routine so that you can work two muscle groups simultaneously and save time (supersetting). Examples could be a chest and back day, bicep and tricep day, or a chest and bicep day.
- Here is an example of a split routine that gives you plenty of time to break down your muscles, and plenty of time off to let them recover:
- Day 1: Chest and biceps, followed by cardio
- Day 2: Back and triceps
- Day 3: Rest and cardio
- Day 4: Legs and abs
- Day 5: Shoulders, followed by cardio
- Day 6: Rest
- Day 7: Rest
- Another routine you can try is an upper/lower split. Here's a schedule you can use:
- Day 1: Upper-body workout, followed by cardio
- Day 2: Lower-body workout
- Day 3: Rest and cardio
- Day 4: Upper-body workout
- Day 5: Lower-body workout
- Day 6: Rest and cardio
- Day 7: Rest
- Warm up with cardio exercise before you lift weights. Before you begin any exercise routine, start with a low-intensity routine designed to warm up all the muscles you're about to work on. Not only will it help you get into the right frame of mind, it can help prevent injuries. Do 5-10 minutes of light cardio before you start lifting weights.[2]
- For instance, walk, run, or jog in place.
- Don't warm up with stretches unless you've already done at least 5 minutes of cardio. You should never stretch cold muscles, which can lead to injury.
- Work out harder for a shorter length of time to build muscle. Training with high reps is good for building endurance, but it won't help you build up either size or strength. Instead, aim for about 3-8 sets per muscle group, and 6-12 reps per set for your normal routine. Your final rep should be very hard to complete! If it's not, increase the weight you're lifting.[3]
- Cap your workout time at 60 minutes a day. Any longer and you'll be too fatigued to perform any more quality sets.
- Work your whole body over the week. You'll see the maximum benefit when your entire body is part of the routine. The more muscles you use when training, the more strength you'll gain and the more balanced your muscle development will be. You can work your whole body at 1 time or target different muscle groups on different days.[4]
- Give all muscle groups equal attention, such as five sets of rows after five sets of bench presses. This will encourage balanced training, growth, and flexibility.
- Compound exercises such as squats, deadlifts, presses, rows, and pull-ups use a lot of different muscles. They're great for a full-body workout.
- Don't rush. Advanced lifters often base their routines around a technique called explosive repetition. In other words, they lift a tremendous amount of weight in a short (explosive) amount of time. There are significant benefits to this method, but the risk of injury in novice athletes is high. It is recommended solely for more advanced athletes.
- Include cardio training. The standard recommendation is 150 minutes of moderate cardio each week, or 75 minutes of vigorous cardio, or an equivalent combination of the two. A good place to start would be doing 30-60 minutes of cardiovascular activity every other day or 3 times a week. Examples of cardio include running, biking, swimming, and any sport that involves constant movement.[5]
- Good cardiovascular health improves blood flow, a requirement for muscle growth. Doing cardio also improves your cardiovascular fitness, which allows you to use your muscle gains for various sports and activities.
- Cardio burns calories quickly, so overdoing it can limit the energy available to build your muscles. If you increase the amount of cardio exercise you do, be sure to increase your calorie intake as well.
- Get your rest. Your body needs time to recover, and to repair (build) your muscles, and to do that you will need at least 8 hours of quality sleep a night. Additionally, don't overdo your training regimen. You can reach a point known as "over-training," in which you'll lose the ability to "pump" your muscles, which can lead to muscle wasting. Here are some symptoms to be aware of if you think you may be falling into the over-training zone:[6]
- Chronic fatigue
- Strength loss
- Loss of appetite
- Insomnia
- Depression
- Lowered sex drive
- Chronic soreness
- Prone to injury
- Lower your stress levels. Whether your stress comes from your job, home, or just the way you're wired, do what you can to reduce or eliminate it. It's not just good for you in general, but stress also increases the production of the hormone cortisol, which encourages your body to store fat and burn muscle tissue. Here are some ways to reduce stress:[7]
- Take a walk.
- Talk to a friend.
- Journal.
- Color in an adult coloring book.
- Play with your pet.
- Soak in a bathtub.
- Smell essential oils.
