Coconut oil

rach74rio4589

New to calorie counting and just wonder if coconut oil is a healthier choice over the fry light style sprays ? Thanks

cwolfman13

What kind of oil is it? I would assume olive oil, which is a very healthy oil (especially extra virgin with high levels of polyphenol). I use different oils for different purposes. Coconut oil is also a good, healthy cooking oil, though it is much higher in saturated fat and more similar to butter in that regard...but I use coconut oil as well as butter depending on application. I also use avocado oil for very high heat applications...it depends more on how you are using the oil. It's all pure fat. The only oils I don't really use are seed oils like canola and whatnot that are less stable oils and breakdown into more harmful compounds when heated.

Most oils contain roughly the same calories...around 120 calories per Tbsp...their healthfulness (or not) has nothing to do with calories...calories have nothing to do with the nutritional value of a food, calories are merely a unit of energy provided, like a watt or a jewel.

rach74rio4589

Thank you it was coconut oil but now I know I will also purchase some olive oil as mentioned by yourself .

neanderthin

Yeah, sprays are the cheapest most highly processed oils available with emulsifiers to mimic butter and I would be staying away from those. Wolfman was pretty well spot on about oil in general and if you just want to lubricate a mold you can use any oil and virgin coconut oil and/or butter would be my first choices. Cheers

AnnPT77

Fry Light (brand) is available in various types of oil. How "healthy" it is will depend on the type you choose, and how well it complements your overall dietary context. Fry Light can have other ingredients, too - emulsifiers, thickeners, flavorings, etc. Some have propellants, while others are pump spray. Read the ingredients on the label. We can't give you a sensible answer.

If you like the convenience of a spray, many types of oil are now available as a spray, some in a pump spray, some with air as a propellant. Again, read the label. For example, you can buy olive oil in a spray. Neanderthin is probably right that even these won't be the highest quality selection of the named oil, but that's more about taste than healthfulness. If that bothers you, you can buy a separate pump-mister bottle designed for spraying oil, and put your own choice of liquid oil in it.

Often people choose a spray oil because they're labeled as low or even zero calorie. Be aware that the calories are low for the very, very brief spray that's listed on the label, sometimes a mere fraction of a second. If you spray longer (more oil), they will have the same number of calories as an equal amount of oil applied in any other way. Five grams of olive oil sprayed from a can has the same roughly 45 calories as 5 grams poured from a bottle.

Whether a particular oil is relatively more harmful or more healthful depends in part on the context of your overall diet. Artificial trans fats (hydrogenated fats) are generally considered unhealthful, but those are solids/semi-solid, not sprayable. Most people eat relatively more Omega-6 fats than Omega-3 fats, which isn't ideal if it's out of balance. Most people eat relatively more saturated fats than monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats, also possibly not ideal if out of balance. Not knowing what you usually eat, how would we know?

Some people consider coconut oil especially healthful. I'm a skeptic, but haven't studied it closely.

If you're eating relatively small amounts of the oil, honestly it's probably not worth worrying about . . . but that's just my opinion.

springlering62

I use a Misto refillable sprayer. You put a tablespoon of oil in it, pump the lid by hand, and voila! You have an air pressure aerosol spray can without the aerosol.

Last night I airfried 25oz of slice homemade French fries tossed with 6grams of olive oil- 3 grams apiece.

Will be spraying and tossing some veggies in a few grams tomorrow for some lovely roasted veg to eat all week.

If it gums up, disassemble, wash in very hot soapy water and it’s good to go again.



For stir fries and browning things I no longer even use oil. I use a Ninja skillet. You preheat it for 5-10 minutes, and it browns like a champ. Cleans up easy, too. Got one for my SiL, because I was tired of him poo’pooing my pan, and now he’s a fan, too.



I use so little oil since starting this weight loss gig , that it usually goes rancid before I can use a whole small bottle (or small can of Crisco) and I usually end up tossing and replacing.

Have learned oil just isn’t as necessary as I thought.

paints5555

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Artificial trans fats (hydrogenated fats) are generally considered unhealthful, but those are solids/semi-solid, not sprayable.

Keep in mind that partially hydrogenated fats that contain trans fat have not been allowed in food in the US since June, 2018. Fully hydrogenated fats are allowed but they do not contain trans fat. They are very solid and may appear on a label as "interesterified oils".

AnnPT77

paints5555 wrote: »

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Artificial trans fats (hydrogenated fats) are generally considered unhealthful, but those are solids/semi-solid, not sprayable.

Keep in mind that partially hydrogenated fats that contain trans fat have not been allowed in food in the US since June, 2018. Fully hydrogenated fats are allowed but they do not contain trans fat. They are very solid and may appear on a label as "interesterified oils".

This is an international site. I'm not checking people's location before replying. Even in the US, there appears to be some wiggle room in that, IMU. If the label lists partially hydrogenated oils, there are trans fats, even when the trans fat shown on the label is zero, because anything under 0.5g can be listed as zero. Small amounts can present cumulative risk.

You're correct in that I should have indicated "partially hydrogenated oils", but as you say, fully hydrogenated oils are usually labeled as interesterified oils here. Whether that's universally true internationally, I have no idea.

That was sloppy writing on my part. Thank you for the clarification!