329626 Thu Sep 28 10:08:37 -0700 2006 49 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1907783 Does anyone know of a healthy alternative to butter or margerine? Thanks. Thu Sep 28 10:08:37 -0700 2006 15907 fifi 1 1907852 Smart Balance. Although I wouldn't use it to replace fat in baking. I got to tell you, moderation is what I rely on. Butter is not that bad. Also, good (non-grocery store) lard is better for you than butter. Less saturated fats and all. Thu Sep 28 12:12:26 -0700 2006 1907783 11259 Becca Porter 1 1907961 Skip the margarine and just use butter in moderation. There really is no replacement, IMO. Nothing even comes close. Thu Sep 28 13:30:06 -0700 2006 1907783 22794 debit 2 4438152 Absolutely. I believe that the natural stuff, in moderation, is preferable to the substitute... unless you have diabetes and must use Splenda, of course. Situations like that are, obviously, exceptions. Fri Feb 20 22:06:30 -0800 2009 1907961 183643 sfumato 1 1908036 Who's telling you that butter isn't healthy? They're wrong. Margarine is unhealthy and to be avoided. But not butter. Butter is healthy. Thu Sep 28 14:01:24 -0700 2006 1907783 13805 scott123 2 4410446 Nonsense, the right kind of margarine is much more healthy than butter. For instance Becel, it is low in saturated fats and has no trans fats. On the other hand hard margarine is definitely to be avoided. Thu Feb 12 08:24:52 -0800 2009 1908036 266214 exbrit 3 4412448 Why should a non-natural food (margarine) be more healthy than all natural one (butter) if you eat it in moderation ? Thu Feb 12 17:13:59 -0800 2009 4410446 13239 honkman 4 4413411 I'm with you. Here are the ingredients in Becel: Canola and sunflower oils 74%, water, modified palm and palm kernel oils 6%, salt 1.8%, whey protein concentrate 1.4%, soy lecithin 0.2%, vegetable monoglycerides, potassium sorbate, vegetable colour, artificial flavour, citric acid, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D3, alpha-tocopherol acetate (vitamin E). I buy butter fresh from the farm. Its ingredients are: Milk, water I eat butter in moderation. Becel may have no transfat but it has a whole lot of other junk that I don't want to put in my body. Fri Feb 13 04:59:32 -0800 2009 4412448 248284 taos 2 4411628 I agree that butter is healthy! Thu Feb 12 13:07:46 -0800 2009 1908036 211115 neverlate 1 1908085 I only eat butter, no synthetics in my home. Thu Sep 28 14:20:30 -0700 2006 1907783 10285 Candy 2 1970622 Who says butter is healthy? It is 100% animal fat. Animal fat on any level is unhealthy regardless of the form its presented in. We use olive oil in everything, we do not use butter, and our meals are fabulous. We don't miss butter at all. For bread, we use olive oil, with seasoning and sometimes a little aged sweet balsamic. Yum Yum! Wed Oct 25 03:47:32 -0700 2006 1908085 48903 kdljones 3 1970875 Animal fat in moderation is not a significant health risk for people who are not vulnerable to cholesterol or related issues. Actually, for people who are watching calories more than cholesterol, butter can be a bit of an aid because it has 80% of the calories of oil per unit of volume. And butter has qualities that oil cannot replicate: because it contains water and non-fat solids, it can do things oil cannot hope to do in cooking. That's why many people should happily continue to use buttern in moderation. To answer the OP's question, the only solid vegetable fat product I can enjoy a bit in place of butter is Olivio. It tastes a lot better than other spreads. Wed Oct 25 11:33:40 -0700 2006 1970622 13819 Karl S 1 1970811 Butter is an all natural food, just as God intended it. I use Olive Oil and other oils for salads and frying, and butter sparingly for the table and cooking. There is no replacement,however, for butter in baking. Animal fat like butter,lard,goose fat etc, are not unhealthy used in small quantities in a varied diet . The French eat all of those and have a much greater life span than we do, half the heart deisease, and less than half