When it comes to choosing between butter or margarine, there are pros and cons to each choice.
Butter
Butter is a natural dairy product, as old as human history. Through the ages, it has symbolized health, wealth, purity, and happiness. It comes in unsalted, lightly salted, and regularly salted options. You can even make it yourself at home!
But butter is not necessarily better. It has 8 grams of saturated fat per serving, which is the type of fat that raises your cholesterol.
What if it's Christmas time and Grandma’s Christmas cookies only taste good with butter? Do you use it? Yes, but limit your serving size. Use Smart Balance or something similar for the rest of the day.
If you use butter, it's best to use it in moderation.
Margarine
Not all margarines are good for you either. Margarines can have Trans Fatty Acids in them, which are another type of fat that can raise your cholesterol. The amount of Trans Fatty Acids is listed on the nutrition label under the Total Fat category.
Choose a margarine that that has close to 0 Trans Fatty Acids. Under the Total Fat category on the nutrition label, check the Mono-unsaturated fat. Choose a margarine that has a high amount of Mono-unsaturated fat. Smart Balance is a good choice. Other good choices are Olivio and Brummel & Brown.
You can also try I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Pump, or Parkay Pump. Both give buttery flavor with no carbohydrates, no fat, and no cholesterol. You can spray these on your popcorn, green beans, corn on the cob, or toast, if you use 5 – 10 squirts. Don’t unscrew the top and pour it on everything, or you'll be adding fat and calories based on the quantity you used.
