Is there a substitute for Olive Oil?

Rubie81

This includes Extra Virgin.
Seriously, had a chick pea salad for lunch and just put two tablespoons of EVOO, of course that's a whopping 240 calories, ugh.
So what do you put on your veggies and salads? My salads I usually bathe in balsamic vinegar and avoid olive oil at all cost but man, it sure would taste better with the EVOO.

stevemcknight

When I was going super low fat (which looking back - is just dumb) I would always get lemon wedges and spray them over my salads, then sprinkle salt and pepper to create my own calorie/fat free dressing. It's good and still works when for some reason I'm out of calories or have to improvise.

Olive oil is a really really really really really good thing to eat though - I would cut out the bread or empty calories that came with dinner (for example) and keep the olive oil in!

Steve
KnightFit.com

skinnyme125

I love balsamic vinegar also, I could eat just about anything with it. But as for a substitute for olive oil I have no idea.

harliquinnraver

maybe just use a teaspoon or two of the olive oil? all oil is fairly high in calories.

Mike523

This includes Extra Virgin.
Seriously, had a chick pea salad for lunch and just put two tablespoons of EVOO, of course that's a whopping 240 calories, ugh.
So what do you put on your veggies and salads? My salads I usually bathe in balsamic vinegar and avoid olive oil at all cost but man, it sure would taste better with the EVOO.

I make my own balsamic vinaigrette - half balsamic vinegar, half EVOO with a bunch of spices - and use it on all my salads. I use 2 TBSP on a salad, so it's only about 125 calories total since it's half vinegar.

EVOO has many health benefits if used in moderation - it's one of the healthiest fats you can eat. I wouldn't replace it, just mix it with something so you use a little less!

taso42_DELETED

Agreeing with the above. Use it more sparingly perhaps, but evoo is a good thing to have.

Bisbeegal

I don't substitute. I just buy olive oil in a spray can. I use it to "saute" mushroom, red peppers, etc. by spraying the bottom of the pan lightly and then spraying the tops of the veggies. It uses a fraction of what you would use to sautee using bottled oil. You can lightly spay olive oil on salads and add your spices and vinegar.

arfdemob5

For our salads we cut up all the goodies (cucumbers, tomato, mushrooms, you name it) and put in small containers for each serving. I use Annie's Naturals salad dressings, they have some very flavorful dressings with low sodium. In each of these containers I put 1 tbsp of the salad dressing and shake it up. I let it sit in the fridge for several hours. When its time to eat my salad, I put lettuce on the plate then dump my "goodie" container on top. I have found (for me) that this is plenty dressing and I'd rather have a natural dressing than some low fat chemically goop.

My other amazing discovery is instead of sauteeing veggies in olive oil I now use a small amount of low sodium tomato juice. It keeps the pan moist and cooks down adding flavor to any meal, with no added fat!

Newfiedan

evoo although cal heavy is a fantastic source of good fats, so just go lighter on it, however I would not stop using it.

cmmull67

Have you tried Grapeola brand grape seed oil? Has higher levels of your omega's than EVOO, a higher smoke point, tastes sweeter, and same cals as evoo. I use it for everything needing oil. Make a vinaigrette with it and taste the difference.

callipygianchronicle

All oils are liquid fats and should be approached in moderation, but oils that are low in mono unsaturated fat (like olive oil) have so many health benefits it is not a good idea to remove them from your diet. The only good substitute for olive oil, then, would be another oil that is high in mono unsaturated fat (walnut and grapeseed being two examples). This page has a chart listing several and their breakdown of amino acids:

http://www.latourangelle.com/nutrition.php

Rubie81

Thanks for all the helpful information. Hmm, Grapeseed oil, never heard of it but sounds yummy.

taso42_DELETED

My other amazing discovery is instead of sauteeing veggies in olive oil I now use a small amount of low sodium tomato juice. It keeps the pan moist and cooks down adding flavor to any meal, with no added fat!

I made a mental note of this one... sounds yummy!

_Jessica_

Paul Newmans low fat sesamee ginger salad dressing is by far my favorite.... ITS DELISH! And my nature I am a thick and creamy salad dressing kind of girl.

Gmnidrm

I am new to this site and I think it will be perfect for my weight and fitness goals. I am in the transition of switching to everything coconut! I use coconut oil for cooking, baking, and as a skin/hair moisturizer. I drink lots of coconut water and now replacing dairy milk to coconut milk. I plan to try coconut oil and vinagar for a salad dressing. Hope that helps for something new that you may not have thought of. If you haven't discovered all the benefits of Coconut just google it.

Looking forward to making new friends :happy:

Rubie81

I've heard good things about coconut oil.
Paul Newman....how many cal? Will be keeping this in mind.
Keep the ideas coming. You guys are making me hungry, lol.

