Saute the Healthy Way!
"I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate." - Julia Child
The spluttering popping bits of onion and sweet red pepper danced happily in sizzling habanero olive oil as I ran the wooden spoon in figure eights and esses over my new eco-friendly ceramic coated sauté pan as the prelude to my favorite breakfast of many colorful veggies jammed firmly with turmeric into scrambled eggs, when I paused to question what I was doing. Stabbing at the splatters of grease on my favorite shirt with a stain stick because I had once again forgotten to put on my black chef apron, I wondered – is this really the best way for a calorie counter to sauté veggies? In oil? It is healthy extra virgin olive oil, so I know that’s good. Maybe not good for my shirt especially when mixed with turmeric, but olive oil itself is very healthy.
It was time for some research. Most of the articles, such as this one at About.com, say that as long as you stay below the smoke point of the oil you may sauté and will not inflict undesirable aromas and clouds of smoke in the kitchen or transform a symphony of tastes into a mosh pit of mangled burnt flavors. About.com does recommend that you not use extra virgin olive oil in heated cooking, just the regular olive oil as it has a higher smoke point, which makes it a good choice for a sauté or stir fry, so I added regular olive oil to the shopping list.
In a dissenting voice, The World’s Healthiest Foods adamantly stated that for olive oil, even when the smoking point is not reached, a chemical reaction occurs as a result of the heat that changes the oil’s properties in a not so pleasant or healthy way. WHF says it’s best to “sauté” your veggies in a tablespoon or two of water or broth and then add the healthy olive oil before serving which allows for both the fresh flavor of the olive oil as well as its health benefits to shine.
I admit I was rather dubious about how this would taste and wondered if the texture and aroma would be ruined, but decided to give it a try. Sautéing, by definition, is done with oil not water, but one day I summoned the courage to try it for my egg scramble. With noticeable misgivings I took the first bite. What a relief when I found it was the best scramble I've ever had, in large part because of how the fresh taste of unheated olive oil accented the veggies and eggs. Give the healthy way to sauté a try for all your veggies; the method is described in detail in the recipes below. Remember, extra virgin olive oil is very good for you, so do add a little when the meal is served.
Healthy Veggie and Egg Scramble, at The CC Palate, is my favorite quick and tasty way to start the day with a couple servings of veggies!
Have a very well seasoned cast iron skillet? Then you are in luck because the more seasoned your pan, the less oil you need! Here’s some great About.com hints and a “how-to” recipe for cast iron no-oil cooking!
Sautéed Summer Squash and Peppers at The CC Palate, is my son’s favorite veggie dish. I hope you enjoy it too!
Sautéed Mixed Mushrooms at The CC Palate are wonderful alone or paired with rice! Add any seasonings you enjoy with fungi.
Hints for a successful sauté: dry the food so it browns and does not just steam (unless you are going to try the WHF steamy sauté then it doesn't matter); heat the pan and the oil, if you are using it, first; do not over-crowd the pan; and most importantly, get a good pan - it does not have to be expensive to be good, there are many good inexpensive brands.
Enjoying delicious food while losing weight is so easy, especially with the support of your friends here at Calorie Count.
Your thoughts…
How do you sauté? In oil? In broth or water? Non stick or other type of pan? If you have never tried sautéing in broth or water, give it a try and let me know how it worked for you!
Comments
thanks for the tip about the Halford book as a source for recipes ellie8816!
yes, tdirpincess, I noticed the same thing about the taste of the EVOO sort of fading away in a saute. Let me know what you think after you try it. I would say that the only thing it might not work for would be something that is supposed to be caramelized. But, I did get browning in the onions once the pan dried out so maybe if I just sauteed a minute or two more...hmmm, I'll try it!
See I need some help with this. I LOVE to stir fry and saute. I'm learning to use broth and fat free butter instead of oil to stir fry and it's been working amazingly, but at times I feel I may be missing out on certain flavours because of not using oil. But oil has SO many calories! 120 in 1 Tbsp? And thats for something that's not even going to fill my tummy! I could be filing 120 cals out of my day with a couple pieces of fruit or a salad or some other healthy snack.
