Quick Answer
Pam cooking spray does contain calories, though fewer than oil or butter. A 1/3 second spray of original Pam cooking spray contains about 1 calorie. The calorie content comes from the soybean and canola oils used to make the spray. However, since the oils are aerosolized, a tiny amount covers more surface area, so less oil and fewer calories are needed compared to pouring or scooping oil.
How Many Calories Are in Pam Cooking Spray?
The number of calories in Pam cooking spray depends on the type:
| Pam Product | Serving Size | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Original Pam | 1/3 second spray | 1 calorie |
| Butter Flavor Pam | 1/3 second spray | 2 calories |
| Olive Oil Pam | 1/3 second spray | 4 calories |
| Coconut Oil Pam | 1/3 second spray | 4 calories |
As you can see, original Pam has the fewest calories at just 1 calorie per serving. The butter, olive oil, and coconut oil options have a few more calories due to the oils used, but are still very low calorie compared to pouring or scooping those oils.
How Pam Cooking Spray is Made
Pam cooking spray contains soybean oil, canola oil, or a blend. These plant-based oils are mixed with lecithin, a natural emulsifier, and propellant gases like isobutane and propane in an aerosol can.
When you press the nozzle on the can, the propellants spray the oil out in an ultra-fine mist. This allows just a small amount of oil to cover a large surface area in the pan.
With aerosolized Pam, a 1/3 second spray is all you need to grease a pan. In contrast, pouring or scooping oil would add far more calories to the pan.
How Many Servings Are in a Can of Pam?
A standard 5 ounce can of Pam cooking spray contains about 270 servings. Since each serving is just 1/3 second spray, that comes out to 90 total seconds of spray time per can.
The small serving size stretches the can a long way. Light users may get 2-3 months out of a single can, while frequent cooks will run out quicker. Either way, you get significantly more use per ounce compared to pouring from a bottle of oil.
Does Pam Cooking Spray Add Any Fat?
Yes, Pam spray does add a very small amount of fat to your cooking.
The oils in Pam – soybean, canola, olive, etc. – are all fats. When you spray Pam in a pan, a thin layer of oil gets deposited, adding a tiny bit of fat.
However, the quantity of fat is negligible – around 0.25 grams per 1/3 second spray. This won’t make a significant impact for most people tracking their fat intake. Using a spray adds far less fat than pouring or scooping oil to a hot pan.
Fat in Different Types of Pam Spray
Here is the fat content per serving for different Pam cooking sprays:
| Pam Type | Fat (grams) |
|---|---|
| Original Pam | 0.25g |
| Butter Flavor Pam | 0.5g |
| Olive Oil Pam | 1.5g |
| Coconut Oil Pam | 1.5g |
As shown, Butter Flavor, Olive Oil, and Coconut Oil Pam add a bit more fat since they contain fattier oils. But even these are still just trace amounts of fat per spray.
Heart Healthy Cooking Spray Option
For an ultra low-fat option, try Pam’s cooking spray made with oleic sunflower oil.
Oleic sunflower oil is high in monounsaturated fats, which are considered heart healthy fats. This Pam spray only contains 0.2 grams of fat per 1/3 second spray.
So if your doctor recommends limiting saturated fat for heart health, the oleic sunflower oil Pam is a great choice.
Does Pam Added Calories to Air Fryer Foods?
Using Pam spray to grease an air fryer basket will add a very small number of calories to foods:
– A quick 1/3 second spray before air frying adds just 1 calorie.
– Even if you did a full 1 second spray all over the air fryer basket, that would only add about 3 calories.
So yes, Pam does technically add calories to air fried foods. But it’s not enough to make a significant impact for most people. The tiny calorie addition is worthwhile to prevent food from sticking.
Should You Avoid Pam in an Air Fryer?
Some people wonder whether Pam is necessary when air frying, since air fryers cook with convection heat that crisps foods with little or no oil.
It depends on what you’re cooking:
– For foods like chicken wings or French fries, a quick spray ensures they won’t stick. The minor calorie addition is worth it.
– For foods with an already oily surface, like salmon fillets or bacon, you can probably skip the Pam.
– For baked goods like muffins or rolls, a spray helps them release cleanly from the basket.
So Pam can be helpful even when air frying. Just use brief 1-2 second sprays rather than dousing the basket.
Does Spraying Pam Add Calories When Baking?