- Practice explosive lifts to build strength. "Exploding" upward while lifting trains your muscles for quick, explosive strength. However, this increases the risk of injury if you do not use the correct technique. If you want to add these to your squats or other range of motion exercises, practice first with a lighter weight and a low-intensity set up:[8]
- Work up to the explosive part of the move gradually by starting with a smaller range of motion, and increase it with time and practice.
- Move slowly on the eccentric (the lowering phase). This is the part of motion which causes the most tearing, so don't try to "explode" downward.
- "Load the muscle" at the low point of the exercise. This means holding the muscle contraction before beginning the movement.
- Explode upward quickly, but avoid full extension at the peak range of motion. For example, knees should stay slightly bent for leg exercises, and elbows slightly bent for upper body exercises.
[Edit]Working Your Muscles - Do pull ups to work your back muscles. Grip a horizontal bar that is comfortably taller than you. Place your hands shoulder-width apart. Then, lift your legs back so that you are hanging from the bar. Pull yourself up, lifting your chin up to the bar using only your arms. Then, lower yourself down to your starting position.[9]
- You can use either an overhanded or underhanded grip.
- Do 3 sets of 10 pull ups.
- This exercise will work your lats, traps, and rhomboids.
- Perform bent over rows to build your back. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, about 6 to 10 inches (15–25 cm) behind a barbell or 2 dumbbells. Bend slightly at your knees but keep your shins vertical. Bend forward at the waist with your spine and head straight. Lift the weight with an overhand grip up to your lower chest or upper abdomen. Lower slowly until your arms are nearly extended, without touching the ground.[10]
- Do bench presses to build your chest and pecs. Start with a weight that you can lift comfortably. If you are a beginner, try lifting the bar along with on each side. Position your arms at shoulder-width apart, then grab onto the bar. Slowly lower the bar until it's at nipple level, then push up until your arms are fully extended upwards.[11]
- Do 3 sets of 8–10 repetitions. If you can, add additional weight each set.
- Once you have a few months of practice, slowly increase the weight and go down to 6–8 reps per set. Try to reach muscle failure at the end of the third set.
- Do push-ups to work your upper body. Get into a plank position with your arms positioned shoulder-width apart. Then, lower yourself down slowly until your chin reaches the floor. Slowly push yourself up to a starting position.[12]
- Do 3 sets of 10 push ups.
- The closer your hands are to one another, the more you'll work your triceps.
- Push-ups are an exercise you can do anywhere.
- Do deadlifts to work your thighs, glutes, and calves. Place a heavy barbell or 2 dumbbells on the ground in front of you. Keeping your back straight and your core engaged, slowly bend at your knees. Grasp the weight, then rise from the ground, keeping the weight close to your body. Then, slowly lower the weight back down to the floor.[13]
- Do 3 sets of 10 reps.
- Choose a weight that feels very heavy for you.
- Keep all of your muscles engaged as you do your deadlifts. Use your lower body to help you lift the weights.
- Do squats with a weighted bar. Add weights to a barbell, then put it on a rack so that it's a little lower than shoulder height. Duck under the bar and stand up so that the bar rests comfortably just below your neck. Keep your knees slightly bent and your legs slightly wider than shoulder width. Lift the bar up off the rack and move backwards 1 step so that the weight rests on your back. Then, slowly lower yourself down into a squat. Exhale deeply and use your legs and hips to lift out of the squat.[14]
- Do 3 sets of 8 squats.
- The weight should be heavy enough that doing a squat is difficult, but not impossible. If you're a beginner, this may mean using a bar without any weight to start with.
- As you do your squats, keep your chest, knees, and feet aligned vertically with your hips back.
- A 90-degree bend at the knees is the safest option, and make sure your knee doesn't go past your toes.
- Do Bulgarian squats with a dumbbell to work your legs. Hold a dumbbell in front of your chest using both hands. Standing in front of a bench, lift your right leg back so that it's parallel to the floor and resting comfortably on the bench. Bend into a squat using your left leg, so that the right knee almost hits the floor. Slowly rise back to your starting position. Repeat on the other side.[15]
- Do 3 sets of 8 reps.
- Bulgarian squats are also called single leg squats.