the cancer. Margarine is hydrogenated fat, 100% chemical and not natural at all. Wed Oct 25 07:15:19 -0700 2006 1907783 10838 Fleur 2 1971837 There are now lots of trans-fat free margarines on the market. Personally I'd rather use something closer to a natural product, like butter, lard, or vegetable or nut oil. Wed Oct 25 17:59:45 -0700 2006 1970811 11369 Robert Lauriston 2 3240716 Hey im sorry but des no way i agree wit u! Incase u never did an ounce of chemistry u should know dat margerine is hydrogenated VEGETABLE/PLANT oils!!!! Butter has more calories dan margerine and shoots cholestrol right out of da cieling! Please tel me on wat planet is animal fat better dan plant fat?!!!! Certainly not earth!!!!! Butter may taste nicer to some personally I dont use it at all it tastes purely disgusting!!! If u wana kill urself go ahead using butter! Thu Dec 27 13:48:59 -0800 2007 1970811 152788 taszi 3 3247116 Um, butter does not have more calories than most regular margarines. It does have more saturated fat, but no transfats, and transfats are now considered more of a health risk than the saturated fat in butter. And many people do not have a cholesterol problem and don't need to worry about consuming saturated fats in moderation. As for calories, a tablespoon of butter has 100 calories. A tablespoon of vegetable oil has 120 calories. Why does butter have 20% fewer calories per unit of volume? Because it contains water, sugar (lactose) and trace proteins in addition to fat-those additional things are what give it properties oil cannot duplicate in cooking. (!!!) Sun Dec 30 11:07:06 -0800 2007 3240716 13819 Karl S 3 4412550 Margarine is plant fat like kerosene is dinosaur fat. It's not the source of the fat that's the problem, its the processing it undergoes between field and table. Thu Feb 12 17:56:00 -0800 2009 3240716 58743 alanbarnes 3 4413402 It's exactly the hydrogenization process that makes margarine unhealthy. It's through hydrogenation that trans-fats are created. Ingesting transfats have been shown to increase overal cholesterol and LDL (the so-called "bad cholesterol"). Fri Feb 13 04:49:16 -0800 2009 3240716 248284 taos 1 1971761 I'm beating a dead horse at this point, but I agree: there is absolutely nothing wrong with butter in moderation. I would never even consider using anything else in baking. Wed Oct 25 17:40:44 -0700 2006 1907783 12186 christy319 2 1971797 I don't think it's dead enough. Too many people still labor under the hectorings of the indiscriminate demonizers of certain foods. I subscribe to the Nutrition Action Newsletter, which is among the more voluble of that group, but I also know how to separate the wheat from the chaff in what they write. Wed Oct 25 17:49:41 -0700 2006 1971761 13819 Karl S 1 1971819 Smart Balance - and I have used it as a fat for baking and it worked fine. The fats it is made from are actually supposed to be good for your circulatory system - it has essential fatty oils like salmon does. Wed Oct 25 17:55:52 -0700 2006 1907783 23824 niki rothman 2 2298239 I really like Smart Balance, and it has good omega 3's in it. I even use it on my Zen Bakery healthy cinnamon buns to make a cream cheese frosting of fat-free cream cheese, a little smart balance, splenda, and vanilla. Thu Feb 15 23:30:19 -0800 2007 1971819 15572 Emme 2 4411872 I agree. I use Smart Balance Organic and it tastes great and is healthier than butter or most other margarine. Its always worked fine when baking as well. Thu Feb 12 14:04:55 -0800 2009 1971819 229028 marietinn 1 1971833 Olive oil is my first choice for anything which will be fried or sauteed. If I'm having toast - Smart Balance is the best tasting substitute for butter that I've found. If you had told me I'd ever be able to deal with any kind of butter substitute I would have laughed in your face years ago. SB isn't so bad. I can even manage it on a baked potato. Butter, as mentioned, has no substitute in some instances. There are just some things which taste better with butter and I won't