Using Pam to grease baking pans will add a very small number of calories to baked goods:
– Spraying a muffin tin would add approximately 5 calories total (1 calorie per spray, figure 5 sprays to cover a 12 cup tin).
– Spraying a 9×13″ baking dish would add around 10-15 calories (3-5 seconds of spray).
Again, while technically this does slightly increase the calorie content, it’s not enough to really matter for most recipes or diets. The benefit of preventing sticking is well worth the negligible calorie addition in most cases.
When You Should Avoid Pam in Baking
The times when you may want to avoid Pam are:
– If you are baking something already high in fat, like pastry dough, the extra couple calories are unnecessary. Use flour or parchment to prevent sticking instead.
– If you are baking something for someone with severe dietary limitations, the tiny bit of oil may matter. Opt for parchment paper instead.
– If baking high volume in a commercial kitchen, even small calorie additions can multiply. Consider reusable silicone baking mats.
But for home baking and most recipes, a quick spray of Pam won’t make enough difference to fret over.
Does Spraying Pam Add Calories When Cooking Eggs?
Pam can help eggs cook up with less sticking to the skillet. But does it add calories when cooking eggs?
The short answer is yes, but only 1-2 calories total:
– A 1/3 second spray to grease a small skillet will add 1 calorie.
– Even if you did a full 1 second spray of the entire skillet, that’s still only about 3 calories total.
So while Pam does technically add a tiny number of calories to eggs, it’s completely negligible. The benefit of easy egg sliding and flipping outweighs the couple extra calories.
Healthier Pam Choice For Eggs
If you’re looking for the lowest calorie Pam option to cook eggs, choose the Grilling spray.
Pam Grilling spray only has 0.25 grams of fat per serving, since it’s made with canola oil. Original Pam would work well too.
Avoid the higher fat coconut oil and olive oil options if you’re really counting calories. But even those would just add 4-5 calories for eggs, which is a calorie bargain for nonstick cooking.
Does Pam Add Calories to Popcorn?
If you spritz a bit of Pam spray into your popcorn pot or popcorn maker, it does add a small number of calories:
– 1/3 second spray: 1 calorie
– 1 second spray: 3 calories
However, when you factor in the number of servings you get from a batch of popcorn, we’re talking a trivial amount of calories added per serving – less than 1 calorie.
So Pam does add a few calories to popcorn, but not enough to really factor in or track for most people. It’s worth it for the popcorn flavor and prevention of burning.
Healthy Popcorn Topping Options
To keep popcorn light, go easy on extras like butter, oil, and salt. Healthier topping options include:
– Parmesan cheese (adds flavor without lots of calories)
– Dry seasoning blends
– Chili powder or other spices
– Nutritional yeast for nutty, cheesy flavor
Stick with lighter toppings to keep popcorn a low calorie snack, even with a spritz of Pam on the kernels.
Does Spraying Pam Add Many Calories Overall?
At just 1-4 calories per serving, it’s clear that Pam cooking spray only adds a negligible amount of calories to foods.
Even if you used Pam multiple times per day, the total calorie addition would be minimal.
To put it in perspective:
– 5 sprays a day would add 5-20 calories total
– 10 sprays a day would be 10-40 calories
– 15 sprays a day = 15-60 calories
To consume 100 extra calories per day from Pam spray alone, you’d have to use it 25-100 times! And that’s in lieu of any higher calorie oils.
So in moderation, Pam’s minor calorie addition is nothing to worry about. The convenience is worth the calorie tradeoff.
How to Minimize Pam’s Calorie Addition
If you love Pam but want to limit calories, follow these tips:
– Stick to brief 1/3-1 second sprays instead of longer sprays
– Choose lower calorie original Pam or grilling Pam
– Avoid pouring or pooling Pam in pans
– Use parchment paper or silicone mats when possible
– Double check the pan is fully coated so extra sprays aren’t needed
As long as you spray judiciously, Pam will add just a negligible amount of calories to your cooking and baking.
Conclusion
In summary, Pam cooking spray does add a small number of calories to foods, ranging from 1-4 calories per 1/3 second spray depending on the type. This calorie addition is minimal in the context of total daily calories, however. The convenience and prevention of sticking that Pam provides usually outweighs the tiny calorie addition. When used in moderation via brief sprays, Pam will only add a trivial number of calories overall. So for most cooking applications, Pam’s negligible calorie addition is nothing to stress over. Just be sure to use brief sprays rather than pouring or pooling to minimize calories.
