Avocado oil spray has become a popular cooking oil alternative in recent years. Unlike traditional cooking oils that are high in fat and calories, avocado oil sprays contain zero calories per serving. This seems too good to be true – how can oil, which is pure fat, contain no calories?
The answer lies in how avocado oil spray is formulated and manufactured. Avocado oil on its own is highly caloric, containing around 120 calories per tablespoon. However, avocado oil spray products are able to eliminate calories by using a combination of avocado oil and propellants like compressed air or carbon dioxide gas.
When you spray avocado oil from the can, you are not just getting pure avocado oil. The propellant allows the avocado oil to be dispensed in a very fine mist. This mist contains tiny droplets of oil that are suspended in the propellant gases. Since the propellant gases contain no calories, they greatly reduce the calorie count of what is actually making it onto your food.
How is avocado oil spray made?
Avocado oil spray is manufactured by first extracting pure avocado oil from avocados. This extracted oil contains 120 calories per tablespoon, like any normal cooking oil.
The avocado oil is then mixed with propellant gases like air, nitrogen, or carbon dioxide under high pressure. This allows the oil to be mixed with the gases and packaged into a pressurized spray can.
When sprayed, the propellant gases are released from the can. As they escape, they carry miniscule droplets of the avocado oil with them in a fine mist.
This mist contains such tiny amounts of oil that the calories are negligible. While the overall contents of the can may contain hundreds of calories from the avocado oil, each spray only releases a fraction of a calorie.
How many calories are in each spray?
The exact number of calories in each spray will vary between brands, but is typically around 1/100th of a calorie.
For example, a brief spray of 3 grams may contain just 0.36 calories. This is why the FDA allows avocado oil sprays to be labeled as zero calories – the calories per serving are negligible.
This number is determined based on the ratio of propellant gases to avocado oil in each product. More propellant gas means the sprays will contain even fewer calories. The type of propellant may also affect calorie counts.
Manufacturers are careful to formulate avocado oil sprays so each spray contains no more than 0.49 calories, thereby rounding down to zero calories for nutrition labeling purposes.
How many sprays add up to 1 tablespoon of oil?
While each spray only contains a fraction of a calorie, repeatedly spraying avocado oil can add up.
Most avocado oil sprays estimate that it takes about 10-20 sprays to equal 1 tablespoon of regular avocado oil, which would contain 120 calories.
So if you wanted a true calorie-free equivalent of 1 tablespoon of oil, you would need to limit sprays to less than 10-20 total. Any more than that, and the calories would start accumulating.
The exact number of sprays per tablespoon also varies by brand and bottle volume. For example, a 2-ounce spray bottle may require 30 sprays to equal 1 tablespoon.
To be safe, it’s best to check serving size recommendations on your specific avocado oil spray and limit sprays accordingly if counting calories. Moderation is key when it comes to zero-calorie products.
Benefits of Avocado Oil Spray
Using avocado oil spray offers several advantages over pouring liquid oils:
More accurate measuring and portion control
It’s virtually impossible to pour exactly 1 tablespoon of oil from a bottle. A spray makes it easy to dispense precise amounts for better calorie control. Just count your sprays.
Even oil distribution
The fine mist from a spray ensures your oil evenly coats the pan or food surface area. Bottled oils may pool unevenly.
Less oil needed
Spraying oil requires far less amount of oil than pouring from a bottle. Less oil = less calories.
No mess or waste
There’s no dealing with messy bottles, drips, spills, or slippery hands. The spray nozzle delivers oil right where you need it without the waste.
Non-stick surface
The thin sheen of oil acts like a non-stick coating to prevent food from sticking to pans.
High heat tolerance
Avocado oil has a very high smoke point, so it won’t burn or degrade under high heat like other oils.
Clean flavored oil
The light taste won’t interfere with flavors of other ingredients.
Potential Drawbacks of Avocado Oil Spray
While avocado oil spray does have some advantages, there are a few potential drawbacks to consider:
Not ideal for high-volume cooking
Repeated spraying would be required to coat a large volume of food, like a big batch of roasted vegetables. Pouring may work better.
Contains propellants
The propellant gases allow the spray to work, but some people may wish to avoid them for health or environmental reasons.
Not suitable for high-temperature searing
The thin layer of sprayed oil is not ideal for getting a good sear on meats. A thicker poured oil would work better.
More expensive
Sprays tend to cost more per ounce compared to buying regular bottled avocado oil. The convenience comes at a price.
Easy to over-spray
It takes discipline not to overdo the easy squeezes of spray. Following serving sizes is important.
Not ideal for salads
The very fine mist may be difficult to evenly coat chopped salad ingredients compared to drizzling from a bottle.
How to Cook and Bake Using Avocado Oil Spray
Avocado oil spray can be used in almost any cooking, baking or pan-frying application calling for oil. Here are some tips:
Sauteing
– Spray sauté pan or skillet before heating.
– Use 1-2 second sprays to coat pan between batches.
– Controls calories by using less oil.
Stir-frying
– Spray wok before stir-frying meats, vegetables etc.
– Use brief sprays if needed between additions.
– Toss and stir ingredients quickly to distribute oil.
Pan or grill grilling
– Lightly coat grates or pan with spray before grilling.
– Reapply spray between batches if needed.
– Avoid over-spraying to prevent flare ups.
Roasting vegetables
– Arrange veggies on sheet pan, lightly coat with spray.
– For even coating, spray veggies directly instead of pan.
– Use tongs to toss after spraying to distribute oil.
Baking
– Spray muffin tins, cake pans, loaf pans before baking.
– Oil will create a non-stick surface for easy release.
– Avoid over-spraying baking dishes.
Is Avocado Oil Spray Healthy?
Avocado oil itself is considered one of the healthiest cooking oils:
Rich in monounsaturated fats
Avocado oil contains high levels of monounsaturated fats. These heart-healthy fats may help lower cholesterol.
High smoke point
With a very high smoke point, avocado oil maintains integrity under high heat better than other oils.
Absorbs well
The fat composition allows avocado oil to be readily absorbed and put to use by the body.
May have anti-inflammatory benefits
Some studies link avocado oil with reducing inflammation. The antioxidants in the oil may be responsible.
However, moderation is still key – even healthy fats and oils are high in calories if over-consumed. That’s where using an avocado oil spray can help control your portion sizes.
A few seconds of spray still allows you to benefit from the healthy qualities of avocado oil, but with a fraction of the calories you’d get pouring from a bottle.
Downsides of avocado oil
While generally healthy, avocado oil is not ideal for:
– Deep frying – lower smoke point oils like canola would be better
– People with latex allergies – avocado oil can trigger cross-reactivity
– People avoiding too many omega-6 fatty acids – avocado oil is relatively high
As with any oil, moderation is key to gaining health benefits without going overboard on calories.
Conclusion
Avocado oil spray is formulated to allow tiny, low-calorie mists of oil to be dispensed. This is achieved by suspending pure avocado oil in calorie-free propellant gases like air or carbon dioxide.
The result is a means of adding the beneficial qualities of avocado oil to your cooking in a convenient spray format that eliminates almost all the fat and calories.
Just be mindful of portions – stick close to recommended spray counts, and avoid going overboard. Used properly, avocado oil spray can be a healthy and effective oil substitute.
With some care and discipline, you can pick up all the benefits of delicious avocado oil without any of the excess calories.
