Question about Cooking with Oil

laurenz2501

When you cook something in oil obviously you add it to the recipe on MFP, right? For instance if I use about 4 tablespoons and cook chicken breasts in it, I wouldn't put 4 tbsp in the recipe builder because I'm not eating all the oil that I used to cook the chicken with. Most of it ends up in the pan. It adds a lot of calories to the recipe though. What do you guys do about that? Just put maybe 1 tsp of oil per piece of chicken? Thanks in advance.

marsellient

I add it, just to be safe, but I don't fry very often, either.

JesterMFP

I mostly add it, but I don't usually cook with large quantities of it, so I probably eat a larger percentage of what I use, if that makes sense. If I was using several tablespoons, and a lot was left in the pan, I'd probably try to measure or estimate how much was left and deduct it.

laurenz2501

If I was using several tablespoons, and a lot was left in the pan, I'd probably try to measure or estimate how much was left and deduct it.

Good idea. Thanks

lyttlewon

I brown my chicken without oil.

katy84o

Whenever I use oil to saute or roast anything, instead of trying to measure what's left, I just add 1 tbsp olive oil to my recipe or log. Or if I use a very little amount I'll put in 1/2 tbsp.

daverigg

olive oil can be used. healthier. just don't heat it as high as you would veg oil or it will smoke something bad. it works great when you have a taste for fired food. fish also.

edited: use extra virgin light. (no..that don't mean to go out and find a young skinny guy) lol.

elizak87

I add it because I know some will soak into the food. I use sprays though because they coat the pan without an excess in oil

cs821

I add it to the recipe, however whenever I fry something, I use a 1cal per spray olive oil. I've started using this when I was on slimming world and it's great. I fry with it, use it to stop pasta sticking and also use it when making roasted veg and potatoes as it helps give them a nice crispy coating. Sorry if I sound like I'm advertising for the company lol, but I'm just sharing a healthy alternative

laurenz2501

edited: use extra virgin light. (no..that don't mean to go out and find a young skinny guy) lol.

:laugh: good one, i'll remember that

laurenz2501

I add it to the recipe, however whenever I fry something, I use a 1cal per spray olive oil. I've started using this when I was on slimming world and it's great. I fry with it, use it to stop pasta sticking and also use it when making roasted veg and potatoes as it helps give them a nice crispy coating. Sorry if I sound like I'm advertising for the company lol, but I'm just sharing a healthy alternative

i'll have to look for that! great idea, thanks!

laurenz2501

Browning something without oil is wayyyy too advanced for me haha. it would burn. even when I use Pam (do I blame the electric stove or the user?) . I can cook a few things fairly well, but still learning.

Awkward30

I mostly add it, but I don't usually cook with large quantities of it, so I probably eat a larger percentage of what I use, if that makes sense. If I was using several tablespoons, and a lot was left in the pan, I'd probably try to measure or estimate how much was left and deduct it.

This, exactly. I don't find oil to be satiating, so even though the fats in my oil are healthy, I minimize my use of it.

sonny368

I add it just to be sure....and I try to cut other fats because 4 tbs are 476 Calories that on a daily diet plan of 1600 represents the 30% so ojust the total amount you have to take daily !

kinrsa

I use 0 calorie cooking spray (okay, it really has like 4 calories, I know) but I don't log it. And when I make popcorn I use less than a tbsp of sunflower oil but I don't log it. I make popcorn maybe twice a month & use the cooking spray for everything else so I don't think it's a big deal. If I used more than 2 tbsp a month I would start to log it.

KombuchaCat

I just add it per the recipe and figure it's better to overestimate my calories than underestimate.

EmmaM2211

The Hairy Dieters had a tip I liked. They used a pasty brush to brush oil on the pan. then you can use the healthier olive oil but only a very small amount :-) xx

amymichelle1226

I usually use olive oil cooking spray, but when I use olive oil, I use very little so I don't log it. If I was using gobs of it, I would but I don't worry about it. I'm still losing weight...if I get to a point where I'm not losing weight, then I'll reconsider not logging it.

secretlobster

I add everything that goes into the recipe, including all the oil...

katevarner

Whenever I use oil to saute or roast anything, instead of trying to measure what's left, I just add 1 tbsp olive oil to my recipe or log. Or if I use a very little amount I'll put in 1/2 tbsp.

This is what I do. I usually cook my sweet potatoes in the oven cut up in slices, and I add about a tbsp of coconut oil to the dish, but most of it ends up in the bottom and not on the sweet potatoes, so I count 1/2 tbsp. For general frying, I usually count a tbsp (can't live in the South without a little fried okra every once in a while!).

katevarner

olive oil can be used. healthier. just don't heat it as high as you would veg oil or it will smoke something bad. it works great when you have a taste for fired food. fish also.

edited: use extra virgin light. (no..that don't mean to go out and find a young skinny guy) lol.

Very important info! When it smokes, it creates free radicals--cancer causing stuff--so try not to heat it above medium heat if it's EVOO or medium high if it's the light version.

jerbear1962

I'm very cautious of how much oil I add, I use a non stick pan and use chicken or beef broth if possible and add as little oil as needed to brown whatever I'm cooking. I have a half container of oil that is almost a year old with the little amount I use.

ritasice21

I just use my misto, which cuts down the consumption. I have found that 8 mississippi's equates to 1 teaspoon. I do not measure the remains if I do use tablespoons because I figure there are meat juices in there also, not just oil, so I would be underestimating.

bcf7683

Have you tried using broths instead of the oil? When pan-frying veggies, I use reduced sodium vegetable broth, when I cook chicken I use chicken broth... Cuts A LOT of the calories. And fat.

I still use oil occasionally, but I like to use half the oil the recipe calls for and sub the rest with a broth

Yoshima

Whenever I use oil to saute or roast anything, instead of trying to measure what's left, I just add 1 tbsp olive oil to my recipe or log. Or if I use a very little amount I'll put in 1/2 tbsp.

This is what I do, too. I also have bought myself an oil mister so I can only just "lube" the pan a little for certain things.

ashleykovacs

I cook chicken on the george foreman and if i use oil i use my misto sprayer.. you can get it at tj max (states) or homesense (canada)

Ph4lanx

Personally, if I use oil, it's Coconut Oil. If no oil, then I use a ceramic pan.

WendyTerry420

Since I cook for four, if I add two tbsp of oil to the pan, I will log 1/4 of that, so 1/2 tbsp to my diary. It may be a little less with some still in the pan, but I don't think the difference is large enough to concern myself over.