I was wondering how everyone counts the calories from marinades? My instinct tells me that they should count because I try and count everything that goes in my mount but so much is either left in the bag after I take it out or burns off. So I’m not sure how much to count. Thanks for the help.

I think when a marinade "burns off", the oils and flavors have been absorbed into the food. If you want the bang for your buck, count all the marinade and use what's left in the bag to baste or dip. Otherwise, use less and give the bag a shake from time to time.

Since marinades are usually heavy on the oil, I wouldn't recommend not counting them even if they appear to vanish!

Personally, this doesn't sound all that safe since the raw meat was soaking in the marinade. Basting, yes... but definitely not dipping. Well, maybe I'm misunderstanding this. I'm reading that you mean to dip the cooked meat in the leftover marinade. (Maybe you mean to dip the meat in the marinade and then cook it? That would be safe.)

As for counting marinades.. Hmmm.... I would estimate how much is actually on the piece of food you are eating. Probably a tablespoon??

Kimberly

I had the same reaction--I certainly would not suggest dipping anything into a sauce in which raw meat has been marinating.

I don't usually count the entire amount since so much is left in the pan and bag, but I do try to err on the side of caution and overestimate. I would rather count too many calories than not enough

Yes, you're so right about dipping! I'm a vegetarian, so the stuff I marinade isn't a risk. But you've got a really good point about marinaded meat.

However, I think what gets absorbed could be more than a tablespoon. When I roast portobello mushrooms, one medium shroom can soak up 1/2 tbsp. of oil brushed on top instantly. So a larger piece of meat soaking in a bag of marinade can probably take up more than double that. But I'm just guessing!

What I do with my leftover marinade is put it in a pot and bring it to a boil, essentially cooking it. That way it is safe for dipping.

When I marinate a piece of steak, I would guess I use 3-4 tablespoons...because it ends up being totally covered, I try to imagine what amount I would be using if I just spread or brushed it on to coat both sides. Even if we can't see it after cooking-it's definitely still there because you can taste it-otherwise you wouldn't bother! I, too, would rather err on the side of guessing too much, because all those little things add up and can make or break a diet.

I only was marinating one piece of chicken, I live by myself, so what I decided to do was when I put the chicken in the pan I then measured out how much was left and subtracted that from the total. It sounds like the best way to do it. Thanks for the advice.