- Do individual bicep curls with dumbbells to work your arms. Sit down on a bench and pick up a dumbbell. Hold your hand in between your thighs. With your elbow resting on your thigh, lift the dumbbell all the way to your upper chest by curling your arm upward. Switch to the opposite hand and repeat.[16]
- Target your triceps with dips. Place your hands shoulder-width apart on a bench, with your body and feet stretched out in front of the bench. Slowly bend your elbows and lower your body down so that your butt nearly touches the floor. Use your arms to lift yourself back to your starting position.[17]
- Do 3 sets of 8 reps.
- If this isn't a high-intensity set for you, increase the resistance by lifting 1 foot off the floor.
- Dips are probably the most effective way to work your triceps, which is the muscle beneath your biceps. You'll need to have strong triceps to bench-press large amounts of weight.
- Do skull crushers to work your arms. Lay down flat on a bench with a bar resting on the rack. Lift the bar over you, then bend your elbows so that the bar is close to your forehead. Slowly push the bar up until your arms are fully extended. Then, bring the weight back down. Keep your elbows close together as you lift and lower the bar.[18]
- Repeat for 3 sets of 8 reps.
- Do an overhead press to build your shoulders. Hold a barbell or 2 dumbbells at chest or shoulder height, with your palms facing forward. Lift the weight above your head until your arms are fully extended. Keep your elbow slightly bent to prevent hyperextension. Then, slowly lower the weights back to the starting position.[19]
- Do crunches to work your abs and core muscles. Lie down on a mat and position both arms behind your head without locking your hands. Bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the ground. Push the small of your back into the ground and slowly roll your shoulders off the ground slightly. Then, slowly return to the floor.[20]
- Repeat for 3 sets of 20 reps.
- Keep your movements slow and steady.
- Do planks to work your abs and core. Lie face-down on the floor. Place your hands under your shoulders. Then, lift yourself up so that your body is still parallel to the floor. Keep your body straight and hold your position for as long as possible.[21]
- Try to hold your plank for 2 minutes. If you can't, rest for 1-2 minutes, then do a plank again. Do as many planks as it takes to reach 2 minutes.
- If you can't support yourself on your arms, you can modify this exercise by resting on your forearms instead.
[Edit]Eating a Healthy Diet - Increase your calorie consumption by 10%. Keep a log of the number of calories you eat, and use the average of those numbers to estimate your daily caloric needs. Then, multiply that number by 1.1. Make sure your calories are coming from a variety of healthy, minimally processed foods to provide quality nutrients for muscle-building.[22]
- Get enough protein to support muscle growth. Aim for about 0.8 grams to 1 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight (1.6g to 2g per kg). For example, if you weigh 180 lb, take in 144-180 g of protein every day. If you're overweight, use your lean body mass as your bodyweight instead of your current weight.[23]
- One ounce (28 grams) of cooked meat contains roughly 7 grams of protein.[24] You could meet a 120-gram daily goal with three 6-oz. steaks, assuming no other protein sources.
- If you're having difficulty meeting these protein levels, you can always use protein shakes to make up the difference.
- Drink at least of water each day. The body needs a sufficient amount of water to build muscle at an optimal rate. Aim to drink at least , but you'll likely need more to build healthy muscle. Here's a great little formula to help make sure you are getting enough:[25]
- Imperial units: Bodyweight in lbs X 0.6 = water intake in ounces.
- The same formula in metric units: Bodyweight in kg x 40 = water intake in milliliters.
- This includes all water from food and drink, not just glasses of water.
- If you are over 30, you can lower these numbers to lbs x 0.46 to 0.54, or kg x 30 to 35.
- Eat regular meals at the same time each day. Rather than having 2-3 large meals during the day, change your eating habits so that you are eating 5-7 smaller meals during the day.[26]
- To help keep your protein intake high, you may want to make 1 of your meals a protein shake. To make a basic shake, blend skimmed milk, 1 banana, peanut butter, and 2 scoops of protein powder.
