This is a topic of potential debate with a variety of opinions often related to who’s marketing campaign is bigger at the time. If you’re paying attention to this for health reasons or weight management or any other reason, you need to make sure your opinion is based on research aside from the butter company or the margarine company. So here are my thoughts on butter vs margarine.
In the end, we all make our own decision and you must too. I’ve gathered some facts from a variety of sources and summarized them for you here.
1. Both butter and margarine are fat and if eaten at all, need to be in limited quantities.
2. You CAN LIVE without saturated fat. (It is a learned taste, not a natural one).
3. Butter is made by churning milk or cream. Typically cow’s milk. The commercial manufacturing process often includes the addition of food colouring.
4. Margarine is an inexpensive alternate to butter, made from oil or a combination of oils through the process of hydrogenation. There are several steps in processing margarine.
5. 1 tbsp of butter has 102 calories. 1 tbsp of margarine has between 35 and 100 calories depending on the ingredients and processing type.
6. Many margarines have trans fats which is a side effect to the processing and should be avoided at all costs. Watch for those that are hydrogenated…and don’t buy them.
7. Butter is higher in saturated fat but does offer some nutritious benefits. Butter contains key nutritional ingredients including antioxidants, vitamin D and calcium as well as selenium. The fats found in butter also help to aid in the absorption of certain vitamins and minerals. This is not to say the butter is the only or best source of these.
8. A healthy alternative to butter and margarine can include coconut oil. It’s loaded with nutrients and has been described as “the healthiest oil on earth”. It does taste a bit like coconut….not a bad thing in many cases.
9. Olive oil is another healthier option. Often you can replace butter with olive oil for cooking. Although the real health benefits that olive oil provides, come from consuming it uncooked.
I always make “fat” decisions with a conscious thought to calorie intake and health. Olive oil is a part of my diet almost daily in the form of homemade salad dressings. When I bake, which is rare, I choose recipes that call for coconut oil. A nutritionist friend suggested using coconut oil like a spread on toast as a replacement for butter. I haven’t tried it yet as I avoid breads as much as possible but it’s on my list of possibilities.
I NEVER eat margarine. It’s far too processed and I read once that it’s only a molecule away from being the same as the container it comes in. I remember that when I was a kid, we lost the margarine container when we moved in August. It was found a week later in the garage…..as good as new. I’m afraid of a “food” product that is that well preserved.
I eat butter occasionally. It probably averages about 2 or 3 tablespoons per month. That would include butter that ends up in cooked food and the butter I give in to when I happen to be out for a nice dinner and fresh warm bread and whipped butter is placed on the table. It sounds delicious…..but only in moderation.
How about you? Share your thoughts on this with me. I love getting feedback. And here on this blog, you’ll get commentluv. This is a great opportunity to leave a link back to your own blog when you leave feedback.
Until next time,
Robin