give them up such as; scrambled eggs, pastries and other various baked goods, etc. Since I eat those items in moderation to begin with, I don't feel too guilty about the occassional butter splurge these days. In fact, a stick of butter in my home could easily last a month, maybe more. Wed Oct 25 17:58:31 -0700 2006 1907783 12099 sivyaleah 2 1972423 Agree...everything in moderation. I keep butter in the freezer. I stock up when the kind I like it is on sale, wrap in Saran,then store in Ziploc freezer bags. When I need a TBS or so of butter for a dish, I slice it off a frozen stick. Wed Oct 25 20:37:22 -0700 2006 1971833 10838 Fleur 1 1971838 The best butters are those from grass-fed cows. The one brand I can find is Organic Valley organic butter. High levels of Omega-3s and a lot of Vitamin A, E, and Oleic (spelling?) Acid. Oleic Acid is an essential compound only found in pastured (grass-fed) meats and dairy products. It's certianly expensive, but when I can afford it's reserved for table use :). Good stuff. Butter is not bad for you. Animal fat is not bad for you. Julia Child used animal fats for cooking and baking almost exlusively, and she lived to be 92, but she stressed and practiced moderation, and that's the key. Wed Oct 25 18:00:17 -0700 2006 1907783 48839 rokzane 2 1971855 JC also drank wine, another healthy habit which might have helped balance her butter intake...nm Wed Oct 25 18:04:41 -0700 2006 1971838 11069 fauchon 2 1972450 Very true. My Grandmother is 99. She never followed any diet regime, never worked out, just walked a lot and ate everything, including butter and chocolate. She is still going strong, and enjoying all her food. At this very moment I am preparing Chicken Cannoli and a Gingerbread Cake to bring to her. Every week I prepare a a few dishes in large amounts so she can enjoy it for many meals just by defrosting and reheating. Does anyone else prepare food for an elderly relative or friend? Wed Oct 25 20:42:48 -0700 2006 1971838 10838 Fleur 3 1972782 My grandmother and her sister lived into their 90s on a diet rich in animal fat. They grew up on a dairy farm, and churned butter until they immigrated to the US. My grandmother never stopped buttering her steaks and salting her ham, to her health-conscious daughter's (my mother) ire. The gleeful look on my grandmother as she stared at my mother while slathering the butter and pounding the salt is a fond memory of her grandchildren, who thus learned a lesson about obsessions over "bad" food. Wed Oct 25 22:43:56 -0700 2006 1972450 13819 Karl S 1 1972081 Butter is best for baking, and certain other dishes. I'll often use 1/2 butter and 1/2 olive oil for saute and pan frying. There are some butter blends out there that taste OK as a spread, and rice butter is a nice addition to the fridge spread on pancakes or bread. Margarine is gross IMO. One could argue that it's better to use something that has a lot of flavor, that way you might not use as much. Of course, that could backfire! Wed Oct 25 19:00:49 -0700 2006 1907783 16383 Ace_Mclean 1 1972099 Since I currently have to follow a dairy-free diet, I'm using Organic Earth Balance (whipped) and it's pretty good for a butter substitute. I haven't tried it in baking but the container says you can. Wed Oct 25 19:04:31 -0700 2006 1907783 10027 Chris VR 2 1973009 Smart Balance/Earth Balance has been my choice for some time, and yes I have cooked and baked with it. It works. Butter works better, and lard works better yet, but if your doctor says Lay Off The Animal Fats! at least you won't have to go without your biscuits... Thu Oct 26 00:23:02 -0700 2006 1972099 11478 Will Owen 2 1973613 Have you tried Ghee? It is butter without the milk solids. It is available at Indian groceries in a jar, and keeps on the shelf for a long time. Thu Oct 26 06:47:30 -0700 2006 1972099 10838 Fleur 3 1973774 It's not the milk solids that are the problem, it's the proteins (I am told). It's OK, it's not forever, just until I am done breastfeeding. I've got a jar of Ghee