Olive Oil??

ashleyk_xox
ashleyk_xox Posts: 158 Member
edited September 28 in Health and Weight Loss
So I know that olive oil is a healthy fat? right or wrong? anyways-I went to walmart to find some olive oil to cook with but there were SO many kinds I didnt know what to get so I resorted to the fat free olive oil spray which defeated the purpose but thought I would ask an opinion. Should I get light...extra virgin...what? Plus-the one I picked up was like 140 cals for a tbs...I know its not like eating it all by a tbs but how would I log that when I cook with it. Im confused.

Replies

  • almonds1
    almonds1 Posts: 642 Member
    Olive oil is considered healty fats yes for sure...I use extra virgin (there is a joke in there no?) but thats my preference... I think mine is calulatred per 2 tbsp..

    Id stay away from the sprays in my opinion but what do I know?

    Straight Olive oil is the best...
    edit, i add this for you

    Extra virgin - considered the best, least processed, comprising the oil from the first pressing of the olives.
    Virgin - from the second pressing.
    Pure - undergoes some processing, such as filtering and refining.
    Extra light - undergoes considerable processing and only retains a very mild olive flavour.
  • LOLmerrill
    LOLmerrill Posts: 43
    No idea how to log a spray. I usually don't cook with oil but sometimes use Earth Balance vegan spread which I log by the tbsp. Sorry Im not much help.
  • MellowYellowGem
    MellowYellowGem Posts: 120 Member
    I think normal Olive oil in cooking and the extra virgin more for salad dressings. Not sure how you'd log the cooking one though. :smile:
  • chuckyp
    chuckyp Posts: 693 Member
    Extra virgin has the best taste for salads or dipping. I use it a lot with balsamic vinegar for salad dressing. Lots of calories, but good stuff. I haven't noticed much difference between brands. The difference is probably pretty subtle and you would have to taste them side-by-side to notice any.
  • dcmat
    dcmat Posts: 1,723 Member
    If I need to use a little oil for cooking I use a 1 cal spray - each depression of the nozzle gives 1 cal of oil, so veey easy to record
  • alecta337
    alecta337 Posts: 622 Member
    "Light" just refers to the color of the oil, it doesn't mean reduced fat or anything to do with the nutrition.
  • Cytherea
    Cytherea Posts: 515 Member
    I go with extra virgin for everything.

    Fat free spray... like Pam? You should know that even those do have calories and fat, it is just that they make the serving size so small, they can record it as 0 for everything.

    The sprays can be helpful to control how much you are using, and since they coat the pan, you use less than you would pouring the oil in.

    But certain things need more oil to cook in- like chicken, for instance. In which case, you probably would use a tbsp. Personally, when I use any oil, I use my measuring spoons to put exactly how much I plan on using in the pan, and record it in my diary, because it doesn't evaporate. It may get absorbed into the food, but you are still eating it!
  • mowu
    mowu Posts: 245 Member
    When choosing an olive oil I'd recommend going for extra virgin - the oil is extracted purely by manual work (grinding) at a relatively low temperature conserving the fragrance and taste of the olive oil (along with trace elements and all the good stuff).

    Other oils may have been extracted by chemical means or by heating the pulp being extracted thus gaining more oil, but also degrading some of the other nutrients and extracting the bitter fragrances/tastes.

    Olive oil should primarily be used unprepared e.g. in dressings or hummus and so on - it should only rarely be used for cooking (as in lubricating you pan and heating on a plate). The high direct heat of a cooking plate will break down the oil often resulting in a the oil becoming harsh. Furthermore the olive oil will give off a lot of taste to whatever you're cooking and may thus alter your taste experience of what you are cooking.

    Olive oil can however be used to give off a lot of nice taste if dribbled over vegetables and such that are baked in the oven.

    For cooking your best bet is a neutral oil like sunflower seed oil or grape seed oil.
  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
    When choosing an olive oil I'd recommend going for extra virgin - the oil is extracted purely by manual work (grinding) at a relatively low temperature conserving the fragrance and taste of the olive oil (along with trace elements and all the good stuff).

    Other oils may have been extracted by chemical means or by heating the pulp being extracted thus gaining more oil, but also degrading some of the other nutrients and extracting the bitter fragrances/tastes.

    Olive oil should primarily be used unprepared e.g. in dressings or hummus and so on - it should only rarely be used for cooking (as in lubricating you pan and heating on a plate). The high direct heat of a cooking plate will break down the oil often resulting in a the oil becoming harsh. Furthermore the olive oil will give off a lot of taste to whatever you're cooking and may thus alter your taste experience of what you are cooking.

    Olive oil can however be used to give off a lot of nice taste if dribbled over vegetables and such that are baked in the oven.

    For cooking your best bet is a neutral oil like sunflower seed oil or grape seed oil.

    this.
  • rosiedoes
    rosiedoes Posts: 84 Member
    Tips for buying olive oil, via an expert whose shop I used to visit:

    Extra virgin olive oil is the best - my seller usually waxed lyrical about Italian and Greek.
    Olive oil really only has an 18-month shelf life, so for the freshest, check to see when it expires.
    Olive oil degrades in sunlight, so if you can, get one stored in a darker bottle.
  • ashleyk_xox
    ashleyk_xox Posts: 158 Member
    thanks everyone-I have never used olive oil before thanks for helping.
  • pittielover23
    pittielover23 Posts: 268
    I use EVOO for a lot of things, and just record the cals. Tonight for dinner I am making chicken, and I always cook it with EVOO, tastes great and it is a healthy fat, which is a good thing to have in your diet.
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    I only ever use extra virgin...for one simple reason. Any other form of olive oil is processed with heat...and heat makes olive oil rancid. By rancid...I don't mean the taste deteriorates so much...I mean it oxidizes, and basically makes the health benifits of the oil useless as you've just introduced however many tbsp worth of free radicals into your body.

    For this reason I also no longer cook with olive oil either...other than moderate baking.
  • deadstarsunburn
    deadstarsunburn Posts: 1,337 Member
    Darker olive oil is better. However if your buying from like wal mart, there usually isn't a wide range of color choice within each type of olive oil.
    I would go with extra virgin, but I guess it really depends what your cooking? I like the spray so I keep it in moderation, I've noticed my idea of 2 tbsp is WAY more then what it actually is.
    =]
    thanks everyone-I have never used olive oil before thanks for helping.
  • sbwood888
    sbwood888 Posts: 953 Member
    I usually get extra virgin
  • milaxx
    milaxx Posts: 1,122 Member
    The key yo olive oil is to buy the best you can afford. Olive is is made by pressing the olives and extracting the olive. Oil from the first pressing is call extra virgin. It will be deeper in color. Oils made from repeated pressing will be lighter in color. When I cook with it I just enter the amount I use.I probably eat olive oil daily.
  • mxtinaj
    mxtinaj Posts: 36
    Stay away from sprays.

    Extra virgin olive oil and safflower are best to cook and for salads I stick to grapeseed oil.
  • hjollyrn
    hjollyrn Posts: 208 Member
    I don't know much about it but I use extra virgin. When I cook with it i count calories like this: say 1 tbsp is 120 calories and I cook 4 chicken breast, and I eat one. I log the calories for 1/4 of the tbsp or 30 cal.
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