When it comes to butter or margarine, it’s very confusing to figure out what to buy.
First of all, butter is not better. It has 8 grams of saturated fat, which is the type of fat that raises your cholesterol. But 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. Starting in 2006, it will be mandatory for a food manufacturer to list the amount of Trans Fatty Acids on the nutrition label under the Total Fat category.
Some manufacturers are already listing the Trans Fatty Acids. You want to choose one that is close to 0. Second, look at the nutrition label under the category, Total Fat, you will see listed the term “Mono-unsaturated fat”. Choose one that has a high amount of Mono-unsaturated fat. Smart Balance is a good choice. Other OK choices are Olivio and Brummel & Brown.
What if its Christmas time and Grandma’s Christmas cookies only taste good with butter? Do you use it? YES, but limit your serving size. Have your Smart Balance or something similar the rest of the day.
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, no cholesterol, no anything IF you use 5 – 10 squirts. You don’t want to unscrew the top and just pour it on everything. When you do that, it adds fat and calories based on the fact that you used so much of it. You can spray these on your popcorn, green beans, corn on the cob or toast.
