Margarine or butter

saintor1

kimny72 wrote: »

Very few margarines still contain transfat, so just check the label and avoid partially hydrogenated whosywhatsits..

This picked my curiosity and it appears that you are correct.

https://www.becel.ca/en/products/becel-light-margarine

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Non-hydrogenated? Yes

No Trans fat? Yes

Low in saturated fat? Yes

Can you bake and cook with Becel® Light? Not recommended

Can you pan fry with Becel® Light? No

Then I learn that you can't bake, cook or fry with Becel Light... I used it in my broccoli & mushrooms casserole, to enhance the taste.

For what I do, now I know that I should not use Becel Light but something else (including other Becel that you can use to cook, bake and fry). Doing this, there goes the Becel Light low calories argument and possibly I should just go with butter....

I found other low-calories margarine, but none that I remember having noticed at my local stores. Finally even with the recent crop of margarines (at least Becel), some sites report that many (not all) are still high in omega 6 fatty acids (vs omega 3, hurting the desirable ratio).

janejellyroll

lemurcat12 wrote: »

Hearts_2015 wrote: »

@fatmom12018
I use Butter & feel it's much healthier than margarine for our bodies, I don't eat a ton of it but I prefer the taste of it and would definitely buy it over margarine. I know in the past I've read articles that talked about margarine containing ingredients that our bodies can't digest. You'd have to look those up, it's been awhile since I referenced those, there may be something in the MFP archives?

What I use most frequently is Earth Balance brand it comes in stick or a container, which I use. I buy the one with Olive Oil. Earth Balance also carries a yummy Olive Oil mayo it's definitely my go to!

This bit is confusing, as I think Earth Balance is technically a margarine, and certainly it's not butter.

You can't generalize about which is healthier, as margarines vary a lot. I'd avoid any with transfats, as those are bad for you, no question, but I think few are made with transfats these days.

That said, I never use margarine, as I think butter is not bad for you (in moderation) and has a superior taste, and it's not like I use it much anyway. Pretty much just for baking, where margarine is not a great substitute, and for a very few dishes (like skate in brown butter) where I think butter's taste is needed and olive oil (or avocado oil or coconut oil) won't work.

I don't really use spreads, and like olive oil for most of my savory cooking. But if someone enjoys margarine and doesn't use a transfat one, I think it's fine (or I would suggest reading the ingredients for that particular product, anyway). I believe there is a poster here who makes her own margarine at home.

I have used Earth Balance before (have phased it out as part of eliminating palm oil) and it's definitely margarine. They call it "vegan butter" (and I use that term too) but vegan butter is . . . margarine.

extra_medium

it really doesn't matter all that much in the end, use whatever you prefer.

sgt1372

Just butter for me.

Don't recall EVER buying margarine in my life. However, I have purchased Crisco for baking (and still have some) because a recipe called for it but later learned that I really don't need it.

Main difference bet Crisco and butter is in the water & fat content, which can be accomodated by boiling off the water (and, of course, taste, which can be replicated in butter flavored Crisco, if you like it; I don't).

wizzybeth

RodaRose wrote: »

Butter tastes better

THIS ALL OF THIS

zdyb23456

Am I the only one who thinks that butter doesn’t really have much flavor/taste?

I’m indifferent and rarely use it other than for baking.

lorrpb

I use very little of either, so it's a non-issue.

paperpudding

zdyb23456 wrote: »

Am I the only one who thinks that butter doesn’t really have much flavor/taste?

I’m indifferent and rarely use it other than for baking.

Nope, not the only one.

As I said upthread, I think margarine tastes fine and I buy it because it is cheaper and it spreads better.

both taste fine to me so i choose on the other factors.

Ann262

I think margarine is disgusting.

dupont3775

Anyone ever heard of ghee? Purchased from whole foods. Coconut oil or ghee. Butter unsalted, various company's make butter spreadable. Check out the trans-fats. Butter is my go-to, because when i use 'impostors' it seems like I use more of it trying to get that satisfaction of the butter taste. When i use butter i actually use less as my taste buds seem to be satisfied.

Overall, use what you're most comfortable with.

jgnatca

I avoid all light margarines as they achieve the lower calories by adding water. Soggy toast. Yuck. If you want lower calorie margarine or butter use less.

Ghee is simply clarified butter.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghee

kimny72

jgnatca wrote: »

I avoid all light margarines as they achieve the lower calories by adding water. Soggy toast. Yuck. If you want lower calorie margarine or butter use less.

Ghee is simply clarified butter.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghee

I accidentally bought a store brand "lite" spreadable butter. It tasted weird and yes it seemed soggy. I looked at the label and the FIRST ingredient was water! :huh: Gross, I threw it out.

nvmomketo

I am not a fan of many vegetable oils so I go with butter.

I use Earth Balance or coconut oil in baking for those who are dairy intolerant.

dutchandkiwi

I use all types of fat for different purposes. Margerine is often used as a shortening replacement and it is perfect or that, personally I think better than butter.
Healthier is not an objective term really in the respect as really in many recipes it is case of using fats and flavour combined with textural abilities

Oh and butter also contains (naturally occurring) trans- fats. So that argument is not valid either. Yes it is natural biohydrogenation vs the induced hardening process but that is where the difference ends