deep fat frying vs baking vs microwaving options

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catlover
catlover Posts: 389
in Health and Weight Loss
Does anyone know the calorie effect of choosing the deep fry option over the baking or microwaving option on prepackaged foods. Last month I logged a jalapeno popper and I just recorded the information on the package. Today I thought about it a little more and considered the fact that it might have been more if I had chosen to deep fry it instead of bake it. The reason I'm asking is because I'm making crab and cream cheese wontons and I've added all the ingredients together and calculated what 6 of them will be, which is ridiculous, I know, but I've added them into my meal for the day. What will the frying add to them??? This came to my attention when I was looking up chicken and noticed a difference between chicken--roasted and chicken--fried.

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  • catlover
    catlover Posts: 389
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    Does anyone know the calorie effect of choosing the deep fry option over the baking or microwaving option on prepackaged foods. Last month I logged a jalapeno popper and I just recorded the information on the package. Today I thought about it a little more and considered the fact that it might have been more if I had chosen to deep fry it instead of bake it. The reason I'm asking is because I'm making crab and cream cheese wontons and I've added all the ingredients together and calculated what 6 of them will be, which is ridiculous, I know, but I've added them into my meal for the day. What will the frying add to them??? This came to my attention when I was looking up chicken and noticed a difference between chicken--roasted and chicken--fried.
  • Nich0le
    Nich0le Posts: 2,906 Member
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    I don't know calorie wise what you should add for frying but it obviously not going to be the best choice.

    To give you an example, and I don't know the resource behind it, but my friend was a science major in college and found out in his class that a large fry from mcdonalds has the same fat content as 110 potatoes, so the oil adds a lot. That just grosses me out to think there is even an ounce of truth to that equation.

    :sick:
  • banks1850
    banks1850 Posts: 3,475 Member
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    well, depends on what your are cooking in. Deep frying will soak up a lot more oil then oven frying with a controled amount or even pan frying. Try to use about 1/2 teaspoon of canola oil per serving, this will allow you to calculate exactly how much you are using. sadly, deep frying is probably the worst thing you can do if you are trying to cut calories and fat consumption.

    Unfortunately, if you want to change your eating habits, some things are just out of the question for regular consumption. I would consider deep frying one of them.
  • markfloyd
    markfloyd Posts: 69
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    Whoa!!! Stay away from the deep fat fryer. It doesn't matter what type of oil you use in that because once you drown your food in it, it soks everything it can in.

    If you choose to pan fry, use Olive oil or Coconut oil. If you choose Coconut, you will get awesome food taste. Be careful, the coconut oil has a lower flash point and requires that you lower the heat. Also, coconut oil is a medium chain triglyceride and many believe it may actually aid in weight loss.

    Use the internet, do the research! Stay away from the Fry Daddy!!!
  • rheston
    rheston Posts: 638
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    Deep frying a turkey in peanut oil is not only efficient it's also quite healthy. On the other hand if you're going to pan fry chicken 36% of what you eat will be fat as opposed to less than 2 % for either grilling or baking that same piece of meat.

    If I'm not mistaken one Jalapeño popper deep fried is 187 calories with 13 grams of fat and 63 mg of cholesterol. You should look at this compared to the microwave or baked option on the prepared package.

    I don't know where you can find the specific information about the won tons but I agree with banks that you should try to minimize the amount and type of oil that you do use if you do go down that path.
  • lessertess
    lessertess Posts: 855 Member
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    You could measure the amount of oil you use to fry with and then measure what is left over after you fry them. That should tell you how much oil got soaked into the wontons and you can just add that amount of oil into your food diary.

    I know frying adds fat but, according to my mother, if it's done right, with the oil at the right tempeture the food doesn't soak up as much.

    Never the best option, but sometimes it's ok to indulge.
  • catlover
    catlover Posts: 389
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    I think if I had to choose a weakness, it would be fried foods over desserts, no question about it. And coffee. I try to avoid both. We've had a fry daddy for years and it usually sits in the back of the cabinet, empty, taunting and teasing me. Hubby pulled it out last month to make, hmmm, I think it was deep fried onions or something like that. Anyway, it's been on the counter for a month now, and I've made some things in it, but not many, maybe 4. If I decide to eat what I make, I take the three or four pieces I want and then enjoy the heck out of them. Hubby goes on the road tomorrow, roommates are moving this week end, so it'll be back in the cabinet by Sunday afternoon. I thought I'd give it a going away party by making wontons one last time until May. My daughter always asks for them for her birthday. Thanks for your input, we actually deep fry that turkey every year now, twice a year because we love it. I do some pan frying but I have this wonderful little machine that allows me to cook differently than I ever have before and it requires nothing--no water, no oil--just season, press the timer, and cook. As for the rest of it, I have to take my own advice, and when I don't have the will power to say no, then I have to rely on good old fashioned behavior modification and pass on it.

    :sad: :sad: :sad: :sad: :sad: :sad: :sad: :sad: :sad: :sad:

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