Do You Track Olive Oil??

Shesabigstar
Shesabigstar Posts: 17
edited October 7 in Food and Nutrition
I have a recipe that I want to try tomorrow and it calls for sauteed garlic in 4 tbsp of olive oil. When you guys are tracking your food, do you track the olive oil or cooking spray that you cook with? I know olive oil is "good" fat but this is a really healthy recipe and the fat in the olive oil makes the numbers shoot right up there! Any suggestions for substituting the oil with something else?
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Replies

  • ldalbello
    ldalbello Posts: 207 Member
    Yes I always track olive oil as it has alot of calories.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Yes, I track all oils because they make the calories shoot right up. Not logging them won't make them disappear.
  • Shesabigstar
    Shesabigstar Posts: 17
    Thanks for your help! I'm not trying to make them disappear, I just didn't know if it cooked down while simmering, etc.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Thanks for your help! I'm not trying to make them disappear, I just didn't know if it cooked down while simmering, etc.

    I know, I was just being silly. Actually if there is some left in the pan after cooking I'll subtract that amount. For instance if I cook a salmon fillet in 3 tbsp of oil and there is 1.5 left in the pan when I'm done, then I only log 1.5.
  • Shesabigstar
    Shesabigstar Posts: 17
    Oh, good thinking! This recipe calls for 4 but I'm going to see if I can get away with half that just to trim down the fat and calories.
  • belovedromena
    belovedromena Posts: 14 Member
    You can just sautee the garlic in less oil. Just make sure you keep stirring so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan and burn!
  • Wolfena
    Wolfena Posts: 1,570 Member
    4 tablespoons sounds like a huge amount of oil.... why so much?? I'd think half of that (or even just one!) would be plenty.
    :smile:

    (and yes, I count the calories in both oil and cooking spray- which is what I use more often)
  • kstep88
    kstep88 Posts: 403 Member
    I agree with using less, maybe cut it in half. I always count the oil, even though I hate the numbers! (at least its healthy though)
    Anyway, when I sautee garlic I use 1-2 tablespoons, and it works out great. I even add like half an onion and it's still enough. :)
  • Pangui
    Pangui Posts: 373 Member
    4 tablespoons of olive oil is NOT healthy. No wonder your tracker went off the charts.

    I don't use any oil when cooking. I easily substitute water, vegetable broth or some other liquid. The garlic and onions come out just as great, even without a non-stick pan. I see no benefit to consuming all those low-nutrient fat calories.
  • lsjett1
    lsjett1 Posts: 20
    Use less! You won't even miss it!
  • vinylscratch
    vinylscratch Posts: 218 Member
    Pangui -- you sautee in water? Does that work? You'd make my life if that were true! How about rice vinegar? Would that do the trick?
  • quiksandy
    quiksandy Posts: 246 Member
    I always track Olive Oil. I like that idea about subtracting what is left in the pan though. I never thought of that.
  • RedHotRunner
    RedHotRunner Posts: 850 Member
    I don't track the cooking spray. They make an olive oil one that you could use and will work just as well as regular olive oil.
  • Jorra
    Jorra Posts: 3,338 Member
    4tbsp of olive oil = 477 calories. 56g of fat, mostly unsaturated.
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    I do log it, but 4 Tbsp. sounds like a ton of oil, unless it is a pasta dish and you will be tossing it in the oil to coat the pasta/veggies/whatever. To just saute garlic I would use 1/2 to 1 Tbsp. if you aren't going to be using the oil as part of a "sauce"
  • Qarol
    Qarol Posts: 6,171 Member
    Yep. And butter. And worcestershire sauce. I cook with all 3 regularly...
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
    How funny, I was just thinking about asking this same question today. Doesn't some of it "burn off" when you're sauté-ing, though? I just hate how many calories olive oil has, even though it's the "good" kind of fat.
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
    Pangui -- you sautee in water? Does that work? You'd make my life if that were true! How about rice vinegar? Would that do the trick?
    I just saw a recipe the other day where they sauteed onions in 1/4 cup of water so I tried it with onions, green peppers and mushrooms and they turned out perfect. Huge eye opener and calorie saver!
  • adlwilmot
    adlwilmot Posts: 117
    If it contains calories, track it. We track our healthy calories, right? So why fail to track olive oil just 'cos it's considered a healthy fat?

