Make Healthy, Homemade Onion Rings for National Onion Ring Day

There really is a day for everything, and today is National Onion Ring Day! This American classic has been stealing the show since restaurants started asking, “Would you like fries or onion rings with that?” However, as with many food items originating out of the fast food industry, onion rings are not entirely healthy. I mean sure, you’ve got your onions, which have many health benefits, but then you batter and deep-fry them—can you still call them vegetables?

Health benefits of onions
Onions are chock full of nutrients, providing us with a host of health benefits. They are part of the allium genus (along with garlic, leeks, scallions, and shallots), which has been shown to have antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and prebiotic properties. In addition, alliums help to regulate blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and decrease the likelihood of developing blood clots.

Healthy onion rings
If you love onion rings, and would like to celebrate National Onion Ring Day, keep in mind the following tips.

• Skip the drive-thru. By making your own onion rings at home, you can control the fat and sodium content.
• Bread wisely. Experiment with different breading such as organic corn meal, panko breadcrumbs, or quinoa flour, and season it with different herbs, spices, and even nutritional yeast.
• Bake, don’t fry. This is a no-brainer, but by baking onion rings to a nice, crisp bite, we can avoid the added fat that comes along with deep-fried food. Halfway through baking rotate trays, and set the oven to broil for the last few minutes to get a nice golden colour.

For more tasty onion recipes, try out the following:

• Bulgur Stuffed Onions
• French Onion Soup
• Warm Broccoli Salad with Roasted Onions and Chili Oil