Q: Does blotting greasy food, like a greasy pepperoni pizza,
help? Does it save calories or cut down on fat?
Q: Does blotting greasy food, like a greasy pepperoni pizza, help? Does it save calories or cut down on fat?
– Lori S., Gilroy
A: “It depends on the type of blotting you do,” said Lillian Castillo, a public health nutritionist for Santa Clara County. “If you’re an aggressive blotter, you can cut down a significant amount of calories … anywhere from 80 to 150 calories from a food item.”
A single teaspoon of fat contains 45 calories. Aggressive blotting, said Castillo, is blotting until nothing more will come up.
“Is it going to make a significant impact if you’re eating a food that has 800 calories?” asked Castillo. “Probably not. But you can make a difference by asking to have some foods modified.”
Castillo recommends ordering pizza heavy on sauce and light on cheese, especially if you replace the meat toppings with extra vegetables. But some foods just can’t be helped.
“French fries are permeated in fat,” said Castillo. “They’re dipped in fat, then frozen – even the kind you buy at the store – and then they’re taken out and cooked in fat, too. Taste a potato. It doesn’t taste that great. It’s all the fat that makes it taste good.”
If you’re determined to buy them, Castillo said, blot them and share them with friends.
