Accounting for oils in cooking food?

accdataforum
accdataforum Posts: 2 Member
in Food and Nutrition

Hi guys,
How should I account for oils used to sear food in a pan?

Example: for lunch, I put 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan, and seared 6 ounces of sea scallops.

Olive oil (generic) comes in at 120 calories per tablespoon, which is nearly 10% of my total daily calorie goal, so it's significant to me. (It also happens to be about the same number of calories in a Chobani yogurt, that just occurred to me...)

I absolutely know that I did not actually EAT the ENTIRE tablespoon of oil, because there was plenty left in the pan (as an experiment, after the leftover oil cooled down, I easily poured off one-and-one-half teaspoons, which is the same as half a tablespoon....and there was still a good coating left in the pan even then).

In the interest of accuracy - would I record the difference between what I put in the pan and what easily poured off? Or do I estimate what was still coating the pan and that I didn't have the patience to wait for to measure as I drained off the oil?

If I count ALL the oil put in the pan, that's 120 calories against me for today;
If I count the difference between what was put in the pan and what EASILY drained off, then it's 60 calories;
If I figure that another 1/2 teaspoon was left in the pan, then I would only count 40 calories against my limit for today. :p


Thoughts? (Yeah, I get that it might seem petty, but it's also a way for me to develop a framework on how to be accurate in this journey).

Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    There's really no way to know for sure, as there is often also moisture from your food left in the pan.

    When I was tracking diligently, I used a LOT less oil in the pan, the bare minimum I could get away without sticking, and logged it all. Perhaps others will have played around with the numbers and have an idea of how to estimate.
  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
    kimny72 wrote: »
    There's really no way to know for sure, as there is often also moisture from your food left in the pan.

    When I was tracking diligently, I used a LOT less oil in the pan, the bare minimum I could get away without sticking, and logged it all. Perhaps others will have played around with the numbers and have an idea of how to estimate.

    ^^^^^ This. I cut back on the amount of oil required to cook the dish and accounted for all of it.
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 2,070 Member
    edited September 2018
    Okay, I'm on the other end of the spectrum. While I trimmed down to the absolute bare minimum needed to cook most things (often skipping oil altogether depending on what I was cooking and the pan I was using), I almost never count my cooking oil unless it's getting mixed into the dish heavily (I do count things like butter though). I find it way less stressful, and at the end of the day, 60 calories isn't going to make or break my weight loss if I'm being honest about the other items. Taking the stairs instead of the escalator twice a day would probably make up for the difference if I'm really that worried about it.

    Choose your battles. I find weighing everything else to be far more important than a dash of oil in the pan.

    Some need the accountability - for me, that was one step too far that I would never carry over to a long term action.
  • Millicent3015
    Millicent3015 Posts: 374 Member
    I usually measure oil because I need to watch my fat intake. Maybe use a teaspoon of oil in a nonstick pan instead of a tablespoon? If it's just to sear, you may only need a dash of it.
  • thisPGHlife
    thisPGHlife Posts: 440 Member
    Millicent3015 wrote: »
    I usually measure oil because I need to watch my fat intake. Maybe use a teaspoon of oil in a nonstick pan instead of a tablespoon? If it's just to sear, you may only need a dash of it.

    This is what I do. I just recently got new pans that are non stick to replace my old ones. The difference was night and day. In the packaging for the pans it even says that you don't need to use oils or fats, but you can add a small amount for flavor. I think the only time I use oil in the tablespoon quantities is when making a recipe that's going to be 4-8 servings and it balanced out to be about a teaspoon or less per serving.
  • TrishSeren
    TrishSeren Posts: 587 Member
    I don't count it because it's simply all too tricky. Also, most of the time one meal makes 3-4 portions so I figure by the time it is split amongst all four portions it's probably minimal calories.

    I also don't count spices for the same reason.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,225 Member
    I count it all because it's so calorie dense, but (like others) use a minimal amount.

    Oil from a bottle or can: Container on scale, tare (zero) the scale, pour a little oil in the pan, put container back on the scale, read the negative (it's what you took out).

    Alternative: Put the pan on the scale, tare, add the oil, read the positive number (it's what you added).

    I use a small-ish cast iron pan for most frying, and rarely need to use more than about 5 grams. Once the pan warms up, it's enough to coat the pan lightly.

    On a rare occasion when using more oil for some reason, I weigh it on the way in and pour off/weigh any that's left after frying. That probably overstates consumption by a small bit, but not much.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    I count it all since here is no way to know for sure, especially if it is a small amount used in a skillet. If I am deep fat frying, I do weigh the oil before and after and count the difference.

    I would rather overestimate my calories than underestimate. There are enough other opportunities to underestimate.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    I often just use water in the pan to fry, but if I'm going to use oil, it's spray oil (usually 2-3 grams worth), and count the whole thing.
  • Kevin_Hassenpflug
    Kevin_Hassenpflug Posts: 70 Member
    accdataforum wrote: »
    Hi guys,
    How should I account for oils used to sear food in a pan?

    Example: for lunch, I put 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan, and seared 6 ounces of sea scallops.

    Olive oil (generic) comes in at 120 calories per tablespoon, which is nearly 10% of my total daily calorie goal, so it's significant to me. (It also happens to be about the same number of calories in a Chobani yogurt, that just occurred to me...)

    I absolutely know that I did not actually EAT the ENTIRE tablespoon of oil, because there was plenty left in the pan (as an experiment, after the leftover oil cooled down, I easily poured off one-and-one-half teaspoons, which is the same as half a tablespoon....and there was still a good coating left in the pan even then).

    In the interest of accuracy - would I record the difference between what I put in the pan and what easily poured off? Or do I estimate what was still coating the pan and that I didn't have the patience to wait for to measure as I drained off the oil?

    If I count ALL the oil put in the pan, that's 120 calories against me for today;
    If I count the difference between what was put in the pan and what EASILY drained off, then it's 60 calories;
    If I figure that another 1/2 teaspoon was left in the pan, then I would only count 40 calories against my limit for today. :p


    Thoughts? (Yeah, I get that it might seem petty, but it's also a way for me to develop a framework on how to be accurate in this journey).

    Thanks in advance!

    I use cast iron and don't count it because most of gets absorbed into the pan itself. I use just enough to ever so lightly coat the pan and then use a paper towel to rub it into the pan.
  • maureenkhilde
    maureenkhilde Posts: 849 Member
    I count it, but seems when using Olive oil for most part I am making enough for multiple meals. So quick make a recipe so it is portioned out.

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