Olive oil alternatives

StrawMouse
StrawMouse Posts: 30 Member
edited November 10 in Food and Nutrition
Does anyone know a good alternative to using olive oil for cooking meats? I use a wok for chicken most days, and even though it has a non-stick coating, the meat tends to break up leave a fatty, sticky residue that messes up the food unless its there's a coating of oil.

But its probably 150cal or more for the 20ml needed - which seems a total waste. I don't think I'd notice a difference in taste if it was absent altogether.

I did try using some of the sauce due to go in later, but it's no substitute - evaporates too fast, the meat still sticks nastily to the pan.
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Replies

  • sheldonklein
    sheldonklein Posts: 854 Member
    try an oil sprayer to cut down on the amount of oil. But there is no substitute for oil and no meaningful difference in the calories of different oils.
  • clambert1273
    clambert1273 Posts: 840 Member
    olive oil is excellent for healthy fats... I always use olive oil :)
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    You need the oil because it's going to be the only thing that doesn't evaporate quickly; woks are just too hot. Make it work in your calorie goal or see if you can work with less and still get the same results.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    All oils are going to be similar in calories, so unless you want to try the spray kind i dont really have anything to suggest substitute wise.

    But i should also mention the food sticking is most likely your cooking method.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTP_YEjf2r4

    Your pan should be hot enough that water bounces around on the surface. The meat should be room temperature NOT cold.

    You can then deglaze the pan with some water, and then add in your sauce/veggies/etc. then toss the meat back in for a quick coating.
  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
    Get a spritzer bottle and just put a thin coating on the pan. It doesn't take much. Or make a bigger batch and divide it into individual portions and freeze or refrigerate for other meals. I grill a lot of my meat. It is too cold now to grill here, but I use a George Foreman grill and it works almost as good.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    You should be using oil while wok cooking - it helps to season the wok, and cook the meat. Olive oil should be the oil you choose, as it's a monounsaturated fat and very healthy for you. Other oils are less healthy. Don't be afraid of fats, your body needs them!
  • Ainar
    Ainar Posts: 858 Member
    Try cooking spray. It's still an oil tho, only less of it for same surface as if you would just pour it in instead of spraying. Maybe try to use less oil? A teaspoon instead of table spoon? See how it works. Other than that there are no alternatives. Everything evaporates very quickly except fat. You might try to grill your meat or use an oven, that's another alternative if you don't like oil at all. If not then I'm afraid you will just have to make those calories fit in your diet somehow or ate "messed up" food.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    Cooking spray will actually damage the surface of the wok.
  • wkwebby
    wkwebby Posts: 807 Member
    Coconut oil is good for anything olive oil is used for while cooking. There is a bit of coconut smell if the food gets cooled down. Otherwise, when it is hot, you can't even tell the difference.
  • StrawMouse
    StrawMouse Posts: 30 Member
    Thank you everyone!

    So it looks like olive oil is basically good for me and my cooking utensils, but I should consider investing in something like this:

    http://www.johnlewis.com/olive-oil-spray-pump/p183618

    Rainbowbow - that was a fascinating video! Yep, am cooking chicken from the fridge - I'll leave it out for an hour in advance and see how that goes.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    Coconut oil is a very good oil as well. If you are monitoring saturated fats, you need to be careful, because coconut oil is a saturated fat, not a monounsaturated fat like olive oil is. OO will help raise your HDL, while CO will not.
  • LeslieB042812
    LeslieB042812 Posts: 1,799 Member
    StrawMouse wrote: »
    Thank you everyone!

    So it looks like olive oil is basically good for me and my cooking utensils, but I should consider investing in something like this:

    http://www.johnlewis.com/olive-oil-spray-pump/p183618

    Rainbowbow - that was a fascinating video! Yep, am cooking chicken from the fridge - I'll leave it out for an hour in advance and see how that goes.

    Yes! I have a spray pump like that for olive oil and I love it! I've measured out how much oil one full pumping sprays out (by spraying it into a measuring spoon) and it tends to be about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon (although, you might want to double check that since I'm not sure how consistent it is from one pump to another). Two full pumpings will cover a large pan well, so that's only about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon, significantly less than if you poured the oil in. The best part is, you don't get the damage to the wok you would get if you purchased a cooking spray and it's pure olive oil, no propellant or preservatives.
  • jpaulie
    jpaulie Posts: 917 Member
    edited January 2015
    Avocado oil (costco) very high smoking point, great for wok cooking, a lot of oil break down at wok temperatures. coconut oil is great but has a low smoking point for a wok IMHO
  • jpaulie
    jpaulie Posts: 917 Member
    StrawMouse wrote: »
    Thank you everyone!

