Low calorie cooking oils

KeraSwarl

Any lower calorie alternatives for cooking oils to stir fry my chicken and vegies etc? A tablespoon goes for over 120 calories. Some dishes I make require the pan so oven baked wouldn't be relevant

amusedmonkey

I find 1-2 teaspoons and a non-stick pan is enough for stir fries. Some people do "stock frying" by using chicken stock instead of oil, but I don't find the result as satisfying as a proper stir fry.

alicebhsia

use a spray and just coat the pan well or sautee instead using a little cooking wine

Francl27

Spray too. It's still often a few calories, but it works well.

lemurcat12

Oils all have the same calories. You can just use less oil (you don't need much). A spray or spritzer is one way to do that. I tend to just use a tsp or 2 (and since I make multiple servings it doesn't add that many calories per portion).

DX2JX2

Just use the bare minimum amount of oil possible. You could also explore steaming. I actually find steamed chicken and veggies served with Chinese brown sauce on the side to be just as satisfying as a stir fry.

AnnPT77

Side note: Reducing amount of oil is the best way to cut oil calories, but do make sure your overall eating includes enough fat.

It's tempting to cut it out because of the calories, but we need it to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins, keep the digestive tract moving properly, maintain good hormone balance, keep body cells functioning and forming healthily, and more.

The default MFP goal is OK for most, or shoot for around 0.35-0.45g daily per pound of healthy goal weight (some would say a little less is OK for men), as a minimum.