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Counting Calories For Marinades?

Posts: 13 Member
edited February 15 in Health and Weight Loss
How many calories should I count for marinades (homemade or store bought)? Should I add up all the calories and split it by servings, even if most of the marinade is thrown away prior to cooking?

For example, tonight I am marinating salmon in a homemade marinade consisting of:
* 1 c Unsweetened Fresh Grapefruit Juice (100 calories)
* 2 oz Lemon Juice Concentrate (0 calories)
* 0.25 tsp Dill (1 calorie)
* 0.25 tsp Basil (1 calorie)
* 0.25 tsp Garlic Powder (2 calories)
* 0.125 tsp Iodized Table Salt (0 calories)
* 0.125 tsp Freshly Ground Pepper (0 calories)

If I drank the marinade, it would be 35 calories. Should I just count it like I'm consuming the marinade?

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Replies

  • Posts: 41,865 Member
    I never bothered...there is some element of estimation in all of this. Even the meat your are marinating isn't going to be exactly XXX calories per 4 oz or whatever...there is going to be some variance as per fat content and the like in the particular piece vs another particular piece.

    Sure, some calories from the marinate are going to stick...but a few calories don't make or break this...just not worth the bother IMHO...nothing to hand ring over.
  • Posts: 1,557 Member
    I don't count my lemon juice/seasonings when I marinate.

    If I'm using a sauce (generally more calories), then I do count that.
  • Posts: 342 Member
    I would only count the marinade if I was drinking it. Otherwise it mostly evaporates during cooking. And sauces or dips I do count though.
  • Posts: 1,791 Member
    That kind of stuff is a freebie, IMO. I've lost a lot, and I've never been THAT precise in my logging. (In fact, I may be the only person on MFP without a food scale...)
  • Posts: 1,977 Member
    I don't count it unless there is sugar or significant amounts of oil.

    PS, how is grapefruit marinated salmon? Sounds interesting.
  • Posts: 13 Member
    I don't count it unless there is sugar or significant amounts of oil.

    PS, how is grapefruit marinated salmon? Sounds interesting.

    It's surprisingly good! I made it up one time when I ran out of lemon juice. Now I mix the two. Yummy!
  • Posts: 1 Member
    You can always weigh the meat before and after it's marinaded, to see how much it absorbs.
  • Posts: 4,131 Member
    Just as an estimate, I usually log 25% of the marinade if it has calories worth totalling. But I like the idea of weighing the meat before and after the marinade.
  • Posts: 4,138 Member
    I don't bother on this one. I tend to use store bought marinades. The last one, for the entire bottle was 120 calories. I figure much stays in the slow cooker. Even if that were not the case it could not be more than 5-10 calories per 3-4 ounce serving.

    I figure some things balance out. Such as I weigh & count the shredded cheese, dressing I add to my salad. But I don't lick the bowl dry or scoop up every piece of cheese. If I eat a Lean Cuisine for lunch some of the sauce stays in the package.

    I figure the +/- 5-10 calories here & there cancel each other out.
  • Posts: 4,138 Member
    I don't think that would be accurate as you would not be able to tell how much natural juice cooks out of the meat in the process.
    You can always weigh the meat before and after it's marinaded, to see how much it absorbs.
  • Posts: 531 Member
    I don't count it either, but I often leave over 100 - 200 calories/day to cover those things.
  • Posts: 2,942 Member
    I would add maybe 5 quick calories for that marinade.
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