- Eat healthy fats. Not only does it make food taste good, fat is also good for you, as long as you are eating the right kinds and amounts of fat! Saturated fats—the fat you'll find in a stick of butter, a bag of chips, or bacon—should be limited to about 20g or less. However, increase the amount of healthy fats that you eat, such as monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats.[27]
 - A good way to determine how much fat in grams you should be taking in is to multiply your calorie intake by 0.008 for maximum saturated fats and by 0.03 for the "good fats." For example, for a 2,500-calorie diet, you would limit saturated fats to 20g or less and up to 75g of mono- and polyunsaturated fats.
- Fat is necessary for the proper distribution of vitamins A, D, E, and K, helps promote better eyesight, and promotes healthy skin. Fats are also important for the synthesis of hormones, so maintaining an adequate intake of them will speed up muscle-building and recovery.
- Monounsaturated fats can be found in olive, canola, and sesame oils; avocado; and nuts such as almonds, cashews, peanuts, and pistachios.
- Polyunsaturated fats are found in corn, cottonseed, and safflower oils; sunflower seeds and oils; flaxseed and flaxseed oil; soybeans and soybean oil.
- Omega-3 fats, an overall winner of a fat that is very beneficial to heart and blood health, eyesight, and for children, brain development. You'll find this fat in many omega-3-enriched foods. Another great source is fatty cold-water fish such as salmon, tuna, trout, and sardines.
- Take a multivitamin, if your doctor recommends it. In addition to a well-balanced diet, include a multivitamin supplement in your diet. It will ensure that your body is getting the full amount of vitamins and minerals it needs to stay healthy. There are many options, depending on your age, your sex, and your particular health and diet needs. Find the one that's right for you, and make it part of your daily routine.[28]
- Always check with your doctor before taking any vitamins or supplements.
[Edit]Exercise, Routine, and Foods to Eat and Avoid to Build Muscle - Rest is just as important as lifting, so take a minute breather between sets.
- Work different muscles on alternating days. The body takes time to repair torn tissue, so let your muscles rest for 24-72 hours after a good workout.
- Your ability to build muscle can be influenced by genetics and gender. Some people are genetically predisposed to build muscle easily. Other people may need to experiment with different eating habits and training routines to find what works for them.
- To continue building more muscle, increase the amount of weight that you're lifting over time. This is known as progressive overload.
- A good rule of thumb for bulking up is this to lift heavy weights for lower repetitions.
- Make sure you are using good form when you lift weights.
- As you gain muscle, your metabolism will regulate itself like a thermostat in an effort to sustain some sort of equilibrium in body weight. You may have to raise your calories a second time to maintain the weight gains.
[Edit]Warnings - Don't be intimidated or make assumptions when you see someone using a different amount of weight than you. They may be on a program in which they are doing fewer reps with more weight, or vice versa. Building muscle has nothing to do with how much someone else is lifting; it has to do with how much you're challenging yourself.
- If you are a beginner, start with lighter weights. Trying to lift heavier weights than you can handle can lead to injury.
- You need not visit a gym to build muscles. You can even build muscles naturally by controlling your diet and through strength exercise.
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Organize Magazines Posted: 10 Feb 2020 04:00 PM PST You can display magazines in your bedroom, bathroom, or living room. Neatly stack them into a pile or store them in bins, crates, or baskets. Or, create long-term storage by utilizing file holders. In addition, you can cut out helpful information from magazines you may not need to save and organize them in a binder for future use. Be sure to recycle issues you don't need! [Edit]Displaying Current Magazines - Store your issues under a table or entertainment unit for easy access. You can place the magazines you are currently reading or some of your favorite issues in easy-to-reach locations. Stack 3-6 issues in 1 neat pile, and place the pile on the shelf of your entertainment unit or coffee table. You can leave out 1 stack or a couple, depending on how many magazines you want to feature.[1]
- Alternatively, you can place the magazines on top of your coffee table as well.
- You can also place your stacked magazines on end tables in your living room or bedroom.
- Arrange your magazines in decorative bins or crates if you'd like. For a relaxed, rustic look, you can use wooden crates to house your magazines. Bins and crates are also made out of plastic or paper materials, if you prefer other varieties. Neatly stack your magazines so the spines are visible, and place several in your bin to fill it up.[2]
- The number of magazines in your bins will vary depending on your bin size and magazine thickness. You should be able to fit many magazines in 1 bin.