I guess my question is, how worried should I be about the calories in olive oil? How much oil does the food soak up? All of it? Most of it? What if I set my veggies on some paper towels after sauteing them to soak up some of the extra oil?
a teaspoon has 40 calories. You are probably not using a whole tablespoon for a meal meant for one when you saute anyway. You do rather have to judge how much is left in the pan versus how much is incorporated into the meal. That's another great thing about sauteing in broth or water and adding the olive oil later - you KNOW how much you are using!
Oils are an essential part of nutrition, and olive oil is particularly good for you (others are too, such as walnut oil which is great for salad dressings). Don't be afraid of it, just use it in the way that best uses the flavor.
Given your worry about too much olive oil, you would definitely be better off using the healthy saute method and adding in a teaspoon after - whether mixed in or simply drizzled on top - maximize the flavor and control the calories that way!
I saute in applejuice. I try to use the 100% juice, no sugar added kind. It doesn't really add much flavor, but it doesn't add as many calories as oils, etc. You can do just about anything but pancakes or french bread in apple juice. :) The other way I saute is in water (either the small amount the WHF suggests, or in larger quantities, depending the particular recipe).
musicmissionary, apple juice is a fantastic idea! I never thought of using juice. I'm like you with the no added or no fake sugar for juices. Flavor is not goal of this sort of saute, it's the texture and cooked nature of the sauteed food that's important with flavor coming from spices, herbs, and a nice drizzle of olive oil later!
I also use juices to create dressings, etc.--same effect (low cal, natural, low sugar, and good flavor when wanted, etc.) :)
would you like to send me one of your recipes? I like to use recipes from Calorie Count members at CC Palate whenever possible. Just pm me here at CC. Hmmmm, maybe a blog on salad dressings is in order one day! :D
Sure. It will take me a little bit, though...I'm one of those cooks that tosses things together without measuring. I'll see if I can recall some of my recipes in such a way other people can come close to replicating! :)
As a professional chef this article is not only offensive, but it is actually hurts my brain to think that people are "sauteing" with something other than oil. You CANNOT saute without oil, or a fat. If you are using water, stock, or any other liquid, you are SWEATING or STEAMING the food. You are NOT, NOT, NOT sauteing. And if you're using juice, you're technically caramelizing your food with the sugars in the juice, you are not sauteing.
And 120 calories for a Tbsp of oil is minimal in most recipes considering the number of portions that gets divided into. A recipe that makes 4 or 6 portions, will only give you 30 or 20 calories per serving. Which is perfectly acceptable, especially considering there are more health-positive aspects of olive oil, like Omega3 fatty acids, to focus on rather than the calories.
So please, keep the oil and heart healthy fats in sauteing. And steam your food if you choose. But please don't call cooking with liquid sauteing- it's an insult culinary history and tradition.
Luvstheshow: My apologies for offending you...I'm FAR from a pro, so I don't know the difference between sauteing and whatever else it might be. I just cook. :) Thanks for the technical correction!
luvthesnow, yes, I know that one is not really "sauteing".This is why I said "Sauteing, by definition, is done with oil not water..."
Going counter to tradition is also why it took me so long to try the idea, why I was dubious. And, of course, you cannot caramelize that way so any recipe that calls for that requires oil. It's just a different way of looking at the process both for people that are counting calories and for those that are concerned about heating the oil.
What is your favorite oil to saute? Do you use different types depending on what food you are sauteing?
Well, I prefer the taste of the olive oil poured over my cooked vegetables or over my raw salad... However, in order to maintain my weight, I have to be so careful, so, lately, I am just steaming my vegies and adding the delicious olive later....
Sure, there is nothing like caramelized onions... and I love them.
Do please tell me one more time what oil should I be using to saute when I do... Currently, I have canola oil in my pantry.
Thank you, great comments, y'all,
May in Atlanta
canola is fine as it has a higher smoke point. There are a lot of choices. I suggest reading this About.com article for a lot of good info.
