Marinade calories

Katecatgal

I'm wondering what peoples opinions are on the subject of marinades or home made sauces.

I like to cook my own recipes but have always been unsure when it comes to logging ingredients that I use in a marinade.

For example tonight I am going to make a chicken curry, I normally slice up the chicken breast into bite size pieces and add spices and other ingredients and then let it soak in a coconut milk (I'm allergic to dairy) sauce for an hour or so. Then I cook the food letting it boil away and basically poach the ingredients which results in the liquid evaporating.

So my question is do I log in MFP the full measurement of the coconut milk, say for arguments sake 220ml, or do I just add in say 50 for the fact that it has soaked into the ingredients and the rest is cooked off.

Would like to hear what people would suggest

Thanks

jerryvo

I do not count marinades in my daily calorie count. If it is a sauce that you pour over the food after it is cooked I would count it but just soaking the meat in it I let it go. Kind of the same way I do not count standing up and walking to the kitchen to cook the meal as exercise and take away calories. I would consider marinade an incidental item.

onsugarhill

If you're not draining off the marinade, but instead cooking it down so it evaporates, you're still getting all the calories. Only the water in it is evaporating. I'd add the full amount to the recipe calculation.

Katecatgal

If you're not draining off the marinade, but instead cooking it down so it evaporates, you're still getting all the calories. Only the water in it is evaporating. I'd add the full amount to the recipe calculation.

But there is very little if non of the liquid left when I serve it up. I mean I boil it down till all that is left in the pan is the chicken and what ever veg I have added. there is no liquid left at all, so there is no way that much liquid is soaked up into bite size pieces of chicken! I mean with the coconut milk I'm not bothered as there are negligible calories in the amount I use, but I do have a nice recipe with mango juice and Jerk seasoning.

Guess I'll see how my weight is the end of this week as this is the first week I've done the MFP right with making sure I eat my net calories and eating back my work out calories. If I'm not loosing I guess I'll take that into consideration.

Thanks.

Katecatgal

I do not count marinades in my daily calorie count. If it is a sauce that you pour over the food after it is cooked I would count it but just soaking the meat in it I let it go. Kind of the same way I do not count standing up and walking to the kitchen to cook the meal as exercise and take away calories. I would consider marinade an incidental item.

Amount of water I drink I'd would probably burn 100 calories a day peeing all the time but I don't add those in, only work out ones. But as I said in the reply before I'll see how I go this week and take it into consideration if I've lost or not.

Thanks

TheSlorax

If you're not draining off the marinade, but instead cooking it down so it evaporates, you're still getting all the calories. Only the water in it is evaporating. I'd add the full amount to the recipe calculation.

But there is very little if non of the liquid left when I serve it up. I mean I boil it down till all that is left in the pan is the chicken and what ever veg I have added. there is no liquid left at all, so there is no way that much liquid is soaked up into bite size pieces of chicken! I mean with the coconut milk I'm not bothered as there are negligible calories in the amount I use, but I do have a nice recipe with mango juice and Jerk seasoning.

Guess I'll see how my weight is the end of this week as this is the first week I've done the MFP right with making sure I eat my net calories and eating back my work out calories. If I'm not loosing I guess I'll take that into consideration.

Thanks.

She already gave you the answer, it is only the WATER that cooks off. If you look at coconut milk it is mostly water (in fact, to make coconut milk you need water and "coconut cream" according to a few labels). You still need to count the full marinade calories in order to be 100% accurate in your calorie intake. I stopped marinating my chicken and now cook it in broth in my crock pot for exactly this reason.

TheSlorax

I do not count marinades in my daily calorie count. If it is a sauce that you pour over the food after it is cooked I would count it but just soaking the meat in it I let it go. Kind of the same way I do not count standing up and walking to the kitchen to cook the meal as exercise and take away calories. I would consider marinade an incidental item.

Amount of water I drink I'd would probably burn 100 calories a day peeing all the time but I don't add those in, only work out ones. But as I said in the reply before I'll see how I go this week and take it into consideration if I've lost or not.

Thanks

What???? Since when do you burn extra calories sitting down and peeing???? :noway:

athenasurrenders

If you're not draining off the marinade, but instead cooking it down so it evaporates, you're still getting all the calories. Only the water in it is evaporating. I'd add the full amount to the recipe calculation.

But there is very little if non of the liquid left when I serve it up. I mean I boil it down till all that is left in the pan is the chicken and what ever veg I have added. there is no liquid left at all, so there is no way that much liquid is soaked up into bite size pieces of chicken! I mean with the coconut milk I'm not bothered as there are negligible calories in the amount I use, but I do have a nice recipe with mango juice and Jerk seasoning.

Guess I'll see how my weight is the end of this week as this is the first week I've done the MFP right with making sure I eat my net calories and eating back my work out calories. If I'm not loosing I guess I'll take that into consideration.

Thanks.

The liquid is gone because the water has evaporated, but the sugar/fat/whatever else in the sauce is still there, sticking to or soaked in to your chicken and veg. You are still getting the calories I'm afraid.

As an experiment, dissolve some sugar in water and let it evaporate on a windowsill for a few days. The water will go down but sugar crystals will be left behind. This is a slow motion version of what is happening in your pan.

Katecatgal

Amount of water I drink I'd would probably burn 100 calories a day peeing all the time but I don't add those in, only work out ones. But as I said in the reply before I'll see how I go this week and take it into consideration if I've lost or not.

Thanks
[/quote]

What???? Since when do you burn extra calories sitting down and peeing???? :noway:
[/quote]

I meant I'm up and walking to the loo so many times I must be burning calories, if people are counting their calories to walk around the house and cook then I should the amount I pee and have to move. I guess jokes don't come across online!!

Katecatgal

I guess for stuff I make with Coconut milk I'll count half of the calories as their negligible anyway but for the Mango juice I'll use the full amount!!

As to the suggestion of using a broth that doesn't work with the meal I am trying to cook. I have stock but I want the flavor of the coconut, or the mango.

thanks everyone