- You can also use milk crates for magazine storage.
- Home your magazines in decorative baskets for an inviting option. Baskets are great touches to nearly any room, and they can store quite the number of magazines as well. Buy a few magazines and place collections of issues in each basket. Place them on shelves in your living room, next to your bedroom end table, in your bathroom next to your sink, or next to your entertainment unit.[3]
- If you'd like, you can add a wooden label to the outside of your basket.
- Place your magazines on a ladder or shutter to utilize vertical space. You can set an antique wooden ladder in your bedroom, or paint over an old shutter and place it in your living room. Then, open your magazine to the middle and place the pages around the steps or grooves so they hang from the spine.[4]
- This adds a cozy, rustic feeling to your room, and you can still easily pick up and read an issue.
- You can also try hanging a bucket from your wall and placing your magazines inside of it.
- Try magazine storage bins for an easy solution. Nowadays, there are countless variations of the traditional magazine storage bin. You can select a modern style, vintage look, or standard variation. Purchase 1 that matches your style and will fit most of your magazines.
- You can place your magazine bin in your living room, basement, or bedroom.
[Edit]Storing Your Magazines Long-Term - Sort through your magazines and decide which to keep, recycle, or clip. Keep the magazines you collect or want to reread at a later time. Set aside magazines with helpful information to come back to later. Then, recycle any magazines you no longer need.[5]
- This will eliminate extra clutter from your home so your magazines will be organized and easy to access!
- Arrange your magazines alphabetically to easily locate issues. If you prefer to keep things organized in alphabetical order, then arrange your issues by title so the magazines that start with "A" are on the left side, and the magazines starting with "Z" are on the right. Then, place your magazines in their appropriate place in between.
- Organize your magazines based on theme to group hobbies together. If you have many magazines on the same subject, such as scrapbooking, cooking, or bodybuilding, then organize them categorically.
- For example, if you are looking for a new recipe for dinner, you can easily go to the "Cooking" section and locate an issue.
- Place your magazines into file holders. File holders are small boxes or racks that allow you to display files, or in the case, magazines, vertically. After you choose your organizational method, put your magazines into the holders accordingly. You can fit 8-12 magazines in a standard file holder, depending on the thickness of your copies.[6]
- For example, if you have many craft magazines and you want to organize them thematically, put all your craft magazines in the same holder.
- Label each file holder with a marker, sticker, or a label maker. After you place all of your magazines in their respective holders, you should label them so you can easily locate individual issues. Write the name of the magazine, and include the issue numbers if you'd like.
- You can write directly onto your magazine holders with a permanent marker, or use sticker labels and adhere them to the front of your holders.
- If you want to use a label maker, turn on your machine and type in the title of your label, such as "Animals." Then press "Print" to create your label. Peel off the backing and stick your label onto your file holder.
- Line up the file holders on a bookcase or in a closet. You can situate the file holders anywhere you like. Keeping them on a bookcase is a great way to keep them organized and easily accessible. You could also store them in closet, on shelves, or even in a storage area like a basement or attic.
[Edit]Organizing Your Magazine Clippings - Skim through magazines and cut out information you want to save. As you sort through your magazines, flip through the pages and look for neat pictures, interesting quotes and stories, or inspiring recipes. When you find something worth saving, trim it off the page using a pair of scissors.[7]
- Repeat this for all the magazines you are skimming through. That way you are salvaging the helpful information.
- Make sure you only trim information worth saving and that you will reference again. You don't want to end up with a surplus of unnecessary clippings to organize!
- Store your magazine clips in labeled file folders as temporary storage. As you go through your magazines and trim out sections, place your clippings in paper file folders. Use a marker to label the tabs on your folders to keep organized as you go.[8]
- For example, write on your folder's tab things like "Recipes," "Christmas," or "Summer time."
- Alternatively, you can use a label maker to mark your folders.
- Store your clippings in a 3-ring binder for long-term storage. After you've gone through your magazines and trimmed out pages worth saving, place your clippings in plastic sheet protectors. Do this for all of your clippings, and then insert your sheet protectors into a 3-ring binder. In addition, you can use divider tabs to section off your sheet protectors.[9]
- Label your binders for particular categories such as "Holidays," "Home," or "Kids."
