olive oil: think its good for u ? I thk not!

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vcatmb44
vcatmb44 Posts: 129 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I just read that about 3 Tblsp of olive oil is 544 cal and 45 grams of fat!!!!!! Holy **** i mean i thouht when i cook fish or chicken or anythin for that matter instead of butter i always use olive oil, now granted not doucing the food in it but for instance last night i made sauteed baby spinach in garlic and olive oil topped with salmon and thought that as as healthy as it gets and now reading this on the olive oil i might as well ate a big mac!
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Replies

  • cressievargo
    cressievargo Posts: 392 Member
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    It's the TYPE of fat that makes olive oil healthy. Overall, yes, the calories are high - but you need to look at the bigger picture. If you eat it in moderation, it is in fact good for you.
  • cressievargo
    cressievargo Posts: 392 Member
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    There is some interesting information on this link that better explains olive oil's health benefits.

    http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=132
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    It's the TYPE of fat that makes olive oil healthy. Overall, yes, the calories are high - but you need to look at the bigger picture. If you eat it in moderation, it is in fact good for you.

    Exactly! Nothing is "good for you" if you eat too many calories of it. Olive oil is great - in moderation.
  • LuckyAng
    LuckyAng Posts: 1,173 Member
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    It's the TYPE of fat that makes olive oil healthy. Overall, yes, the calories are high - but you need to look at the bigger picture. If you eat it in moderation, it is in fact good for you.

    Absolutely this!
  • Seesaa
    Seesaa Posts: 451
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    It's the TYPE of fat that makes olive oil healthy. Overall, yes, the calories are high - but you need to look at the bigger picture. If you eat it in moderation, it is in fact good for you.

    Exactly! Nothing is "good for you" if you eat too many calories of it. Olive oil is great - in moderation.

    yep
  • vcatmb44
    vcatmb44 Posts: 129 Member
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    OK but u say eat in moderation , i love to cook and try my best to cook as healthy as i can and i thought using olive oil was the way to go. I always cook dinner whether its fish , steak, chicken, etc unless u grill it which is hard this time of year due to weather when its freezing or raining so now im so skeptical of olive oil! maybe thats why i havent lost weight so far. I have a greg normans grill which we all know gets rid of most of the fat so from now on i guess thats what im using
  • dragonflybird
    dragonflybird Posts: 232
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    I use Olive OIl all the time..but very sparingly. I don't eat dairy and I don't' like all the junk in margarine, so I pretty much use only olive oil.
  • glenr79
    glenr79 Posts: 283 Member
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    Olive oil has the fats that are good for you... monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats... these fats get rid of saturated fat... so it is like a fat burner you just have to destinguish the differences between the types of fats, not all fats are bad!
  • colochel
    colochel Posts: 263 Member
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    I like coconut oil, myself, and usually only need about a tsp. Still fat, but a good kind of fat. Healthy fats (think... avocados) can help you lose weight, which might seem weird but it's true! :)
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
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    Just because it is higher in calories does not mean it is unhealthy.

    So since I can eat a snickers bar for less than that it makes it healthier? Hm....
  • realme56
    realme56 Posts: 1,093 Member
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    Fat is necessary for many body functions....3T in one sitting is pretty high. I drizzle 1/2T over my potatoes for roasting. Any fat that is firm at room temp is not great for you. As others have said, moderation. Grapeseed and olive oils are the healthiest oils out there and fats from avocados are also desirable.
  • monty_williams
    monty_williams Posts: 76
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    Olive oil is comprised mainly of monounsaturated fats (MUFA) which may lower your risk of heart disease, inflammation, lowers total cholesterol and low-density cholesterol. It also aids in normalizing blood clotting, and benefits insulin levels and blood sugar.

    Olive oil, like any other oil is high in calories, so use in moderation, but use it instead of margarine and other unhealthy fats and oils.
  • cressievargo
    cressievargo Posts: 392 Member
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    Sunshine - you aren't looking at the bigger picture. A snickers bar has very little nutritional good to bring to the table. Olive oil, while high in calories, has TONS to bring to the table (Read the link I posted).

    It's about the BIGGER picture. If you focus ONLY on calories, you might lose weight, but that doesn't necessarily mean you are eating healthy.
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,453 Member
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    I just read that about 3 Tblsp of olive oil is 544 cal and 45 grams of fat!!!!!!

    You're way off on calories.
    All oils have the same calorie count: ~120 cals per tablespoon, so 360 for 3 tbsp. That's the same whether it's olive oil, canola, lard, almond oil, or any other oil out there.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    Really? It's oil. Pure fat. I don't understand being surprised that its high in calories.

    You can use Pam to cook instead, or bake or broil things. Or even grill in the winter time. We just did it today.
  • tinkerpuppet
    tinkerpuppet Posts: 40 Member
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    Also, I find that with most recipes, I can use a fraction of the amount of olive oil called for and still get great results if I'm using a good non-stick pan. Example, tonight I made chicken souvlaki, and the recipe called for 1/4c of olive oil for the marinade. I used just under 2tbsp, and it was plenty! (and of course this was for the whole recipe which made 6servings, so it wasn't like I was personally ingesting 2tbsp of oil). I only use a tsp or so if I'm frying fish or chicken or something. Maybe try cutting the amount you use back, you might be surprised how little you actually need!
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    Sunshine - you aren't looking at the bigger picture. A snickers bar has very little nutritional good to bring to the table. Olive oil, while high in calories, has TONS to bring to the table (Read the link I posted).

    It's about the BIGGER picture. If you focus ONLY on calories, you might lose weight, but that doesn't necessarily mean you are eating healthy.

    Sunshine was being sarcastic.
  • SherryFT
    SherryFT Posts: 3
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    Here's another consideration most people don't take into account. If you are cooking with a tablespoon of olive oil, you are not ingesting a tablespoon of olive oil, same for butter. Most people cook several servings, so that tablespoon of oil or butter is spread around to each serving and there is usually some left in the pan. Overall olive oil is very, very good for your body and especially your heart, so enjoy in moderation.
  • Chrisborro
    Chrisborro Posts: 85
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    Thats why we should all use spray instead of oils. Saves tons of cals
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
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    Sunshine - you aren't looking at the bigger picture. A snickers bar has very little nutritional good to bring to the table. Olive oil, while high in calories, has TONS to bring to the table (Read the link I posted).

    It's about the BIGGER picture. If you focus ONLY on calories, you might lose weight, but that doesn't necessarily mean you are eating healthy.

    Lol apparently you didn't get my sarcasm.

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