in my pantry that stares at me accusingly every time I go in there :-) Thu Oct 26 13:06:45 -0700 2006 1973613 10027 Chris VR 4 1973779 Chris, I am four weeks away from delivering so your post is of special interest to me. Is there a specific reason, beyond simply breastfeeding, that you are maintaining a dairy free diet? I assume there is a reason, better for the baby or colick (sp?) or ?? Is there something I should know that I do not. First time mom :-) Thanks, Michele Thu Oct 26 13:10:00 -0700 2006 1973774 11633 Michele4466 5 1973830 Drop me an email- my address is in my profile. It's not really chow talk! Thu Oct 26 13:36:18 -0700 2006 1973779 10027 Chris VR 4 1973797 well, the proteins are part of the milk solids. The non-fat parts of milk are (1) water and (2) solids consisting of sugar (lactose) and protein. Thu Oct 26 13:21:27 -0700 2006 1973774 13819 Karl S 5 1973894 The list my doctor gave me looks like the list at http://www.uchospitals.edu/online-library/content=P00023 and ghee's no good. Thu Oct 26 14:02:53 -0700 2006 1973797 10027 Chris VR 6 1973922 I assume the reason for that is that ghee may not be fully clarified. But commercial ghee that I have says 0 grams of protein (which I know may mean less than .5 gram). Thu Oct 26 14:16:04 -0700 2006 1973894 13819 Karl S 1 1973523 Lard...iirc that it has less sat fat or cholesterol than butter ounce for ounce. Thu Oct 26 05:20:53 -0700 2006 1907783 14086 kare_raisu 1 1973834 I really like Olivio. I have cooked with it and it makes as good of a grilled cheese sandwich as butter. Thu Oct 26 13:37:51 -0700 2006 1907783 13218 KitchenAid 1 2297763 While margarine and assorted vegetable oil spreads may be cheaper, you'd never eat them again if you knew how they were made. All margarines are made from assorted vegetable oils that have been heated to extremely high temperatures. This insures that the oils will become rancid. After that, a nickel catalyst is added, along with hydrogen atoms, to solidify it. Nickel is a toxic heavy metal and amounts always remain in the finished product. Finally, deodorants and colorings are added to remove margarine's horrible smell (from the rancid oils) and unappetizing grey color. And if that is not enough, in the solidification process, harmful trans-fatty acids are created which are carcinogenic and mutagenic. What would you rather have: a real food with an abundance of healthful qualities or a stick of carcinogenic, bleached, and deodorized slop? Some of you might be watching your weight and be rather hesitant to add butter into your diet. Have no fear. About 15% of the fatty acids in butter are of the short and medium chain variety which are NOT stored as fat in the body, but are used by the vital organs for energy. (Fats you should watch, though, are all vegetable oils and olive oil.) Butter is a rich source of easily absorbed vitamin A, needed for a wide range of functions in the body, from maintaining good vision, to keeping the endocrine system in top shape. Butter also contains all the other fat-soluble vitamins (E, K, and D). Butter is rich in trace minerals, especially selenium, a powerful antioxidant. Ounce for ounce, butter has more selenium per gram than either whole wheat or garlic. Butter also supplies iodine, needed by the thyroid gland (as well as vitamin A, also needed by the thyroid gland). Butter has appreciable amounts of butyric acid, used by the colon as an energy source. This fatty acid is also a known anti-carcinogen. Lauric acid, a medium chain fatty acid, is a potent antimicrobial and antifungal substance. Butter also contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which gives excellent protection against cancer. Range-fed cows produce especially high levels of CLA as opposed to "stall fed" cattle. It pays, then, to get your butter from a cow that has been fed properly. Butter also has small, but equal, amounts of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, the so-called essential fatty acids. Thu Feb 15 19:05:54 -0800 2007 1907783 