- Use either a marker or a label maker to name your dividers.
[Edit]Expert Advice If you're having trouble deciding whether or not to keep your magazines, consider: - Back issues of magazines are typically available online, so you can still access the information later if you want.
- Old magazines are typically not considered valuable collectibles because so many people keep them.
- Tech or business-related magazines are likely out of date if they're more than a year old.
- Stacks of newspapers and magazines generate a lot of heat as they decompose, which can cause them to spontaneously combust.
- Try customizing your magazine holders by covering them in scrapbook paper or cardstock!
[Edit]References |
| How to Air Fry Vegetables Posted: 10 Feb 2020 08:00 AM PST Air fryers have gained a lot of popularity in recent years, in large part because they allow you to cook crisp, delicious vegetables without having to deep-fry them in oil. Even better, most air fryer frozen vegetable recipes are very similar, no matter what veggies you choose. You can even make crispy air fryer vegetable chips that are perfect for guilt-free snacking! [Edit]Ingredients [Edit]Fresh or Frozen Veggies - of vegetables (potatoes, carrots, squash, broccoli, etc)
- of olive or vegetable oil
- 1/4 tsp (1.5 g) of salt
- 1/4 tsp (0.5 g) of black pepper
- Your choice of other seasonings (optional)
Makes 4 servings [Edit]Vegetable Chips - of your choice of veggies
- of oil
- 3/4 tsp (4.5 g) of salt
- 1/4 tsp (0.5 g) of black pepper
- Your choice of seasonings (optional)
Makes 4 servings [Edit]Air-Frying Fresh or Frozen Veggies - Turn the air fryer to . If you'd like, you can play around a little with the temperature of your air fryer for cooking vegetables, but in general, a temp of about will work for air-frying vegetables. However, if you find your food is cooking a little too fast, you can bump the temperature down to about , and just add 1-2 minutes to the cooking time if it's needed.[1]
- One advantage of using an air fryer over a conventional oven is that an air fryer preheats very quickly, so you can wait to preheat it until about 3-5 minutes before you're ready to cook.
- Start with about of your favorite vegetables. You can cook almost any veggie you can imagine in your air fryer, from potatoes, carrots, and yams to broccoli, peppers, and zucchini. You can air fry frozen vegetables, as well. Just open the bag and pour them into a bowl to season them, then cook the same way as fresh veggies.[2]
- Air-frying veggies is quick and healthy, so this is perfect for a weeknight side dish, or even an afternoon snack!
- Peel and cut larger veggies into pieces. If you're cooking a larger vegetable like potatoes, sweet potatoes, or squash, you'll likely need to cut them into bite-sized pieces. If you want to remove the skin, place the edge of a knife or a vegetable peeler at the top of the food you're preparing, then drag it firmly down to slice away the peel, if you'd like. Then, place your veggies on a sturdy cutting board and cut them into cubes, sticks, or slices—whatever shape you prefer![3]
- For instance, you might slice carrots into rounds, while you might cut a sweet potato into large cubes.
- Don't cut the vegetables too thin. If you're cooking potatoes, for instance, you might dice them or cut them into French fries or steak fries, but shoestring cuts will tend to burn quickly in an air fryer.
- If you're working with smaller vegetables, like baby carrots, brussels sprouts, or broccoli, or if you want to serve the vegetables whole, like carrots or ears of corn, you don't have to cut them.[4]
- Toss your vegetables in oil and your choice of seasonings. Place your sliced veggies in a large bowl and pour in about of olive or vegetable oil. Sprinkle in 1/4 tsp (1.5 g) of salt and 1/4 tsp (0.5 g) of pepper, or whatever seasonings you want to use. Then, gently toss the vegetables in the bowl to coat them evenly.[5]
- Choose seasonings that will complement the dish you're making! For instance, if you're serving your veggies alongside lasagna, you might use 1/4 tsp (1.5 g) of salt and 1/2 tsp (7 g) of Italian seasoning.
- If you're serving grilled hamburgers or ribs, you might mix 1/2 tsp (1.5 g) of salt and 1/2 tsp (0.9 g) of smoked paprika and sprinkle the mixture on the vegetables.
