I have a question for you guys.

Do you count the calories in oil?

I used some olive oil to make chicken in the oven for a whole grain tortilla but I want to know weather I should have counted the calories in the olive oil.

The bottle says that a tbsp of olive oil contains 120 calories but there was almost that much left on the pan when I was done cooking.

I'm confused on what to do

I definitely count the calories in oil because it's soooo calorie-dense. Remember that was left in the pan was only partially oil - it was also partially chicken juice (LOL, can't think of a better phrase for it).

^darn LOL.

I guess nonstick cooking spray for me!

Watch out for nonstick cooking spray as well. Some will say zero calories for something like 1/3 sec spray. I use a canola oil spray that is 10 cals per second. So a couple of seconds is 20. If it was labeled 1/3 sec I would still likely use 2 secs but count it as zero.

It's not a big deal, but something to be careful of. I use it when roasting veggies, where I may use as much as 5 seconds (50 cals), but still faster to coat them than trying to get a little more than a tsp of oil distributed.

I just count however much I use and divide it among the portions. So, if I cook three chicken breasts in 1 TBS olive oil, I count 1/3 of a TBS oil if I eat one breast. Or if I prepare 4 servings of green beans and dress them with 1 TBS of olive oil and spices, I count 1/4 if I eat a serving.

If anything this is an overestimate, but I'd rather be over than under.

Jay

I do count the calories when I use oil. I have taken to not using it unless I have to. For things like chicken breast or pork loin chops if I can't put them outside on the grill I put them on a non stick cookie sheet and throw them under the broiler for a few minutes. I haven't had trouble with them sticking to the pan. For veggies I usually steam them and eat them without butter/oil.

I count calories in everything.

I got a new set of pots and pans (nonstick) absolutely fabulous! Most often I put in a drip of olive oil and wipe it out. And I don't count that.

This is in the current (3/30/08) issue of Parade magazine.

"OLIVE OIL
Olive oil contains monounsaturated fats (which reduce inflammation), phenols (cancer-fighting antioxidants) and vitamin E (which lowers the risk of heart disease, protects skin from damaging agents, and prevents nerve damage). Cold-pressed, extra-virgin oil contains more phenols, and its vitamin E is undamaged.

COOKING TIP
Gently sauté vegetables in it, drizzle it on salads or use it in pesto."