Good way to log olive oil?

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Replies

  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Everything I cook is with olive oil, and it's so hard to log because even if I measure it out there will always be some that sticks to the pan, evaporates, doesn't get eaten, etc. Normally that doesn't matter but olive oil is so calorie dense that every teaspoon counts. Does anyone have an accurate way of keeping track of it?
    You're using more oil than you need if you have that much left over (unless it's in a marinade).
  • Stdavis53
    Stdavis53 Posts: 233 Member
    Personally, I stopped cooking with oils all together. I use an unsalted chicken broth if I need extra moisture in a pan. I have great pans, so stuff doesn't stick to begin with, but if I want assistance softening, caramelizing, or keeping things from scorching at high heat, I go for the chicken stock. And considering its about 15 calories for a cup... I think its well worth the difference. (not to mention the little added taste it gives is nice)

    15 cal vs 180 cal.... easy win in my book:drinker:
  • _Timmeh_
    _Timmeh_ Posts: 2,096 Member
    Where's one of those quacky articles from Mercola when you need one.

    *Soak your microwave in olive oil and a car air freshener before eating fruit on an empty stomach which can cure cancer.
  • Amandatorie
    Amandatorie Posts: 93 Member
    "Everything evaporates"? Not really. Although oil will and can evaporate over time depending on the type of oil and under what conditions, it will not affect the nutritional value of your meal. Log it all unless your draining off a good amount at the end, but like someone said before, if this is the case ,you're probably using too much to begin with.

    What substance doesn't evaporate...?

    Ummm.....sand. Or any other solid, and please save the whole, "everything has at least some small quantity of liquid so therefore evaporates " rant.

    The scientist in me can't keep my mouth shut. There are 3 states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas. At a high enough temperature, everything turns to gas. The temperature at which a liquid turns to gas is the boiling point. Every substance has a different boiling point due to the different structure of the chemical makeup.

    For oils, the "smoke point" where the taste goes funny is apparently much lower than the boiling point, so we don't usually achieve evaporation with oils if using them correctly.

    In terms of the states of matter, coconut oil is interesting because the temperature where the solid turns into a liquid is so close to room temp. Other oils are always liquid at room temp, and would need to be much colder to turn to a solid.
  • lucasriggs
    lucasriggs Posts: 131
    Ummm.....sand. Or any other solid, and please save the whole, "everything has at least some small quantity of liquid so therefore evaporates " rant.

    Well if you heat sand up to a high enough temperature it well eventually turn to to liquid which can then evaporate. Even in its solid state with the right amount of pressure and temperature it can go directly from solid to gas phase.

    EDIT: Got ninj'd by Amandatorie.
  • Stdavis53
    Stdavis53 Posts: 233 Member
    Something that can't evaporate is my lack of giving a crap about the scientific side of a simple comment. Trust me, it always remains as a solid... :wink:

    *edited to add winkeyface* lol
  • bostonwolf
    bostonwolf Posts: 3,038 Member
    I just assume that if I poured it in the pan, I ate it. If that means my tracked calories are a bit higher than reality, I'm fine with that.
  • jogy
    jogy Posts: 77 Member
    I log all of it. Calorie counting isn't an exact science, so the way I see it I'll probably make up any minor errors elswhere and it'll all even out in the end..

    Same here! I find it better to "over" evaluate then "under" evaluate. But, to be honest, I'm not the type to measure and weigh everything to an exact science.
  • wildfirediva
    wildfirediva Posts: 212
    I would rather over estimate my calories consumed than under.

    Deep fried is another story...but even there I do a little online research to double check the figures provided in MFP before I log it.

    Many times I just build a recipe so it breaks down the numbers for me in that particular dish. Example: Yesterday I prepared a spaghetti squash and used a measured amount of roasted garlic olive oil in the whole dish. I built a recipe based on the 4 cups of squash I got out of it after cooking plus the measured amount of oil. (estimated 1c servings) and just added 1 serving of my recipe to my diary.
  • cuterbee
    cuterbee Posts: 545
    Everything I cook is with olive oil, and it's so hard to log because even if I measure it out there will always be some that sticks to the pan, evaporates, doesn't get eaten, etc. Normally that doesn't matter but olive oil is so calorie dense that every teaspoon counts. Does anyone have an accurate way of keeping track of it?

    Water evaporates; solids (and calories) remain. The only way not to log it is if you drain it off and measure it. And even then, make sure it's all oil and not other liquids. If you're using a lot of olive oil, you're eating a lot of olive oil. Don't fool yourself that somehow it's not there.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I cook just about everything in olive oil too. I've never found an accurate way to log it. I just guesstimate as best I can.
  • sjohnny
    sjohnny Posts: 56,142 Member
    I work with a nutritionist and she says that Coconut Oil isn't as amazing as everything thinks it is. The high amount of saturated fat is why it should be used in very little moderation. It isn't considered "heart healthy" like other oils such as extra virgin olive oil and rapeseed oil.

