This Ninja Air Fryer Saved Me Hours Of Meal Prep Time and it's $50 Off Right Now

Because I exercise constantly, I have a massive appetite and eat five meals a day. As you can imagine, that makes sticking to a diet of whole, minimally processed foods tricky. (Who has time to cook five meals a day? I sure don’t.)

To ensure I’m getting the nutrients I need and limiting how many times I reach for sugary snacks, I meal prep every Sunday. And, let me tell you, it takes hours. Prepping a week’s worth of food robs me of almost a full day of my short weekend. 

Or at least it did until I got the Ninja Foodi 2-Basket Air Fryer, which is now on sale for $50 off.

Buy It: Ninja Foodi 2-Basket Air Fryer, $130 (originally $180); amazon.com

I would buy this air fryer for full price again in a heartbeat. This BPA-free Ninja air fryer gave me my weekends back. Not only because it cooks things incredibly quickly but because I can stick my food in the baskets, press a couple of buttons and just walk away—confident I won’t burn my house to the ground. 

I throw in sweet potatoes, zucchini, chicken, fish, and apples (you name it), and before you know it, I have fully prepped, perfectly cooked, nutritious meals. The real kicker about this air fryer is that it has dual compartments. That means I can cook things separately, like vegetables and proteins, or make double batches of single ingredients at once. And it’s significantly faster than if I had to put them in a full-sized oven. 

And clean up with the Ninja Foodi is a breeze. The internal baskets slide right out of the machine, and they’re wonderfully non-stick, so a single swipe of a sponge takes care of any mess. 

But besides the convenience of having an air fryer, some solid health benefits come along with it too. Compared to deep-frying foods, air fryers can reduce calorie intake by 70 to 80%, according to The Cleveland Clinic. Because you can choose not to use any oil and still get tender, crispy veggies with an air fryer, you can have tasty whole foods without loads of fat. 

Keep in mind that because air fryers use a minimal amount of oil, if you use your air fryer all the time, you may miss out on the benefits of plant-based fats like avocado and olive oils, which are great for your health in moderation. I make sure to spritz most of my food in avocado oil spray before air frying it. While using oil isn’t necessary to get crisp food like it is in a standard oven, I find it gives my proteins a nice golden outer layer, and I’m conscious of wanting to incorporate the benefits of plant-based oils in my diet. 

The only downside to using an air fryer is that it’s pretty easy to overcook things. The first few times I used the Ninja Foodi, my chicken was tougher than rubber. But that was because I didn’t realize how quick and efficient this little powerhouse is. After I played around with cook time and the thickness of my protein portions, I learned how to get perfectly cooked, juicy chicken every time. 

Owning an air fryer has allowed me to continue eating nutritious food without sacrificing my Sundays.