how do you account for cooking with fats

hallswan
hallswan Posts: 90
edited September 20 in Food and Nutrition
Hi - just wondering - when I cook, I tend to use olive oil or olive based margarine but I am concerned when I account for my calories - do they account for the oils that you use - for example - a scrambled egg, I use some oil to coat the bottom of the pan - does the database account for the oil.

Thanks

Natalie

Replies

  • drvvork
    drvvork Posts: 1,162
    You need to add to your diary the amount you use... I would suggest if these are meals that you make regularly you might want to use the Remember Meals feature. I use the Remember Meals for my fried eggs (and other simple combinations that I use oils) or I would forget to add it in and I would only be cheating myself... LOL... I only fry using an iron skillet so I have to have something in the pan or I would need a sandblaster :laugh: - I guestimated my oil since I only need enough to keep them from sticking. :happy: :flowerforyou:
  • mmrose00
    mmrose00 Posts: 253 Member
    That is a great question!

    I am not sure if all the items in the database account for the oils/fats. (I know restaurant prepared foods are). I add in the fats in my diary. If I made chicken and used 1tsp of olive oil, I add it in. Now that I think about it, It may be difficult to account for it in the database, because people use different types of fats to prepare their meals.
  • SnakePlissken
    SnakePlissken Posts: 34 Member
    You've gotta add OO as a separate ingredient.

    One way to keep your oil down is coat the pan over heat, .... that will thin the oil out a bit and let it run freer.
    After the pan is coated just pour the excess off into the garbage before throwing the eggs in.
  • Dive_Girl
    Dive_Girl Posts: 247 Member
    No it does not account for oils, also oils are not always used in everything you prepare so you will need to add what you use. For example, I use cooking spray when frying an egg. I add the calores from the cooking spary which is about 4 to my total for the meal. I would agree with drvvork that if it is something you make often to save it as a meal to make it easier to add.

    Cheers,

    Holly
  • bukozki
    bukozki Posts: 60
    I use olive oil almost exclusively, I add in about half of what I use since some of it is invariably left in the pan. I've actually adjusted my cooking to remove some of the oils from the process, but when you saute veggies it's tough. Sometimes, if there is a meet being cooked first I'll use a fattier cut of meat and dump the veggies in after the meat and reuse the oil from the fat.
  • DGW168
    DGW168 Posts: 4
    It is important to count the oils that we use in each meal, but we need 2 teaspoons of healthy oil per day for healthy weight loss.
  • hallswan
    hallswan Posts: 90
    wow - it is quite amazing how many calories oil has in it - well - as of today I am properly accounting for my cooking fat - if I can avoid cooking with it - I will!
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
    I use PAM a lot, but if I have the calories, I use EVOO for cooking. Generally, I log the raw meat, the olive oil, and each ingredient separately. Tonight I'm having Organic chicken sausage with baby red potatoes and quartered red onions oven sauteed in olive oil, dill, black pepper and garlic. Yummy!! I'll probably have a small salad on the side as well.
  • Dom_m
    Dom_m Posts: 336 Member
    When I fry I often steam my vegies first till they're nearly cooked, then put them in the wok. Since I usually cook Asian style food (at least when I fry) I add a bit of soy sauce. That's enough to prevent sticking and if it evaporates, I just add a bit of water. Then at the end, after I serve it on my plate, I might add some oil (usually flaxseed if I use this method, but sometimes olive or sesame).

    That way I know exactly how much is there and its completely stable (oil goes through chemical reactions under heat, and if you use low quality oils they can become transfats very quickly).

    Because the food was pretty much already cooked by the time I fry it, I really only have to mix the sauces under heat. Frying usually takes less than a minute in this process, with little or no oil.
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