    People starting jumping on the coconut oil train because of it's high smoke point and when "health professionals" like Dr. Oz totes it's benefits, but in the end it's still high in saturated fat and should be used sparingly.

    What's wrong with saturated fats?
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    Measure it out before cooking and try to use your best estimation.
  • douglasmobbs
    douglasmobbs Posts: 563 Member
    Just lick the bowl/plate/pan like I do then you make sure that you eat every calorie that you have counted
  • douglasmobbs
    douglasmobbs Posts: 563 Member
    For the evaporated oil in cooking what should the person who cooks the food do? If they are over the pans all the time they will be breathing in so many calories it could make them fat.
  • Sweet_Potato
    Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
    How do some people still not know that olive oil is NOT for cooking with? :huh: All the top chefs tv even are finally learning the errors of their ways...olive oil is meant for drizzling on salads, pastas, breads etc and shouldn't be 'cooked'...it loses its health benefits when it is cooked. Rapeseed oil would be a much better choice, or coconut oil.

    ANYway, I always just use a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil on a salad, or of another oil if cooking, and if you're counting calories I'd count the whole spoon no matter what, just to be on the safe side.

    It would be like a part time job trying to figure out the *exact* number of calories you are consuming of it otherwise.

    I use inexpensive olive oil for cooking and a good flavorful one for finishing, dressings, and bread dipping. I wouldn't use olive oil for deep frying because of the smoke point issue, but it's perfectly fine for a saute. I'm obsessed with cooking and have done a lot of reading on the subject, and this is the first I've heard about not cooking with olive oil. My Italian ancestors certainly didn't think it was a problem. ;)

    To answer the OP's question, I log the pre-cooking volume (which is sometimes eyeballed). Sure, you're not going to consume every bit of it, but if you're going to get down to the weeds like that you might as well log the calories burned while chopping, stirring, and opening the fridge (and then you might as well check yourself into a mental institution because that kind of obsessiveness will make you insane).
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Everything I cook is with olive oil, and it's so hard to log because even if I measure it out there will always be some that sticks to the pan, evaporates, doesn't get eaten, etc. Normally that doesn't matter but olive oil is so calorie dense that every teaspoon counts. Does anyone have an accurate way of keeping track of it?

    Just log it and don't worry.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I work with a nutritionist and she says that Coconut Oil isn't as amazing as everything thinks it is. The high amount of saturated fat is why it should be used in very little moderation. It isn't considered "heart healthy" like other oils such as extra virgin olive oil and rapeseed oil.

    People starting jumping on the coconut oil train because of it's high smoke point and when "health professionals" like Dr. Oz totes it's benefits, but in the end it's still high in saturated fat and should be used sparingly.

    Is this nutritionist a registered dietician. Not all saturated fats are the same. The health benefits of consuming the saturated fat in coconut oil is lacking in research but it's generally considered safe.
  • successgal1
    successgal1 Posts: 996 Member
    I barely use any oil. If I'm using olive oil for nonstick reasons I use the spray as it covers the pan and doesn't pool all over making you want to use more. I really only use it for frying egg whites, I saute frozen peppers and onions in their own water as they cook, then give a light spritz of olive oil just before pouring in the egg whites. If using a non-stick pan you shouldn't need much at all.

    Olive oil is fine to cook with at the lower temps btw according to my understanding, its when you start stir frying and doing things that need a fast cook at high temp that you want to choose a different oil. THATS why cooks use peanut and canola oils, for the temp resistance reasons.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    I work with a nutritionist and she says that Coconut Oil isn't as amazing as everything thinks it is. The high amount of saturated fat is why it should be used in very little moderation. It isn't considered "heart healthy" like other oils such as extra virgin olive oil and rapeseed oil.

    People starting jumping on the coconut oil train because of it's high smoke point and when "health professionals" like Dr. Oz totes it's benefits, but in the end it's still high in saturated fat and should be used sparingly.


    Some things taste better in coconut oil, and some things taste better in olive oil. For everything else, there's peanut oil. When you are using it sparingly anyway, how it tastes is much more important than what Dr Oz or "Nutritionist XYZ" says.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,252 Member
    I work with a nutritionist and she says that Coconut Oil isn't as amazing as everything thinks it is. The high amount of saturated fat is why it should be used in very little moderation. It isn't considered "heart healthy" like other oils such as extra virgin olive oil and rapeseed oil.

    People starting jumping on the coconut oil train because of it's high smoke point and when "health professionals" like Dr. Oz totes it's benefits, but in the end it's still high in saturated fat and should be used sparingly.

    What's wrong with saturated fats?
    It raises LDL-C, didn't you know.:wink: It's a good thing most of us live in America where we consume mostly refined vegetable oils otherwise we would have much higher levels of CVD that indigenous people of tropical latitudes do, wha?
  • jillbeanschoop
    jillbeanschoop Posts: 61 Member
    Regarding evaporation of oil it's not quite black and white. Not all liquids evaporate in the same way. Here is a link to an interesting conversation on this topic: http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/chem03/chem03025.htm
    So, I'd say log it all. It is unlikely that you have evaporated any and the small amount in the pan doesn't amount to much.
  • lewcompton
    lewcompton Posts: 881 Member
    "Everything evaporates"? Not really. Although oil will and can evaporate over time depending on the type of oil and under what conditions, it will not affect the nutritional value of your meal. Log it all unless your draining off a good amount at the end, but like someone said before, if this is the case ,you're probably using too much to begin with.

