What's a lo-cal way to stir fry?

zealey77
zealey77 Posts: 104
in Food and Nutrition
Hi, I like stir-fries but can't believe how many calories are in just a glug of olive oil / sunflower oil / vegetable oil. Does anyone have an alternative that I can use, apart from water. Thanks.
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Replies

  • murphy612
    murphy612 Posts: 734 Member
    Water works pretty well, if you have a good pan. Coconut oil or butter is better than the oils you mentioned (especially for high heat cooking) but it's still an oil and has calories. What I do is saute some mushrooms and onions first, they are a little oily and coat the pan pretty good, then I add the rest of my stuff. If it sticks, I splash some water in the pan.

    edit: oops, you said besides water, skip that part in my post :)
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I don't use anything. Just my non stick frying pan. Honestly can't tell the difference.
  • zealey77
    zealey77 Posts: 104
    ok, thanks y'all. I'll try both.
  • nicmax88
    nicmax88 Posts: 37 Member
    Fry Light!!
  • twixlepennie
    twixlepennie Posts: 1,074 Member
    Water or a bit of non-stick spray.
  • craftywitch_63
    craftywitch_63 Posts: 829 Member
    Hi, I like stir-fries but can't believe how many calories are in just a glug of olive oil / sunflower oil / vegetable oil. Does anyone have an alternative that I can use, apart from water. Thanks.

    Using a non-stick spray and broth (I use vegetable broth because I'm a vegetarian but chicken and beef work, too) will help keep the veggies from drying out and sticking. :smile:
  • twixlepennie
    twixlepennie Posts: 1,074 Member
    Hi, I like stir-fries but can't believe how many calories are in just a glug of olive oil / sunflower oil / vegetable oil. Does anyone have an alternative that I can use, apart from water. Thanks.

    Using a non-stick spray and broth (I use vegetable broth because I'm a vegetarian but chicken and beef work, too) will help keep the veggies from drying out and sticking. :smile:

    Great idea on the broth-I'll have to try this :)
  • refuseresist
    refuseresist Posts: 934 Member
    You can get 1-cal spray. I use a ceramic coated wok and nothing sticks.
  • Greytfish
    Greytfish Posts: 810
    Nonstick pan, little buuter, bit of coconut oil, or a combination thereof.
  • karlospiklington
    karlospiklington Posts: 143 Member
    As mentioned by someone else Fry Light 1 calorie spray works; although I find that normal oil helps give the stir fry a flavour that fry light doesn't. It's about the only meal where I still use normal oil to cook with, just a much smaller amount. Soy sauce adds a bit of extra liquid without the calorie hit of oil, could try a bit more of that with the fry light spray.
  • thatpixichick
    thatpixichick Posts: 77 Member
    Try coconut oil! Good for your hair too ;)
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    I use a tablespoon of oil. NOT a jug. :huh:
  • xscat
    xscat Posts: 80 Member
    I grew up eating nothing but stir fries... For most veggies you only need 1tsp oil per pound or so. That's not bad at all :) For meat you might need a bit more, but no more than 1tbsp for 8onces of Chicken... Trust me I'm Chinese. We invented that XD
  • rowenaaitken
    rowenaaitken Posts: 48 Member
    If you use meat or fish add the oil to that before frying. Good tip is to use a plastic bag, add eg chicken pieces, 1tbsp oil, spices/chilli/garlic then massage the oil and flavours round the meat. Can be left to sit like that then just tip into the wok. It's a tip I use a lot "oil the meat, not the pan".
  • aubyshortcake
    aubyshortcake Posts: 796 Member
    If there are any meat juices that come out when frying the meat (I don't add anything before that) I will often use that to fry the veggies in. Depends if the meat you use has enough fat or not.
  • knra_grl
    knra_grl Posts: 1,566 Member
    I use a bit of olive oil to start (only about a tblsp) then I just use water or broth if needed - I find once I add the veg near the end if it's on a lower heat and I put the lid on for a few minutes the moisture stays in

    I figure if you are splitting up the stir fry into portions the extra olive oil isn't adding that much in calories - I usually end up with anywhere from 4-6 servings when I stir fry (my son will eat two himself)
  • knra_grl
    knra_grl Posts: 1,566 Member
    I use a tablespoon of oil. NOT a jug. :huh:

    I am guessing a "glug" is not a jug either but probably more than a tablespoon lol :indifferent:
  • kennie2
    kennie2 Posts: 1,170 Member
    non stick wok plus 1/4-1/3 tsp sesame oil (high heat plus it smells amazing)
  • Myhaloslipped
    Myhaloslipped Posts: 4,317 Member
    I use red palm oil and non-stick cooking spray.
  • raventwo
    raventwo Posts: 91 Member
    Use riced cauliflower instead of rice :smile:
  • kikiboniki
    kikiboniki Posts: 398 Member
    i love the green frying pan from as seen on TV. its by "orgreenics", I think. It allows you to cook without oil. Love it! good luck =) I got it at CVS
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,010 Member
    I use red palm oil and non-stick cooking spray.

    "red palm" tee hee hee
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Water works pretty well, if you have a good pan. Coconut oil or butter is better than the oils you mentioned (especially for high heat cooking) but it's still an oil and has calories. What I do is saute some mushrooms and onions first, they are a little oily and coat the pan pretty good, then I add the rest of my stuff. If it sticks, I splash some water in the pan.

    edit: oops, you said besides water, skip that part in my post :)

    coconut oil has a pretty low smoke point...it is not very good at all for high heat cooking.

    OP...cooking with oils can add a lot of calories..personally I would just plan for that and do my thing. fat = flavor and I couldn't imagine a stir fry with water...that just seems...not very good.
  • zealey77
    zealey77 Posts: 104
    I use a tablespoon of oil. NOT a jug. :huh:

    I am guessing a "glug" is not a jug either but probably more than a tablespoon lol :indifferent:

    a 'jug' lol that made me laugh. It's a London expression. Doesn't travel I guess ;)

    I love the idea of using bit of chicken broth. Think that's my answer.
    Thanks.
  • conniemaxwell5
    conniemaxwell5 Posts: 943 Member
    Chicken or vegetable broth adds a little flavor without adding too many calories.
  • firesweetheart
    firesweetheart Posts: 92 Member
    I typically use a little bit of Pam (or similar cooking spray) in a non-stick skillet to start. Sometimes, if I start with trying to brown up some veggies first, I'll skip the spray and just use a touch of chicken broth/water (I know you don't want to use water but it works!).
  • murphy612
    murphy612 Posts: 734 Member
    Water works pretty well, if you have a good pan. Coconut oil or butter is better than the oils you mentioned (especially for high heat cooking) but it's still an oil and has calories. What I do is saute some mushrooms and onions first, they are a little oily and coat the pan pretty good, then I add the rest of my stuff. If it sticks, I splash some water in the pan.

    edit: oops, you said besides water, skip that part in my post :)

    coconut oil has a pretty low smoke point...it is not very good at all for high heat cooking.

    OP...cooking with oils can add a lot of calories..personally I would just plan for that and do my thing. fat = flavor and I couldn't imagine a stir fry with water...that just seems...not very good.

    That's strange, I've read and learned the opposite. Guess I should investigate more, thanks! You can get a lot of flavor without the fat :-)
  • writergeek313
    writergeek313 Posts: 390 Member
    Nonstick cooking spray doesn't always work well with high heat. I still use it to cook, but not if I'm planning to turn the burner up past halfway. After awhile it can leave this sticky brown residue on the inside of the pan that can be really hard to get off.

    If a recipe calls for a tablespoon of oil and makes four servings, it adds roughly 30 calories to each serving. I don't stress out about that. If I'm concerned that food is sticking after I've used that oil, I deglaze with a very small amount of water (usually a tablespoon or so at a time). It doesn't water down the flavor. In fact, it actually adds some flavor since it's bringing up what has stuck to the pan.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    I still use oil, just a little less than what the recipe calls for. As pointed out above, if you're making enough for several servings, one Tbsp isn't going to add much per serving. While I get the mentality for cutting fat to help with calorie content, try to make some of it fit into your daily goal as it is a necessary nutrient. I also add other liquid like soy sauce and/or sriracha.
  • Myhaloslipped
    Myhaloslipped Posts: 4,317 Member
    I use red palm oil and non-stick cooking spray.

    "red palm" tee hee hee

    Lol I cannot believe I didn't think of this and laugh at it sooner.

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