If you are only concerned with preserving the integrity of culinary history and traditions, then, by all means, saute away. For those of us battling clogged arteries, cancer, diabetes, weight gain and other problems created by the use of fats, simple carbs, processed foods, and even animal products, "sauteing" with water is a better choice for helping to slow or reverse the disease process. There is no need at all to add back in the oils unless you are a very healthy person and enjoy the taste. I will continue to happily choose leaving off oils altogether by "steaming", vs sauteing with extracted oils, because my heart disease is reversing using these healthier methods. The study that promoted the use of olive oil was done in comparison to the SAD. Anything looks good compared to the standard American diet. We don't need to ingest extracted oils to obtain nutrients that are easily available in other natural foods.
Great information, thanks! I think raw veggies are the absolute best way to get the nutrients from your veggies, but if I must cook them - I have switched over to extra virgin coconut oil. The aroma when cooking makes me drool and the flavor it gives is amazing!!! PLUS...The health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity, proper digestion and metabolism, relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV and cancer, dental care, and bone strength. These benefits of coconut oil can be attributed to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, and its properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, soothing, etc. The human body converts lauric acid into monolaurin which is claimed to help with dealing with viruses, and bacteria causing diseases such as herpes, influenza, cytomegalovirus and even HIV.
I saute in butter, bacon grease or olive oil ... all are as equally healthy. It just depends on how I want to flavor the veggies. I sometimes use coconut oil, but prefer to use it in hot drinks ... coffee, tea, etc.
Fat, even the saturated kind is NOT THE CAUSE OF ARTERIAL PLAQUE or obesity, people! Eat up! Get HEALTHY eating natural fats and oils! Read the research and learn! Watch the movie Fat Head (free on Hulu.com or Netflix) and LEARN!
It is GRAINS, RICE, POTATOES and SUGAR that are killing us and making us fat and diabetic!
Get your carbs from veggies .. leave the starch and sugar out, EAT FAT and you will be healthier!
NATURAL oils are good for you ... Canola oil is not, natural nor good for you
Watch this, and you will run to throw your bottle of it away:
I saute in either EVOO or unsalted butter, or a mixture of both (usually a mixture of both). The fats in evoo and unsalted natural butter are a healthy and important part of my daily nutritional intake.
I agree that fat in olive oil is very very very healthy, I am a doctor and olive oil has a good type of fat, but as the article said, it's healthy not heated.
I have never tried sauting in water but i'll try it for sure, and i'll add a bit of olive oil after cooking :)
what a great conversation! Love the different perspectives. Thanks to everyone that is joining in!
Great article, and great conversation here.. yeah, I love a little oil, usually its a little EVOO, but VERY little.. I do not use canola oil for the same reasons the previous posts stated... I LOVE THE IDEA OF SAUTEEING IN WATER! Pretty cool, indeed.. really another way of steaming when you think about it... again, thnks for the cool (and beautifully written) article and the great conversation!
I have prepared foods this way for about 4 years (novice) and found the thicker bottom stainless steel pans are great over gas burners. The oils can then be sesame, sunflower, olive oil combo depending on the flavor I want to achieve. I also like to add red bell peppers to the water saute to sweat out the oil in them when I want to add kidney beans and beet roots, with a little chunky carrots and sometimes a small bit of red sweet wine with a slight bit of grated orange zet - sea salt at the table:)) aea
I recommend anyone who is interested in this subject to read works by Dr. Furhman, or Dr. Barnard. Olive oil is still oil, which is fat, which carries zero nutritional value as compared to saving the calories to consume something more filling carrying fiber, water, vitamins and minerals. One can get all the heart healthy oils the body needs from plant based foods. Every opinion presented here is absolutely correct, and has merit, it is simply how the oil fits into your personal health plan. If you are trying to lose weight and not starve yourself, then maybe two pieces of fruit, a huge tomato and cucumber salad, or a bucket of greens would be better than the 1 tbsp of oil used to satuee your food. I use my homemade veggie stock to "steam sautee" in and the results are acceptable. Their is no question that my escarole with garlic comes out no where near the same when I use stock versus good ol' EVOO, but is saves me around 200 calories each time i eat it. Using Furhmans' and Barnards' methods,(along with exercise) I have so far lost over 50 lbs in 4 months, normalized my BP, NORMALIZED MY BLOOD SUGAR(I was/am diabetic) and am the healthiest I have ever been. Do i miss my olive oil? Let me tell you that this avid cook Italian boy used to put it on his breakfast cereal when it made sense, but I decided it was one of those choices I had to make. For Diabetics, Dr. Barnards info will make sense on the oil issue, and it worked for me.-No olive oil, but no medication for my Diabetes either... A fair trade.. Great topic, lively discussion, and I love the passion i see from everyone concerning food and nutrition. Best of luck to all on whatever journey you are on.!
