Bad for you? NO Bad for a Weight Loss Diet? YES
The labels and advertisements for butter flavored cooking sprays CAN BE MISLEADING especially if you are thinking about using them as an aid in you weight loss diet. While the wording on the packaging may be technically accurate it may give a false impression to those looking to lose weight.
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According to the label of one of the leading cooking spray cans:
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size about 1/3 second spray (.266g)
Servings per container about 433
Calories 0
Fat Cal. 0
Amount/serving % DV*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 0mg 0%
Total Carb. 0g 0%
Protein 0g 0%
* Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
If you do the math you can then calculate that
the entire canister of cooking spay contains no calories or fat or
just about any nutrients.
433 servings x 0 calories = 0 calories and so forth.
NOT TRUE
The website of one of the leading butter flavored cooking sprays states compares the fat and calorie content of their cooking spray to that of Butter/Margarine and Oil as follows:
XXX brand Butter Cooking Spray (1 second spray) < 1g of fat, 7
Calories
Butter/Margarine (1 tablespoon) 11.5g of fat, 104 Calories
Oil (1 tablespoon) 13.6g of fat, 122 Calories
They try to impress you with numbers showing the big difference in the amount of calories and fat between their product and that of Butter/Margarine and Oil. Unfortunately it is very misleading because the amount of product is not the same. It's like that old saying of comparing apples and oranges. Two totally different things.
It does provide additional information about calories.
If a serving size is 1/3 of a second spray and there are 433 sprays
per canister then the canister should spray for 433/3 which equals
144.3 seconds. Since a one second spray contains 7 calories then
the entire canister contains 1010
calories.
THE ENTIRE CANISTER OF BUTTER FLAVORED COOKING SPRAY CONTAINS 1,010 CALORIES
IF YOUR ON A DIET WATCH OUT
It is very easy to keep spraying that popcorn, corn on the cob, other food or fry pan with the butter flavored cooking spray because it tastes so good. But be wary, every second of spay adds another 7 calories to your hips.
If you look at the ingredient label on the canister it starts off with olive oil or canola oil. Since the first ingredient shown are listed in order of their percentage in the container therefore the bulk of the container contains oil which may be healthy for you in moderation but is not good for a diet to lose weight.
What is cooking spray?
Commercial cooking spray is typically made from a combination of
vegetable oil and lecithin (or other emulsifier). Dispensed in a
very fine mist, it coats pans and surfaces to prevent foods from
sticking when grilling, sautéing, broiling, roasting or baking.
Sometimes cooking spray is used directly on foods to add low-fat
flavor. It is an indispensable cooking ingredient for
health-conscious cooks who are watching their fat intake, and it
also has some practical uses around the kitchen when it comes to
easy cleanup.
http://www.bigoven.com/whatis.aspx?id=Cooking%20Spray
Alternative or Substitute to Cooking Spray
Try using a very small amount of extra virgin olive oil on a non
stick fry pan.
Which Brands of Cooking Spray
If you use a non stick fry pan they all probably work about the
same. If you're concerned about the health aspects of the spray then
read the ingredients on the can and select the one that contains
virgin olive oil as the primary ingredient.
Calories In Cooking Spray
There are approximately 7 calories for each second of spray. You can
determine the amount of calories by counting the seconds.
Cooking Spray as
Butter flavored cooking spray works great as a topping for popcorn.
It adds the taste of butter and also allows the popcorn salt or
other toppings to stick better to the popcorn. But use with caution.
For each second of spray you are adding about 7 calories.
Is Cooking Spray Bad For You
Since cooking spray is primarily olive oil or canola oil (which are
both very healthy products) I would have to say they are not bad for
you. If however, you are trying to lose weight, then they may be bad
in that regard because of the amount of calories they contain.
Cooking Spray Coupons
not available
Is Cooking Spray Dangerous
Cooking Spray Fat
The label on the cooking spray can may indicate 0% fat content per
serving but that can be a little misleading. Since the cooking spray
is primarily olive oil or canola oil, the fat content of the spray
will be about the same.
Make Your Own Cooking Spray
Buy a new plastic water mister. Clean it thoroughly. Add two
tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, olive oil or canola oil with
one cup of water. Shake well before each use.
Pure Cooking Spray