What do you cook with?

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  • steveharford
    steveharford Posts: 4 Member
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    Hi Cekey
    I know where you are coming from here. To be honest it sounds as though some people are obsessive with this, and forget that eating has to be a pleasure, also. If it suits your lifestyle too then surely that is the way to keep going with this calorie counting?.
    With this site we have at our means a way of keeping track of all of the nutrients etc we consume, and that also means having some fat. OK I wouldnt suggest we all have lardy cakes for breakfast and then not be able to eat for the rest of the day, but using a bit of oil in your cooking is essential if you are a half decent cook, and olive oil is one of the best. I have no trouble consuming even less calories than my recommended amount and everyone loves my food. Just dont have cheese ! Take a look at the calories in a typical amount you would normally have AFTER dinner! Horrendous! Hope that didnt sound like a lecture, but if you enjoy this way of reducing weight you will succeed and stick by it. Cheers.
  • meli_ssa4
    meli_ssa4 Posts: 66
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    I mostly cook with EVOO because I don't consider healthy fats unnecessary calories. Our bodies need fat and EVOO is a healthy fat. For higher temps like stir fries I like peanut oil.

    I agree. I always use EVOO. if I am cooking meat I will rub directly on the meat and then put it in the pan. if I am doing vegetables, I will put them in a bowl and toss with 1 tbsp (depending on the amount) to just coat. Then cook in a hot pan.
  • shortcaketx
    shortcaketx Posts: 16 Member
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    u can always use tomato juice, low sodium broths or just plain water in place of oils and u can do it on top of the stove with a pan ( steaming it basically) I pound down a piece of chicken breast so it cooks faster put it in a good pan with some Mrs. Dash no salt seasoning and add a little water at a time and it is perfect without the added fat .

    also others are right using a little evoo ( healthy fats) isn't going to hurt you.

    tubberware has a microwave steam dish that you can actually put some chicken in with a few tablespoons no salt added diced tomatoes ( or even rotel) and cook in the microwave and it doesn't dry out and isnt tough or chewy.

    plus when u have the time to cook make a few servings at once and freeze the others for a later date.
  • nitepagan
    nitepagan Posts: 205 Member
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    If I can cook without adding any oil or butter, I will do that, but some things just need a little fat for ease of cooking or taste.
  • CompassionIs
    CompassionIs Posts: 1 Member
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    I cook with Pam or I will cook with water and spices. Its a mix of a saute and poach. I use my oil calories to go on salads, and use good cold pressed oils.
  • moxer42
    moxer42 Posts: 9 Member
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    I cut a tablespoon of butter into 8 pieces (13 cals/piece). Then I can just throw one in the pan and don't have to measure. You need a good non stick pan though.
  • hollyjo21
    hollyjo21 Posts: 25
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    I'm weird but I cook everything in either low-sodium chicken broth or low-sodium beef stock...it cuts WAYYYY down on my caloric intake.

    Great suggestion!! Never thought to use chicken broth!
  • renaconnor
    renaconnor Posts: 38 Member
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    I'm weird but I cook everything in either low-sodium chicken broth or low-sodium beef stock...it cuts WAYYYY down on my caloric intake.

    Great suggestion!! Never thought to use chicken broth!


    I got the idea from the Fat Flush Diet, and it works really great! I cook eggs, chicken, steak cutlets...I even use broth as an overnight marinade! And when I need alittle fat...I use Flax-Seed Oil on some side veggies.
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
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    Frying is more of a time saver than baking. My timeframe to cook is rather limited, so I'd rather eat at 8:00 than 8:30 if I can help it. Baking a piece of chicken just takes a lot longer than frying.

    Maybe broiling...
    I to am usually eating at around 8pm and thoroughly starving by then.
    It's about the same time as frying, less mess to clean up on the stove top.

    I'm also a big fan of some of Trader joe's products that I call "semi-prepared" chicken sausage, frozen mash potatoes & frozen veg. just put it on a plate an nuke for a couple of minutes or so... Now that's quick, easy, little clean up and TJs has some healthy fairly clean options that have a good calorie to nutrition ratio. IMHO.
  • RillSoji
    RillSoji Posts: 376 Member
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    I use unsalted Butter, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil and canola oil in that order. Each has a different flavor but I like butter the most. I'm not terribly worried about the calories since I don't use a whole lot all the time.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    I am shocked at how many people avoid cooking with fat. Your body needs fat. I hope you are getting it somewhere else in your diet.
  • jcpmoore
    jcpmoore Posts: 796 Member
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    My go to method: George Foreman grill: no oil needed. It can cook an average chicken breast in 7 minutes. The removable plates can go in the dishwasher. Trust me, it doesn't get easier than this. If you don't have one, think about it. It's a great investment.

    Other methods I use are combining meals throughout the week. On Monday, make crockpot chicken. Yes, you can make meals over 10 hours, just make sure they're one very low. My crock pot has a setting for 10 hours, does yours? If not, do the crock pot thing on Sunday or a day you're home. I cook a LOT of chicken on this day and save it to make different things throughout the week. Every other night I'll make a chicken dish. One night I'll make chicken "fried" rice by adding rice and vegetables to the chicken. Another night it'll be a spinach salad with the chicken. Another night, make a casserole if you like them. The point is that whatever you make to go with can be quick and your chicken is already cooked on those nights.

    You can do the same with other meats. A whole turkey breast is a great thing for this too. Roast it on Sunday and eat on it all week.

    HTH
  • myltlisa24
    myltlisa24 Posts: 242 Member
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    Hello everyone,

    I'd love some help with deciding what to cook with. It seems like adding things like vegetable oil (120 cals/tbsp), EVOO (120 cal/tbsp) or even butter (102 cals/tbsp) are just adding unnecessary calories to my daily intake, when i'd rather use those +100 cals on something else.

    So what do you use to cook with or do you just plan accordingly?

    I cook with EVOO all the time, its a good fat for you to have. I avoid butter and vegetable oil. However, i do use spray also, which helps cut down on calories. I incorporate EVOO since it has good fats.
  • rcallbeck
    rcallbeck Posts: 37 Member
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    As people have been saying, it's not the fat that makes you fat. I cook with canola oil, EVOO, and even butter sometimes (yum!) I prefer cooking with butter over margarine, due to the fact that it tastes better, and is less chemical then margarine.

    That said, use sparingly when you can, and make sure the oil is hot before you start things up in the pan... that way less of the fat is incorporated into the food.

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