    So it looks like olive oil is basically good for me and my cooking utensils, but I should consider investing in something like this:

    http://www.johnlewis.com/olive-oil-spray-pump/p183618

    Rainbowbow - that was a fascinating video! Yep, am cooking chicken from the fridge - I'll leave it out for an hour in advance and see how that goes.

    spray pump was waste for me, especially for a wok where you typically start to fry something in the bottom before adding all the items that cook quickly
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    olive oil is not good at high temps, low smoke point. grape seed oil is better, or stick with peanut, canola or whatever is meant for higher temp cooking. All oil will have pretty much the same amount of fat, the type of fat (Saturated vs. unsaturated) may differ though.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    As others have noted, all oils are about the same caloric density. Different oils have different smoking points however, and you might notice a difference on how they behave on the pan. I absolutely love the description that rainbowbow gives on how to treat the oil and deglazing on your pan.

    http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/collectedinfo/oilsmokepoints.htm

    For high heat I prefer canola oil. Olive oil starts to smoke and break down at that heat.
  • StrawMouse
    StrawMouse Posts: 30 Member
    jgnatca wrote: »
    As others have noted, all oils are about the same caloric density. Different oils have different smoking points however, and you might notice a difference on how they behave on the pan. I absolutely love the description that rainbowbow gives on how to treat the oil and deglazing on your pan.

    http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/collectedinfo/oilsmokepoints.htm

    For high heat I prefer canola oil. Olive oil starts to smoke and break down at that heat.

    That link suggests that 'Extra light' olive oil also has a very high smoking temp. Is this lower calorie too?
  • StrawMouse
    StrawMouse Posts: 30 Member
    StrawMouse wrote: »

    That link suggests that 'Extra light' olive oil also has a very high smoking temp. Is this lower calorie too?

    Answer: nope - colour and flavour are lighter.

    http://lowfatcooking.about.com/od/faqs/f/lightoliveoil.htm
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Smart man. Google is our friend. No such thing as an "extra light" oil unless they magically add water, which is just gross. The suggestion to spray the oil instead of pour it is good.

    BTW, the worst spreads IMO are the "light" margarines that make up the bulk with water. Who wants to water their toast in the morning? Blechh. I've learned rather to spread a smaller portion on my toast and enjoy the buttery goodness of a full fat margarine or butter.
  • shifterbrainz
    shifterbrainz Posts: 245 Member
    You still need to use some kind of oil every time you use a non-stick pan. The "benefit" of non-stick is you do not have to use as much. Even non-stick cookware must be "seasoned" with oil to be truly non-stick.

    A useful tip I have learned is to wash the wok right away when done cooking while it's still hot. Use water only because soap "de-greases" and will remove the "seasoning". Just use a non-metal scrub brush to get all of the gritty bits out. Rinse and repeat. Rinse again and wipe dry.

    Each time you use the wok and wash it this way, the "seasoning" will gradually improve. Less oil will be needed each time you cook and less elbow grease will be needed to clean.
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
    I use a canola oil spray as my standby for high temps, but I buy small quantities of a variety of different oils for different dishes and purposes. They all have about the same calories, different fat profiles, different smoke points and (most importantly!) different flavors. Avocado, roasted peanut, grapeseed, sesame, olive, coconut, walnut etc. Also, I do use animal fats left over from a roast in small quantities depending on the dish, like bacon grease, goose fat, turkey fat, chicken fat, beef fat, lard etc. They all have different flavors and you can use a very, very small amount.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    I would probably use peanut oil or canola oil in a wok.
    I don't think olive oil is the right choice for that type of cooking.
    wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/food-guides/cooking-oils
  • cosmichvoyager
    cosmichvoyager Posts: 237 Member
    yeah, I would use canola oil for stir-frying
  • Escloflowne
    Escloflowne Posts: 2,038 Member
    Olive oil shouldn't really be used for cooking meats in a wok, it's too high temp. Peanut oil or Canola would be better. Olive oil is better for garnish or taste!
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    edited January 2015
    If you just want less fat calories, add a little water or stock at first. Just enough to keep it from sticking but little enough so it evaporates before cooking ends. You will loose the lovely carmelization that fat provides, but it will lower calories and still taste good.
  • amyhoss
    amyhoss Posts: 414 Member
    Try coconut oil. It also has a fair amount of calories but it is all good fat.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Escloflowne wrote: »
    Olive oil shouldn't really be used for cooking meats in a wok, it's too high temp. Peanut oil or Canola would be better. Olive oil is better for garnish or taste!

    Olive oil can withstand higher heat without damage than canola.
  • amyhoss
    amyhoss Posts: 414 Member
    Also, I bought one of those olive oil sprays and I hate it! It worked for the first couple of days but after that it would not spray right anymore, just kind of dripped.
  • Victoria2448
    Victoria2448 Posts: 559 Member
    I agree with the others that said olive oil shouldn't be use to cook with at high temps. Don't use canola either, it's crap. For stir frys use a toasted sesame oil, tons of flavor and healthy.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Strawmouse figured it out already. EVOO cannot stand the higher heat. Light olive oil can. I linked to a chart with the smoking points listed for all sorts of oils.

    amyhoss, coconut oil is not a good fat. It is high in saturated fat, the kind we are supposed to keep in moderation. Coconut oil is riding a wave of popularity right now, but it hasn't been "earned". http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442477202
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