    What substance doesn't evaporate...?

    Ummm.....sand. Or any other solid, and please save the whole, "everything has at least some small quantity of liquid so therefore evaporates " rant.
    Scientifically speaking some substances do not evaporate, carbon dioxide for example sublimates (Sublimation is the change from solid directly to a gas... Evaporation is a change of state from liquid to gas... ) at -109.3 degrees Fahrenheit or -78.5 Celsius... At Sea Level... Air pressure effects the temperature at which substances change their state. That is why when backpacking/camping at elevation food seems to take longer to cook boiling temp for water drops from 212 Fahrenheit/100 Celsius to 190 Fahrenheit/90 Celsius or less... FYI sand primarily silicon dioxide actually does vaporize from liquid form to gas at 4046 degrees Fahrenheit or 2230 degrees Celsius... Chemistry is one of the subjects that I teach... Some evaporation of the liquid does occur slightly below the boiling point of the substance... Just as water that boils at higher temperatures still evaporates at lower temperatures the same is true of these other substances as well.

    Now back to the actual point of the topic... Do not use EVOO to cook! Its boiling temp. Often called the smoke point by chefs is 374 Fahrenheit, 190 Celsius... very easily achieved when cooking and will impart a burnt flavor to your food... plain olive oil is better for cooking with a smoke point of 572 Fahrenheit, 300 Celsius... Use EVOO to dress salads and cooked foods and use light or plain olive oil to cook.

    Please log all of the calories for the amount of oil that you put in because the vast majority of the oil is still present in the food that you eat.
  • lewcompton
    lewcompton Posts: 881 Member
    Everything I cook is with olive oil, and it's so hard to log because even if I measure it out there will always be some that sticks to the pan, evaporates, doesn't get eaten, etc. Normally that doesn't matter but olive oil is so calorie dense that every teaspoon counts. Does anyone have an accurate way of keeping track of it?

    I'm a little confused....you've lost 69 lbs already and this is just NOW become an issue? What were you doing for the last 69 lbs? Whatever that was...keep doing it.

    Disclaimer: If what you were doing before was not healthy and not sustainable...then GREAT question. Just log what you use to cook, and if you don't "use" it all, then you're fine anyway. The goal is not to be perfect, because that just isn't going to happen, the goal is to be consistent and pay attention to the calories and not let things get completely out of hand. Going over every now and again isn't the end of the world and going under every now and again isn't going to stop time and make the moon drop out of orbit either. Be as consistent and close as you can as much as you can and you will see results.
    The practical voice crying out in the sea of insanity... Love it!
  • lemanuelthelazy
    lemanuelthelazy Posts: 28 Member
    :happy: Thanks for the feedback everybody! The general idea I'm getting is that I shouldn't obsess, but still log most of what I use. I do use a lot because my pans are craptacular, and I got out of the habit of microwaving when my mom got rid of hers so everything I heat is on the pan. And now I'm thinkin I probably shouldn't have mentioned evaporation...haha.
    Personally, I stopped cooking with oils all together. I use an unsalted chicken broth if I need extra moisture in a pan. I have great pans, so stuff doesn't stick to begin with, but if I want assistance softening, caramelizing, or keeping things from scorching at high heat, I go for the chicken stock. And considering its about 15 calories for a cup... I think its well worth the difference. (not to mention the little added taste it gives is nice)

    15 cal vs 180 cal.... easy win in my book:drinker:

    I really really like that idea! I'd be using veggie broth cuz I'm veggie, but I'm guessing the principle is the same. I could use a little olive oil for taste and broth for the added moisture. Thank you, good substitution idea!
    I'm a little confused....you've lost 69 lbs already and this is just NOW become an issue? What were you doing for the last 69 lbs? Whatever that was...keep doing it.

    Disclaimer: If what you were doing before was not healthy and not sustainable...then GREAT question. Just log what you use to cook, and if you don't "use" it all, then you're fine anyway. The goal is not to be perfect, because that just isn't going to happen, the goal is to be consistent and pay attention to the calories and not let things get completely out of hand. Going over every now and again isn't the end of the world and going under every now and again isn't going to stop time and make the moon drop out of orbit either. Be as consistent and close as you can as much as you can and you will see results.

    I also like this comment, sums up nicely what most people were saying. I think my main issue is that olive oil seems to be the most calorific thing I eat when I am cooking as healthily as possible, so a lot of the time I'm using it to bulk up my calorie count to make up for the low count vegetables. Not as much of an issue on a casual day though.

    Anyways, y'all are makin me hungry for some italian food now, gonna go make dinner. Thanks!

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