    You don't need anywhere near that much oil to do garlic, and hardly any if using a non stick pan. I used to lob half a tablespoon in with everything to get it going in the pan e.g. spag bol, steaks, stir frys, etc. but when I started logging and realised how many calories are in oil, I cut WAY back. I know use a maximum of 5gr and everything tastes exactly the same as it did when I was using 4 or 6 times as much.
  • killagb
    killagb Posts: 3,280 Member
    4 tablespoons of olive oil is NOT healthy. No wonder your tracker went off the charts.

    I don't use any oil when cooking. I easily substitute water, vegetable broth or some other liquid. The garlic and onions come out just as great, even without a non-stick pan. I see no benefit to consuming all those low-nutrient fat calories.
    Low nutrient fat calories? High calories is not the same as unhealthy...and guess what...your body needs dietary fat. Perhaps do some research on olive oil before you say it's flat out not healthy....because that's incorrect.
  • killagb
    killagb Posts: 3,280 Member
    How funny, I was just thinking about asking this same question today. Doesn't some of it "burn off" when you're sauté-ing, though? I just hate how many calories olive oil has, even though it's the "good" kind of fat.
    Oil doesn't just evaporate into vapor....unless you're burning it and it's smoking.
  • Hotmess2012
    Hotmess2012 Posts: 37
    Not sure what the other ingredients are in your recipe but if your cooking with fresh veggies like green peppers, onions, tomatoes they produce their own juicyness when cooked which will in return prevent the food from sticking, adds flavor and that way you can cut back the olive oil. Also using a LIGHT EVOO ( as Rachel Ray says) will definately cut back the calories and fat. Hope this helps :0)
  • jgranger221
    jgranger221 Posts: 48
    Obviously too much of anything can be bad, but since you absolutely need fat in your diet, you can do a lot worse than olive oil. Around 70% of the fat is monounsaturated, the best kind, and it also has Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids. Does it mean you should drink it out of the bottle? Of course not, but using a little to saute garlic or add body to a sauce is a good way to get healthy fats into your system.
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
    How funny, I was just thinking about asking this same question today. Doesn't some of it "burn off" when you're sauté-ing, though? I just hate how many calories olive oil has, even though it's the "good" kind of fat.
    Oil doesn't just evaporate into vapor....unless you're burning it and it's smoking.

    Makes sense. I guess that was just wishful thinking :blushing:
  • TDGee
    TDGee Posts: 2,209 Member
    Popeye does. He's the jealous type.
  • vinylscratch
    vinylscratch Posts: 218 Member
    Popeye does. He's the jealous type.

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • snowstorme
    snowstorme Posts: 125 Member
    Not sure what the other ingredients are in your recipe but if your cooking with fresh veggies like green peppers, onions, tomatoes they produce their own juicyness when cooked which will in return prevent the food from sticking, adds flavor and that way you can cut back the olive oil. Also using a LIGHT EVOO ( as Rachel Ray says) will definately cut back the calories and fat. Hope this helps :0)

    Also it's not recommended to cook with EVOO.
    from whfoods.com:
    http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=132

    "Oxidation of nourishing substances found in extra virgin olive oil, as well as acrylamide formation, can occur at cooking temperatures very closer to the 300F/148C range. For these reasons, we don't recommend cooking with extra virgin olive oil. "

    Also Light EVOO is not lower calories, it is just more refined then EVOO
    http://lowfatcooking.about.com/od/faqs/f/lightoliveoil.htm
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
    4 tablespoons of olive oil is NOT healthy. No wonder your tracker went off the charts.

    I don't use any oil when cooking. I easily substitute water, vegetable broth or some other liquid. The garlic and onions come out just as great, even without a non-stick pan. I see no benefit to consuming all those low-nutrient fat calories.
    Low nutrient fat calories? High calories is not the same as unhealthy...and guess what...your body needs dietary fat. Perhaps do some research on olive oil before you say it's flat out not healthy....because that's incorrect.

    I was about to say the same thing.
    Olive oil is great for you
  • Tori_356
    Tori_356 Posts: 510 Member
    I track EVERYTHING. Do it.
  • sninny
    sninny Posts: 102 Member
    4 tablespoons of olive oil is NOT healthy. No wonder your tracker went off the charts.

    I don't use any oil when cooking. I easily substitute water, vegetable broth or some other liquid. The garlic and onions come out just as great, even without a non-stick pan. I see no benefit to consuming all those low-nutrient fat calories.

    Vegetable broth...that's a great idea!
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