Lower calorie oil options

jamieldisney
jamieldisney Posts: 7
in Food and Nutrition
Does anyone have suggestions on a lower calorie option for olive oil. I want to prepare roasted vegetables, and I need an oil or something to use on them. I have been using olive oil, but it is 119 calories per tbsp! The olive oil has been more calories than the actual vegetables I am preparing!

Replies

  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
    Does anyone have suggestions on a lower calorie option for olive oil. I want to prepare roasted vegetables, and I need an oil or something to use on them. I have been using olive oil, but it is 119 calories per tbsp! The olive oil has been more calories than the actual vegetables I am preparing!

    Try using less oil. It really doesn't take much. Toss them in a bowl vigorously instead of drizzling them.
  • FIT_Goat
    FIT_Goat Posts: 4,224 Member
    Oil is going to have 120 calories a tablespoon. It's just the way it is. It really doesn't matter which oil you use. You could try using butter, which is 100 calories a tablespoon, but that's just because it's not a pure oil.

    I wouldn't stress too much about the calories from the oil. Count them, of course, but don't fear them. Fats are essential for proper absorption of a lot of the nutrients from the vegetables. You don't want to completely eliminate it.

    As someone else said, you could try using less oil to reduce the overall calories.
  • mommyrunning
    mommyrunning Posts: 495 Member
    PAM makes olive oil spray
  • sabified
    sabified Posts: 1,035 Member
    Using half a tbsp of oil works just as well as using a full spoon.

    There really isn't any way to find a lower calorie oil- they're all around the same. Just be sure to stick with healthier oils- olive oil is good as is virgin coconut oil (though this leaves a coconutty flavour, so isn't for everyone).

    You could also try those sprays (ie, Pam cooking spray) or try putting the oil in a spray bottle mixed with water... I'm trying to stay away from the sprays (avoiding aerosol in my diet, lol) and haven't tried making my own spray, though have heard good things.
  • LucasEVille
    LucasEVille Posts: 567 Member
    Not sure if you have it where you are but in the UK we have a product called Fry light which you can get in different flavours olive oil, garlic, etc.
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    Why do you need oil at all? Oil is not crucial to the roasting process, you know.

    If you feel you absolutely MUST put something on them, try butter flavored Pam spray, or something. It's usually about 10 cals or less for a 1/4 second spray.
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
    Put the veggies in a freezer bag, add some herbs and spices, and then put in half a T of oil and shake and squish it around until all the veggies are oiled and the herbs and spices are distributed. You don't need nearly as much oil as you think you do.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    Put the veggies in a freezer bag, add some herbs and spices, and then put in half a T of oil and shake and squish it around until all the veggies are oiled and the herbs and spices are distributed. You don't need nearly as much oil as you think you do.
    This you really don't need as much as you think
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    Why do you need oil at all? Oil is not crucial to the roasting process, you know.

    If you feel you absolutely MUST put something on them, try butter flavored Pam spray, or something. It's usually about 10 cals or less for a 1/4 second spray.

    A lot of vegetables are high in Vitamins A, E, and K, which are fat-soluble vitamins and require fat to be absorbed properly. If the rest of your meal doesn't have much, if any fat, then those vitamins aren't really even available to your body.
  • pbbagel
    pbbagel Posts: 53 Member
    Agree with the above, use less oil. I think if you put tin foil on the baking tray it will help keep the vegetables from sticking to the tray.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,347 Member
    I use spray olive oil. 2-3g of oil is heaps for a full pan of veg.
  • Gimpypal
    Gimpypal Posts: 16 Member
    Get rid of olive oil and use BUTTER. Nutrition and taste beats out a few calories.
  • Chazerc
    Chazerc Posts: 17 Member
    There a lot of zero calorie spray oils. Coconut, grapeseed, PAM, etc.
  • silver_inca
    silver_inca Posts: 17 Member
    You need to get a Zyliss Oil Mister, they sell them on amazon. Fine mist of oil on all your cooking, they work great!!:smile:
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Zero calorie spray oil? What witchcraft is this!
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    Zero calorie spray oil? What witchcraft is this!

    Watered down oil + spray bottle = little enough oil to be considered "zero calorie."

    Worse than witchcraft, IMO. Blasphemy. Non-refined oils (things like real butter or virgin/cold-pressed oils) are good for far more than just a handful of calories.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,347 Member
    Zero calorie spray oil? What witchcraft is this!

    The FDA mandates that if a "Serve" is under 5 calories, they can put 0 cal on the label. So the spray is oil, but the "serve" size is minuscule, but they get to say it's 0 cals. Of course, when people decide it's 0 cals and start spraying buckets of it on everything, they might run into trouble :)
  • Jess2748
    Jess2748 Posts: 7
    Zero calorie spray oil? What witchcraft is this!

    The FDA mandates that if a "Serve" is under 5 calories, they can put 0 cal on the label. So the spray is oil, but the "serve" size is minuscule, but they get to say it's 0 cals. Of course, when people decide it's 0 cals and start spraying buckets of it on everything, they might run into trouble :)

    Marketing at its best! Definitely suckers in those who don't know too much about nutrition.

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