Oil, sauces, and drinks: the “leak” checklist that saves hundreds of calories

There are three things that break a deficit most often — and people rarely count them as “food”: oil, sauces, and drinks.

The best part: you can control them without suffering — no need to starve or ban everything enjoyable.

Why these three matter

• They’re hard to notice.
• They can easily add +50…300 kcal/day.
• In photos, they may look harmless — or not visible at all.

30-second daily checklist

Quickly scan and honestly mark what you had:

1) Oil

• cooking oil (pan-fry)
• “a bit” of oil on salad
• butter/ghee on grains/vegetables

2) Sauces

• mayo/cheese/creamy sauces
• ketchup/BBQ/teriyaki
• delivery “gravy”

3) Drinks

• juice/soda/lemonade
• latte/cappuccino + syrup
• alcohol (even “just a couple”)

If any of this happened — it’s a reason to check leaks, not to blame yourself.

Read next: Hidden calories: 7 classic “leaks”.

Easy swaps (no hard bans)

• Oil: measure with a spoon / use spray / non-stick cookware
• Sauces: ask for sauce on the side / use half / yogurt-based sauces instead of mayo
• Drinks: water/zero-calorie / coffee without syrup (or “half syrup”)

How to use this in NutriAI

When you log a meal from a photo, always mark oil/sauce/drink if it was there — even if it “felt like a little”. Those +150 kcal are often the difference between “almost in deficit” and “why isn’t it moving?”.