N/A servings per container
Serving size 1/3 second spray (0.25g)
Calories 0
About Cooking Spray
Pam Cooking Spray is a popular kitchen staple used to prevent food from sticking to pans, grills, and bakeware. It consists of an oil, an emulsifier like lecithin to keep the oil from separating, and a propellant to aerosolize the mixture. While it's often marketed as a zero-calorie product, this can be misleading. A standard calorie calculator might not accurately reflect its energy content when used in larger amounts. The claim is based on a very small serving size, which allows manufacturers to round caloric values down to zero.
Calorie Information
The nutrition label on Pam Cooking Spray lists zero calories. This is due to FDA labeling regulations that permit any food with fewer than five calories per serving to be listed as having zero. The official serving size is a very brief 1/3-second spray, weighing about 0.25 grams. In reality, a more typical one-second spray contains approximately 7 calories and just under 1 gram of fat. For those on a strict calorie deficit or using a maintenance calorie calculator, it's important to be mindful of how long you spray, as the calories can add up.
Nutritional Value
Beyond calories, the nutritional content for the official serving size is listed as zero across the board: 0g of fat, 0mg of sodium, and 0g of carbohydrates and protein. This makes it a popular choice for those trying to reduce fat and calorie intake, especially compared to using larger amounts of butter or liquid oil. For individuals wondering 'how many calories should I eat a day to lose weight?', tools like cooking spray can help in meal preparation to lower the total calorie count of a dish without sacrificing non-stick performance.