Boil calories: how much the energy value of foods changes after cooking

Did you know that the same foods can have different caloric values in raw and cooked form? After all, this is a very important aspect for those who lose weight and keep track of every calorie eaten. Often, if you rely only on the data given in tables, and calculate the daily calorie by them, you can seriously err in the calculations. Even the cooking method can change the caloric value of a product.

How do cooking methods affect calories?

With different heat treatments, the weight and calorie content of foods also change. For example, boiling can reduce the calorie content of a dish by almost 20%, because this method of cooking loses excess fat, sugar and some protein. But do not forget about starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, carrots and beets. They after cooking, on the contrary, increase the calorie content by as much as 30%.

Things are different with frying. If you fry on a dry pan or grill, the calories can be reduced. But if you use oil, of course, the dish will turn out much “heavier”.

Products cooked in the way of stewing are the closest in caloric content to raw. Although it is similar to boiling, the calories go into the gravy, not into the broth, which can be drained.

Steaming is the most dietary and healthy option. Firstly, this method reduces calories, and secondly, it preserves all the useful properties and vitamins.

Let’s see how the products that are in everyone’s diet change after cooking.

Buckwheat

It is often used by thinners because of a fairly low energy value and high nutrition. On 100 g of raw groats there are 305 kcal. However, it should be understood that this indicator changes many times, if you cook buckwheat – about 100 kcal per 100 g.

Chicken breast

A universal dietary product. On 100 g of raw meat is 113 kcal, but if you boil it, the extra calories will go into the broth, and the volume of meat will decrease, as well as the caloric value – up to 95 kcal per 100 grams. If you smoke the breast, it will be 119 kcal per 100 grams, and if you fry it – about 200 kcal.

Macaroni

From a small handful of dry pasta can turn out a full-fledged side dish for lunch. The caloric value of pasta usually also decreases when boiled, while its weight, on the contrary, increases. If dry contains about 350 kcal per 100 g, then in the ready boiled form – about 175 kcal.

Potatoes

In raw form, potatoes contain about 70 kcal per 100 g. There are countless options for cooking dishes with this vegetable. It can be baked, boiled, fried, made from it chips. Because of the starch in the composition of potatoes – quite caloric and non-dietary product. Even boiling increases its caloric content.

Egg

For an example, let’s take an egg from the selected category. In its raw form, such an egg has 100 kcal per 60 g. The caloric value of a boiled egg practically corresponds to the energy value of a raw egg. But the longer you boil an egg, the more this indicator increases, although to a small extent.

Milk

If you want to lose weight, you should give preference to clarified milk, as it is more nutritious and less caloric. Boiling milk increases the amount of fat in it and, consequently, the calorie content.