You already know deep frying is bad for you, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to give up your favorite foods like hot wings and onion rings. There are ways you can use the oven to bake some of these foods you love so much, but your fear is that you won’t like a different version as much and it will ruin your favorite foods. Although these foods taste a little different in the oven, you may be surprised to find that they aren’t as bad as you thought, and that once you eat them a few times, you can look forward to your new way of preparing your much healthier versions of your favorites.

Baking tastes different, though maybe not that different than you might think. You get less oil, but for your heart’s sake, that’s a great thing. Instead of dipping these foods in oils that can lead to heart problems, you can bake them with healthy oils that you use much less of. You can still get that crispy fried coating on your food, but you use a lot less. Use healthy oils like canola or olive oil and lightly brush these things instead of dipping in them. That way, they’re still a little crunchy, but you’re consuming far fewer calories.

One of the most common fried foods is the chicken wing. Born in Buffalo, New York, the chicken wing grew enormously in popularity and is served in any bar that serves food and in many restaurants. You don’t have to fry them to make them juicy and crispy. You can go in the oven by baking your wings, lightly brushing them with a healthy oil, and then place them on a rack so they don’t rest on your cookie sheet. They will be crispy and then you can top them with your favorite sauce. If you do it right, you won’t notice the difference.

You can also cook breaded items with oven bake instead of tossing them in a deep fryer. These first ones came out for the oven a while ago and they didn’t come out very well, but all that has changed. These items you can get in the frozen aisle are better than ever, and you can find recipes to make your own with healthy breading and new ingredients that you’ll love. These are baked in the oven in the same way as wings, and usually come out crispy and delicious just like they would from the fryer at your favorite bar.

While baking these foods makes them healthier, you still know they shouldn’t be staples of your diet. You should have them as a treat from time to time instead of planning your family eating plan around them. However, if you cook this way with the oven, you can eat them more often than you used to without worrying as much about the long-term effects on your heart and overall health. Your waist line can also think of you.