74887 benjughead 2 3245741 Heart disease was rare in America at the turn of the century. Between 1920 and 1960, the incidence of heart disease rose precipitously to become America's number one killer. During the same period butter consumption plummeted from eighteen pounds per person per year to four. It doesn't take a Ph.D. in statistics to conclude that butter is not a cause. Actually butter contains many nutrients that protect us from heart disease. First among these is vitamin A which is needed for the health of the thyroid and adrenal glands, both of which play a role in maintaining the proper functioning of the heart and cardiovascular system. Abnormalities of the heart and larger blood vessels occur in babies born to vitamin A deficient mothers. Butter is America's best and most easily absorbed source of vitamin A. It a number of anti-oxidants that protect against the kind of free radical damage that weakens the arteries. Vitamin A and vitamin E found in butter both play a strong anti-oxidant role. Butter is a very rich source of selenium, a vital anti-oxidant--containing more per gram than herring. Butter is also a good dietary source cholesterol. Cholesterol an anti-oxidant? Yes indeed, cholesterol is a potent anti-oxidant that is flooded into the blood when we take in too many harmful free-radicals--usually from damaged and rancid fats in margarine and highly processed vegetable oils. A Medical Research Council survey showed that men eating butter ran half the risk of developing heart disease as those using margarine. Sat Dec 29 16:41:16 -0800 2007 2297763 28062 Mangogirl 1 3247130 Yikes, Julia Child is turning in her grave now... Butter, in moderation (like pretty much anything else) is not unhealthy and, IT TASTES GOOD. I would guess that the negative effects on one's health from worrying about the effects of butter far outweigh any negative effects from the actual butter. Sun Dec 30 11:13:33 -0800 2007 1907783 124339 bnemes3343 1 3247841 I use a lot more extra virgin olive oil than I used to, but butter in certain recipes, local non-transfat lard sometimes. Never, never margarine. Sun Dec 30 16:22:37 -0800 2007 1907783 11995 pikawicca 1 3394743 I'm for Team Butter. I'm pasting a portion of a blurb from an article from the Mercola website: "Butter, when made from grass-fed cows, is rich in a substance called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). CLA is not only known to help fight cancer and diabetes, but it may also help you to lose weight! Much of the reason why butter was, and continues to be, vilified is because it contains saturated fat." whole story here: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/2/12/how-to-make-your-own-butter.aspx High quality saturated fat, such as that from Extra Virgin Unrefined Coconut Oil, is quite beneficial! Wed Feb 13 14:40:17 -0800 2008 1907783 158308 Julia_Stepchild 1 3395560 I like Fleischmann's olive oil blend spread on toast. If you keep it reflrigerated it doesn't separate enough to show all the water that's in it! I use olive oil on pasta and stir-fries, and generally avoid fats on cooked vegetables. Italian dressing is fabulous on a baked potato. Wed Feb 13 18:52:04 -0800 2008 1907783 160926 Kinnexa 1 4410647 For me, butter in baking is only reserved for special indulgent occasions as trying to lead a healthy, low-fat lifestyle doesn't agree with daily use of butter. Extra virgin olive oil is best for cooking and some desserts but for baking cakes I use low fat cream cheese or sour cream and the results are delicious. Thu Feb 12 09:15:55 -0800 2009 1907783 240789 Paula76 1 4412437 A healthy alternative to margarine is butter. When you use butter you should use good quality butter made from organic milk produced from grass-fed cows. Thu Feb 12 17:08:54 -0800 2009 1907783 248284 taos 1 4413410 I agree with pretty much everyone here. You can't replace butter, just don't eat too much. Someone bought up transfats as well, which are bad. Fri Feb 13 04:58:53 -0800 2009 1907783 180623 Soop