I know I can use olive oil or other oils to grease my pans (and use nonstick pans, too), but was wondering if there are any good alternatives to Pam spray when I do not want to add more fat or cals to my diet. I found some "Olivio Buttery Spray" but can't tell if it is meant for spraying on pans or on food. I'd love suggestions!

If you use only the recommended amount of PAM or other sprays, the fat/calories you are adding to your food are negligible and nothing to be concerned about.

Still, if you are determined to have absolutely fat-free cooking, use nonstick pans and a little water, broth, or other liquid.

I didn't like the gumminess (is that even a word??? ) of Pam spray so I went & bought a Misto. It's a pump/spray can that you fill with oil (I use olive) & you spray your pans or food with it. Believe me, a little goes a long way.

Mom bought a Misto and said it was messy and didn't work well. I'd still like to try one, though!

I agree that it is fine to use Pam (or Misto) because the amount of oil isn't going to hurt anything. You'd only run into trouble if you go overboard - and often. I've actually been increasing the amount of fats in my diet lately, as a lot of newer research is showing that moderate fat works better for weight loss than low fat, and is still healthier in the long run than high fat.

Btw, I checked the Olivio website and it says the buttery spray can be used for cooking. It also says it's made from olive oil, and I don't think that it's any better than using Pam olive oil spray. It says 0 calories but that doesn't really mean 0 calories. It means less than 1 calorie when used as directed, which is like a 1/3 second spray. I used to have a reference that showed exactly how many calories most people actually get from these products, and I'll try to find it. In the end, though, it's a negligible amount.

Some ways to go fat-free: I like to saute veggies in a little vegetable broth. You can bake items on silicone pans, or use the silicone mats without even using nonstick spray. Experiment with other methods of cooking, such as roasting, grilling, or steaming.

It's important to keep in mind that it is almost impossible to dispense only the recommended serving of cooking spray. Several tries are often needed just to hit the plunger correctly to dispense such a small amount. And, of course, that small amount is rarely sufficient for the purposes people apply the spray too.

The same can be said of olive oil misters.

yes ... but, let's say a 1/3 second spray has 4 calories (it would have to have 5 calories or less in order to be labeled "0 calories per serving") ... and I give a small pan a 2-second spray ... that's still only 24 calories.

PAM is gross.

I got my oil sprayer from Pampered Chef. I love it.

Mom doesn't like her Misto? I gave it to her for a present! I have one similar. It has a pump action with the lid. Actually, it might also be a Misto. I like it.

Is Pam canola oil? What was the thing about the canola and the teflon - does it break it down? I can't remember what I heard about that.

The risk you're referring to has to do with HEATING of teflon, giving off chemical fumes, etc. The EPA has said that there is too little evidence of that to issue any warning in that regard (and teflon cookware is pretty much useless if you cannot heat it, eh?)

Ok, I must have gotten that part mixed up with a Martha Stewartism then, I guess. Thanks!

OOOPS umm... maybe I misunderstood her

Maybe you are referring to something I told you a long time ago. I once read an article by a food scientist that said that canola oil should not be used on non-stick surfaces because it changes it's molecular structure when it reaches a certain temperature, and bonds with the nonstick coating -- leaving a residue that is difficult or impossible to remove, and removes the non-stick ability of the coating. I recall that when I read it, I thought about all of the nonstick skillets I had thrown away because things started sticking. So I bought new skillets, started using a corn oil spray and did not notice that problem again. I recently noticed the same thing happening again and pulled out my can of spray and noticed that Mazola corn oil spray is now made with canola oil.