_Jessica_

7. Extra Virgin Olive Oil. 70% monounsaturated fats that protect against heart diseases and cancer. Add 1-2 tbsp olive oil to your salads. Buy Extra Virgin Olive Oil: it contains more polyphenols and tastes better.



Read the post about 20 foods you should eat. You will find it very intereesting.

Rubie81

Thank you.
I know EVOO is good for me it's just a huge bummer when I am couting calories and have to add that in....BUT, as some one mentioned, I could for sure cut out in other places, like the cup of rice I like to eat almost daily :blushing:

gailygail99

i would like to use EVOO too, but it does have alot of calories. Although it is all good fat, i still dont use it. for cooking i will use the olive oil spray, but for salads, i love balsamic too, so i use a light balasmic ving. I like Kens Steak House Light Balsamic Ving. I thik it is about 30 cals a tablespoon or something like that and tastes great! Trader Joes has a Fat Free Balsamic Ving that is also very good. Not sure if you have that store though. If I need oil to cook with and cant use the spray, i just use canola.

missmeagan89

I know that if you are lookin for something healthy to grease a pan or saute veggies in, using chicken broth is healthy!

julesandrich

For our salads we cut up all the goodies (cucumbers, tomato, mushrooms, you name it) and put in small containers for each serving. I use Annie's Naturals salad dressings, they have some very flavorful dressings with low sodium. In each of these containers I put 1 tbsp of the salad dressing and shake it up. I let it sit in the fridge for several hours. When its time to eat my salad, I put lettuce on the plate then dump my "goodie" container on top. I have found (for me) that this is plenty dressing and I'd rather have a natural dressing than some low fat chemically goop.

My other amazing discovery is instead of sauteeing veggies in olive oil I now use a small amount of low sodium tomato juice. It keeps the pan moist and cooks down adding flavor to any meal, with no added fat!

What great ideas. I will have to try the tomato juice...sounds awesome.

mustnothrowcantelopes

I'm pretty sure this has been stated on here already but: Grape seed oil, Almond oil and coconut oil are 'healthier' alternatives. However, they all seem to have the same amount of calories per tablespoon.

jo_marnes

It's the quantity here.... 2tbps?? Yikes, my salad would be drowning in oil with that amount! I can dress a salad for 4 people with 2 tsp oil, 1 tsp honey and 1 tsp wholegrain mustard.... just toss it through better

Atlantique

I really don't worry about EVOO, because it's so good for you. But if you're having trouble monitoring quantities, you can buy a mister from any decent kitchen store or Bed Bath & Beyond to help you cut down.

For cooking, as others have mentioned, broths are great (just watch the sodium).

With salads, I put them in a conatiner with a good lid along with a small quantity of dressing and then shake it for about 30 seconds. Distributes the small amount of dressing over the entire salad, which makes it very easy to use small amounts of dressing.

NotAllWhoWanderAreLost

a few ideas:

buy one of the refillable type spray containers that are made specifically for misting olive oil (specialty kitchen shops should have them --- or google it. I don't remember the brand name for ours). You pump air in, which give it its "aerosol" power instead of relying on (chemical) propellant. Then mist things with olive oil to get the flavor well dispersed without having to use a large quantity of oil

consider switching over to cast iron cookware. Once the pan is well-seasoned, you won't need to add much, if any, oil to the pan to prevent sticking or to give flavor. The pan will do all the seasoning for you. (minimal fat transfer from pan to food). Cast iron adds iron to your diet (a good thing!) is very durable and you can toss those toxic teflon pans in the garbage and never look back!

consider using a baking stone, which is similar to the cast iron in that it develops a seasoning and allows you to bake without "greasing the pan" and things don't stick.

I've been using just a touch of extra virgin coconut oil lately and its been wonderful! (Nutiva brand). You might consider trying it

But mostly i agree about just using less of a good thing (evoo).

rileysowner

2 Tablespoons! In one salad!!! Olive oil is good, but there is no way you need that much oil in one salad assuming it is not some huge salad for many people. I would suggest 1 teaspoon. I often will use 1 teaspoon with a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar for a dressing. Substituting other healthy oils will not reduce the calories, it will give a different taste, but it is all still oil. We live in a time where people don't consider how far a very little bit of oil stretches in flavoring something. Cut back the quantity and then you don't have the issue with huge numbers of calories.

taso42_DELETED

buy one of the refillable type spray containers that are made specifically for misting olive oil (specialty kitchen shops should have them --- or google it. I don't remember the brand name for ours). You pump air in, which give it its "aerosol" power instead of relying on (chemical) propellant. Then mist things with olive oil to get the flavor well dispersed without having to use a large quantity of oil

It's called "Misto". I love mine!