Thanks geespeen, it has been a fun discussion with quite a variety of perspectives and experiences.
There are nutrients in olive oil - phytonutrients, in particular polyphenols. Check out the link to The World's Healthiest Foods on olive oil - you have to scroll down to get the details on the nutrients in a couple of the sections. He's done some great research and details the sources at the bottom.
I've got Dr. Barnard's first book (I believe it's time to give that book a re-read!) and am very impressed with his work and how fantastically well you are doing on the plan. Excellent!
Thanks Jannid,
Appreciate the feedback! For anyone who is interested, the Books that I mentioned in my original post are:
Dr.Joel Fuhrman- "Eat To Live"
Dr. Neal Barnard-"Dr. Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes"
Both speak directly to fighting diabetes with an aggressive nutrition based approach, and weight loss is a welcome by-product. Both principles are similar, with Barnard being a bit more flexible in your food choices. I am sure there are other diabetics on the site here who are interested in natural solutions, and these two books will help them tremendously.
Barnard breaks down scientifically how oil interferes with insulin sensitivity and its relation to controlling blood sugar. From my own experience, as soon as i cut out all added oils, my sugar levels rapidly came in line, despite eating plenty of fruit, whole grains, carbs, etc..
Good luck..!!
Original Post by: lissakayI saute in butter, bacon grease or olive oil ... all are as equally healthy. It just depends on how I want to flavor the veggies. I sometimes use coconut oil, but prefer to use it in hot drinks ... coffee, tea, etc.
Fat, even the saturated kind is NOT THE CAUSE OF ARTERIAL PLAQUE or obesity, people! Eat up! Get HEALTHY eating natural fats and oils! Read the research and learn! Watch the movie Fat Head (free on Hulu.com or Netflix) and LEARN!
It is GRAINS, RICE, POTATOES and SUGAR that are killing us and making us fat and diabetic!
Get your carbs from veggies .. leave the starch and sugar out, EAT FAT and you will be healthier!
Just watched this last night. Very very informative. I have been cooking with a small amount of butter and olive oil for quite sometime now, and have been thinking of cutting that out. After seeing this documentary, I think I will keep with it though.
Thanks for the link!!
I've been saute'ing my veggies in water for quite a while but never thought to add the oil at the end. I'll have to try it next time, sounds delicious!! 
OK, so I'll admit that I didn't read all the comments or the entire article, but canola oil has a higher smoking point than olive oil and produces fewer carcinogens when used in cooking than olive oil. It also has some omegas in there that are pretty good for you. Again, high calorie, but as it's been pointed out, you're splitting it into servings and you probably won't use that much anyway. I also agree with the chef that if you're not using oil, it's not a saute.
Consider animal fat for higher heat applications. All fats become toxic after enough abuse, but saturated animal fats probably less so. The key to cooking is "less is more" anyway, so just taker calm.
I don't use oil or butter at all in my cooking. I am a huge fan of the non-stick 0 calorie spray. It does not add flavors or calories or anything, it just makes the food not stick to the pan when cooking, and it lets the flavors of the food come out and stand out on their own. I love my food this way, and I get numerous compliments about how great my food tastes and I get comments on how people tried to recreate my meals by themselves and they never turned out as good (I just never told them there was no butter or oil in the food so they must have added it on their own.)
For the longest I sauteed in oil. Then one day, and because I saw how many calories there are in olive oil, I sauteed in water my onions, garlic and black pepper and added my kale to coat with the saute. Added 6 oz of water; covered for 20 minutes and voila! tasty sauteed kale. I had no idea that this was the healthy way to saute. But I'm glad I read this blog and discovered that it is indeed health. Makes since to saute in water now that I think about it. I never would have given one thought to how to saute if I had not been counting my calories. Thanks for the blog.
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Patrick Halford advocates steam frying in his GL diet books. It really does bring out the flavours and he has some really good recipes in his books using this mehtod.