Do You Track Olive Oil??

2

Replies

  • Zee48
    Zee48 Posts: 789 Member
    Definitely track your OO. Use the recipe builder and put all of your ingredients in to figure out how many calories per serving you come up with. Depending on the size of the recipe 4T may not be a lot or could be way too much.
  • lovinbeinold
    lovinbeinold Posts: 116
    Yes, I count everything, including olive oil. Olive oil is a good fat, but lots of calories, so be sure to track it.

    I do have one suggestion. Look up how hot you can get it and do not get it any hotter than that. The danger, I've read, in using olive oil to fry or saute foods is that it turns to a trans fat at a lower temp than other fats. You don't want to do that. Trans fats are bad for your heart and cause cancer, etc, or so they say.

    So, do check that online, and keep your fire low.
  • Cathleenr
    Cathleenr Posts: 332
    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.


    mmmmmm... what is left is NOT all oil. its the water cooking out of the meat, so if you count it as all oil, you are underestimating your caloric intake.
  • gp79
    gp79 Posts: 1,799 Member
    I do, depending on how much is in a recipe. If I add it directly to something, I count it.
  • ChickaDee2012
    ChickaDee2012 Posts: 49 Member
    Ya......I agree with previous posters who say Olive Oil is healthy. Let's not confuse choices for healthy food with choices for food that does not support our quest for weight loss. There are foods that are high in calories, like Olive oil and almonds, but are pretty good for you... It just means if you want to lose weight, you have to think twice about the calories and make smart choices in food. I am such a foodie, and trying to balance my love of food and quest for weight loss...and making smarter choices that satisfy both.
  • questionablemethods
    questionablemethods Posts: 2,174 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
    Yeah, the phrase "low-nutrient fat calories" had me laughing. I don't usually cook with olive oil myself since I feel like it is too unstable and prone to oxidation. I prefer ghee -- also not a "low-nutrient" fat source.
  • ClarkAddison
    ClarkAddison Posts: 86 Member
    I track it not only for the calorie count but also the fat intake. As it is a good fat, I sometimes use it to make sure I am getting enough fat in my diet.
  • lmelangley
    lmelangley Posts: 1,039 Member
    Yes. Olive oil is healthier than a lot of oils, but the calories add up fast.
  • stayxtrue
    stayxtrue Posts: 1,186 Member
    Due to needing a higher fat content in my diet, I count my olive oil and have plenty of it as its a healthy fat and one that your body needs =] ever since eating a higher amount of healthy fat in my diet I have burnt much more fat :D
  • Shoechick5
    Shoechick5 Posts: 221 Member
    As you're sauteeing garlic, just remove the garlic with a slotted spoon and put it on a paper towel. There will be a lot of olive oil left in the pan. There's no way the garlic is going to use that much. And if you don't want to saute it, roast a whole head in the oven and then peel off a few cloves to use. You could get away with a Tsp for a whole head of garlic.
  • JacksMom12
    JacksMom12 Posts: 1,044 Member
    I sauté veggies in broth all the time, and it comes out great. I've been doing this for awhile... As I need to cut calories anywhere I can to be able to satisfy my appetite!
  • Shoechick5
    Shoechick5 Posts: 221 Member
    I sauté veggies in broth all the time, and it comes out great. I've been doing this for awhile... As I need to cut calories anywhere I can to be able to satisfy my appetite!

    You can't saute garlic in broth and have the same result though.
  • NGMama
    NGMama Posts: 384 Member
    Olive oil does have a really low smoke point which turns a very nutritious product into an unhealthy one. It's best drizzled over foods later. They probably call for so much to try to avoiid burning your garlic by simmering it. Coconut oil is also a very healthy fat that aids in weight loss. It has a really high smoke point and is great for cooking. You could use a lot less and still get the same effect. :flowerforyou:

    By the way, I love garlic, when's dinner??? :laugh:
  • emmclean
    emmclean Posts: 297 Member
    Interesting idea to measure the amount left in the pan, but it won't all be oil, it'll also be juices from meat/vegetables/whatever else you're cooking too. Just track everything that you put in, if you actually consume less in the end then BONUS! You've stopped yourself from overeating because you've stayed under your MFP goal, but in real life you're a few extra calories down! I always over estimate if anything - why squeeze in a few extra calories? Get used to eating less, it's overeating that put the majority of us here.
  • Shoechick5
    Shoechick5 Posts: 221 Member
    Interesting idea to measure the amount left in the pan, but it won't all be oil, it'll also be juices from meat/vegetables/whatever else you're cooking too. Just track everything that you put in, if you actually consume less in the end then BONUS! You've stopped yourself from overeating because you've stayed under your MFP goal, but in real life you're a few extra calories down! I always over estimate if anything - why squeeze in a few extra calories? Get used to eating less, it's overeating that put the majority of us here.

