Is there a way to calculate calories from deep frying?

didda1
didda1 Posts: 71 Member
edited November 18 in Food and Nutrition
Short of measuring the oil before and after, and then dividing amongst how many servings of food that were fried, is there a general 'rule of thumb' for how much deep frying something adds in calories?

Replies

  • bpetrosky
    bpetrosky Posts: 3,911 Member
    That's a tough one, and one of the reasons I don't deep fry. If everything is done right and the food is not that porous relatively little oil might be absorbed (as low as teaspoon amounts). If the oil is not hot enough, or the frying time is a little long, there is not enough vapor pressure of the water steaming out of the food to push the oil away and more oil is effectively in the food.

    You could weigh the food before and after frying. You would have to estimate the weight lost due to water content, but it might give some idea to start with.
  • didda1
    didda1 Posts: 71 Member
    I only deep fry about once a month, sometimes even less. I can see why trying to figure out calories would turn people off of it!
    It's almost always zucchini fritters. I just need to have them every now and then lol.
    I like that idea of weighing before and after, I will experiment the next time I make them, and see what happens. Thanks!
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    One raw shrimp - 6 calories.

    Fried coconut shrimp - 70 calories.
  • lukejspoor
    lukejspoor Posts: 11 Member
    Roasting is most definitely better, as some others have said its nice to have a treat and deep fry sometimes. I love sweet potato fries deep fried, but other times I will just roast them.
  • DanPonting
    DanPonting Posts: 25 Member
    edited May 2015
    If you're only doing it once a month, don't over think it. Nutrition needs to be considered over a period of weeks/months. In the grand scheme of things, one meal isn't worth fretting over.

    For example, one bad meal doesn't make people fat, the same as one good meal doesn't make people slim.
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  • didda1
    didda1 Posts: 71 Member
    I don't think I could handle deep fried anything every day.
    Should I just guess on what I enter into my diary?
    I'm not really fretting over it, I just have no clue what to enter.
  • coryrood
    coryrood Posts: 100 Member
    Search for deep fried enteies?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    If I was doing it once per month, I really wouldn't worry about it and I would just enjoy...otherwise I'd probably just find something as close as possible in the database...I don't have time to be weighing out the oil and then cooking and then weighing it out again and doing all kinds of other maths.

    But really, for once a month I would just enjoy.
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  • didda1
    didda1 Posts: 71 Member
    Thanks for the tip about just finding something close in the data base.
    Major brain fart for not thinking about that!
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