- Consider how the seasoning will go with the vegetable you're eating, as well. For instance, if you're making sweet potatoes, you might sprinkle them with brown sugar and cinnamon for a sweet treat, or you might use salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne if you'd prefer a more savory side.
- Place the veggies in a single layer in your air fryer basket. Slide the basket out of your air fryer and shake in some of your vegetables. Spread them across the bottom of the basket. Depending on the size of your vegetable pieces and your air fryer basket, you'll probably need to split them into 2 batches.[6]
- If you overcrowd the basket, your vegetables won't crisp up properly or evenly.
- Cook the veggies for 10-20 minutes, shaking the basket every 5 minutes. As you saute the vegetables in the air fryer, give them a good shake every 5 minutes or so. That will help ensure that they cook more evenly.[7]
- Thicker, denser veggies, like potatoes, carrots, and Brussels sprouts will take longer to cook. Soft or thin vegetables, like asparagus or bell peppers, will cook faster. Also, the larger you cut your veggies, the longer they'll take to cook.
- Check the vegetables frequently as they near the end of their cooking time, as they can go from just-done to overcooked quickly. When the veggies are browned and tender enough to be easily pierced with a fork, they're ready to come out of the air fryer.[8]
- Enjoy your air-fried vegetables while they're hot. Try to plan your meal so that the veggies will be ready at about the same time as the rest of your food. They'll taste their best fresh out of the air fryer. However, if you're making multiple batches, cover the first batch tightly to keep them warm while the next batch finishes.
[Edit]Making Vegetable Chips - Preheat the air fryer to . Find the temperature setting on your air fryer and start heating it to a few minutes before you plan to start cooking. An air fryer only needs about 5 minutes to pre-heat, but letting it come up to temperature first will help ensure that you get consistent results, even if you're making multiple batches of veggie chips.[9]
- Slice of potatoes or veggies into rounds. If you want to make vegetable chips, you'll need to cut very thin slices of your chosen veggie. Use a knife and a cutting board to carefully slice the vegetables into pieces, or run them along a mandoline placed on the thinnest setting.[10]
- Some vegetables that you could use to make chips include zucchini, squash, beets, sweet potato, and carrots.
- You can also make kale chips in an air fryer—just cut the leaves off of the stalk instead of chopping them.[11]
- Place the slices in a single layer on the air fryer tray. Once you get your vegetables cut, lay the slices in your air fryer basket or tray. Try not to overlap them, since they'll cook more evenly if they're in a single layer.[12]
- Work in small batches if you're making a lot of chips.
- Cook at for 25-30 minutes, shaking every 5 minutes. Turn on your air fryer and set the temperature to . Then, place the basket in the air fryer and set the timer to about 25 minutes. Every 5 minutes or so, lift the basket and shake it back and forth to shift the chips around. This will help ensure the chips crisp evenly.[13]
- Thinner, more delicate vegetables, like kale chips, might only need 7-10 minutes.
- Check the chips frequently near the end of the cooking time. During the last 5 minutes or so, keep a close eye on your vegetable chips. Once they get crispy, the edges can start to burn easily, so you'll want to pull them out right away once the chips appear to be thoroughly cooked.[14]
- The chips should have a relatively uniform toasty color when they're ready.
- Toss your chips in a bowl with oil and seasoning. After they're finished cooking, transfer your veggie chips to a bowl, then add about of canola or vegetable oil, along with seasonings like salt and pepper. Gently shake the bowl to coat the chips evenly, then serve and enjoy![15]
- For a simple, tasty treat, season the chips with 3/4 tsp (4.5 g) of salt and 1/4 tsp (0.5 g) of black pepper.
- If you love the cool tangy flavor of ranch, try shaking on 1 tsp (2 g) of ranch powder.
- Make craveable savory chips by mixing 1/4 tsp (1.5 g) of salt, 1/8 tsp (0.25 g) of garlic powder, and (5 g) of grated parmesan.
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Fresh Veggies - Air fryer
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Bowl
[Edit]Vegetable Chips - Air fryer
- Knife and cutting board or mandoline
- Bowl
[Edit]References |
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