    But she's sauteeing garlic..they'll be no juices. Normal vegetables yes. You wouldn't count all your oil that your deep frying something in. This would be the same thing.
  • 2hungariangirls
    2hungariangirls Posts: 220
    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 let my meat cook almost completely done. Chicken, steak, pork, whatever and then right before it starts to stick I add just enough water to the pan to wet the bottom of the meat. It makes a nice gravy. Not like good, Grandma's gravy, but enough to make me think I'm getting away with something. I just sauteed steak strips with onions in water. No added fat just seasonings. Yum!
  • NatalieWinning
    NatalieWinning Posts: 999 Member
    Yes, and I put in spices, too. Even black coffee and gum. You might be surprised how it adds up. And some low or no calorie drinks also have sodium and what not. Besides, I like to see a lot of food on that diary if i'm on a lower calorie diet plan. The more food I put on, even if it's 0 calories, I feel less deprived when I see the amount before my eyes. Now on maintence i'm slacking some on the spices if I know i'm covered pretty well, anyway. Now it's not a problem to slack for me. But one of my main problems is I can eat a great deal in little nibbles here and there, then think I need lunch and dinner, then find myself to have eaten twice what I need.
  • lizzys
    lizzys Posts: 841 Member
    yes thank for the question it really help me too
  • MarieAnneN
    MarieAnneN Posts: 205
    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?

    Yes, and it counts for a lot... IT is fat no matter the provenance!
  • MrsGreen1985
    MrsGreen1985 Posts: 53 Member
    I track everything that goes into a recipe
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    Honestly?

    No. I don't. I figure I'm not getting the total amount, so I don't worry too much about it. I don't tend to use a lot of oil anyway and when I do, it is generally in a larger recipe that is far more than one serving. I'm not going to turn too obsessive over calorie counting. Now, if I were drinking it directly (not a wise idea, of course... lol), I would count it. But cooking with it? No.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    Of course, it's high in cals so you need to count it. If you want to reduce the cals just cut back the quantity of oil - 1 or 2 tablespoons should be plenty.
  • pspetralia
    pspetralia Posts: 963 Member
    I would use less or maybe 1/2 oil and 1/2 chicken broth if you find your recipe needs more liquid.
  • LuckyAng
    LuckyAng Posts: 1,173 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.

    I do the very same! Just have to keep adding a little as it evaporates ;)
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
    Honestly?

    No. I don't. I figure I'm not getting the total amount, so I don't worry too much about it. I don't tend to use a lot of oil anyway and when I do, it is generally in a larger recipe that is far more than one serving. I'm not going to turn too obsessive over calorie counting. Now, if I were drinking it directly (not a wise idea, of course... lol), I would count it. But cooking with it? No.

    C'mon no olive oil shots?! awwww darn ;D
  • becoming_a_new_me
    becoming_a_new_me Posts: 1,860 Member
    If I want to pop the flavor, I mix EVOO and balsamic vinegrette together. Usually, I will use infused vinegar (I make my own...1 C. Vinegar with various items such as lemon and rosemary, dill, etc. Let it sit at least a week)
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    Honestly?

    No. I don't. I figure I'm not getting the total amount, so I don't worry too much about it. I don't tend to use a lot of oil anyway and when I do, it is generally in a larger recipe that is far more than one serving. I'm not going to turn too obsessive over calorie counting. Now, if I were drinking it directly (not a wise idea, of course... lol), I would count it. But cooking with it? No.

    C'mon no olive oil shots?! awwww darn ;D

    LOL.

    Give it a try and let me know how it turns out for you... ;0)
  • carpediem3
    carpediem3 Posts: 320 Member
    Yes :)
  • kimi131
    kimi131 Posts: 1,058 Member
    I always count it, but I've noticed a lot of recipes (including some on MFP) that include olive oil, but the calorie count of olive oil is obviously not included (otherwise it wouldn't be so low). Makes me wonder....
  • ajevans2674
    ajevans2674 Posts: 31 Member
    I also use water often. I'll use olive oil if I think it will greatly enhance the flavor of the dish, otherwise for just general sauteeing of veggies I try and use water. It's a wonderful calorie-saver!
    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!
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