Butter substitutes?
Replies
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Question: is he onboard to healthier eating and tracking macros, or is he in it to lose weight?
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I never liked the phrases healthy eating or everything with moderation. They actually have little meaning. Ask 10 different doctors and 10 different nutritionists what is healthy and you'll get different answers from what is healthy eating. Many will agree on the bases, but I'm sure they all have some conflicting foods.
Like moderation. Ask people what moderation is and you'll get different quantities according to their taste bud favorites lol.
There's actually quite a bit of agreement on healthy eating (what a nutritious diet is) if you look at the big things. Yes, there are some outlier types, but it's pretty clear they aren't so reputable most of the time.
Moderation seems to me to mean "an amount that is consistent with eating a calorie-appropriate, nutrient-dense and sufficient diet, that is filling enough for me and satisfying to me, and consistent with my tastes" or something like that. And I'd look at diet over the course of a week, not every single day.
Your reference to conflicting foods suggests that you think people should be opining on whether a food is healthy or not in isolation, and of course the question is the diet as a whole and how the foods you eat fit in.
I don't think butter is a "healthy" food (I don't classify foods in isolation, and I would say it doesn't add much in the way of nutrients, is high cal, and has sat fat, which for many at least should be limited). But that doesn't mean one can't include butter as part of a healthy diet if it is worth the cals for you--of course you can. If you ate so much butter that you were cutting out foods you need to meet your nutrition goals or always going over cals, then that's not moderation. Arguably the same if you were always high in sat fat.1 -
There's a powder butter you can get usually in the popcorn section, that's pretty tasty.
Also, I prefer powdered cheese for oatmeal/grits so that might be something worth trying, and that's usually sold either in the popcorn section (like cheddar or nacho flavors) or in the pasta section (mac & cheese or queso flavor).1 -
yellow1111 wrote: »Thank you all for your answers! Some were pretty rude to be honest, but for those of you who responded with kindness and helpful content I appreciate it very much and they were very helpful to me!!
He used to be very active and fit but due to injury he can’t.
I would like to address the rude comments, I’ve removed many of them....Not that it’s anybody’s business, but my husband is an injured vet and has extremely limited mobility, due to his injuries. Yes, I cook his meals for him, I take him to physical therapy, I care for him after his many back surgeries and I will continue to do so...as the wife of someone who gave his body for our freedoms, it’s the very least I can do. And someone commented he is a “grown *kitten* man who should be taking care of himself” my husband is a grown *kitten* man who gave up his physical freedoms for his country. Please think before you reply with rude comments when you don’t know the backstory, or..maybe don’t reply at all.
OP, please don't feel you have to justify why you help your husband with meal prep or planning. Even if he wasn't injured, it would still be okay for you to help him out if it worked for the two of you.6 -
I've tried several different variants of margarine and vegan butters. The only one I half way liked/tolerated was Miyoko's. Other than that, I'd say nothing compares to the real thing.1
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Question: is he onboard to healthier eating and tracking macros, or is he in it to lose weight?
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I never liked the phrases healthy eating or everything with moderation. They actually have little meaning. Ask 10 different doctors and 10 different nutritionists what is healthy and you'll get different answers from what is healthy eating. Many will agree on the bases, but I'm sure they all have some conflicting foods.
Like moderation. Ask people what moderation is and you'll get different quantities according to their taste bud favorites lol.
moderation is simple. Eat what you like within your allowed calories as long as you are meeting micros and macros...2 -
yellow1111 wrote: »Thank you all for your answers! Some were pretty rude to be honest, but for those of you who responded with kindness and helpful content I appreciate it very much and they were very helpful to me!! He used to be very active and fit but due to injury he can’t.
I would like to address the rude comments, I’ve removed many of them....Not that it’s anybody’s business, but my husband is an injured vet and has extremely limited mobility, due to his injuries. Yes, I cook his meals for him, I take him to physical therapy, I care for him after his many back surgeries and I will continue to do so...as the wife of someone who gave his body for our freedoms, it’s the very least I can do. And someone commented he is a “grown *kitten* man who should be taking care of himself” my husband is a grown *kitten* man who gave up his physical freedoms for his country. Please think before you reply with rude comments when you don’t know the backstory, or..maybe don’t reply at all.
First...please thank him for his service to our country. Second, please don't feel like you have to justify yourself to anyone regarding what works. My husband is also a "grown man" and I help with his macro counting at times. Why? Because that's what a relationship is about. Helping your significant other when they need it.
I haven't had the butter substitutes in a very long time, but if I recall correctly, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter was okay. But, being from Wisconsin, I much prefer my regular butter. A half a serving (half a tablespoon) is only 50 calories. A half a serving of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter is 30 calories. For me, making the extra 20 calories fit is worth it.3 -
yellow1111 wrote: »Also, I’m sorry, I don’t know how to directly respond to peoples questions. He’s trying to be healthier and lose weight.
It looks like from one post that you've figured out the quote button (maybe too well, ).
After you click quote, you should see the quoted text appear in the box for your post (the box is at the bottom of the page on the website; it's been a while since I used the app for the forums, so I'm not sure if it's at the bottom of the page there too or if it pops up right below the post you're responding too). Just click in the box, either above or below the quoted text, and start typing your direct response to that person.
Just realized it's possible that by "directly respond" you could mean DM'ing them. Not something I do a lot with random users (I don't even do it much with my "friends" group), but if that's what you meant, just say so, and I'm sure somebody else would be happy to explain how it's done. I think you just click on their name, maybe?0 -
I use Ghee it's a lot healther and even my kids don't notice the difference.0
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I refuse to have anything else, but butter.
But I work that into my calories. If I do not have enough calories, then I do without the butter, but refuse to use the substitutes on the market - nothing tastes like butter - Lurpak Danish Butter or Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter1 -
mpkpbk2015 wrote: »I use Ghee it's a lot healther and even my kids don't notice the difference.
I've made ghee and used to cook with it and don't consider it healthier, with the possible exception of the acrylamide thing which I don't know enough to comment on:
https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/ghee-vs-butter
For someone who is lactose-sensitive, it may indeed be healthier, as it is lactose-free.
I never knew it had more calories, which could arguably make it less healthy.3 -
yellow1111 wrote: »Hello! I’ve been tracking for over a year and my husband is FINALLY on board to “try” it..problem is he is super picky, I’ve tried replacing his regular oatmeal with the same flavors but added protein and he tastes the difference immediately. Are there any butter substitutes that taste like butter but will allow his macros to go to other sources (protein, additional calories, fat, etc)?
The other part to my question is I’ve heard that any butter substitute isn’t good for you, is this true? If butter subs are the lesser of 2 evils, that’s great but if not and I have to use real butter for his food, I’m fine with that, I just know it’s going to take me a long time to figure out how to balance his macros & make it fit. Thank you for any help you can give!!
I've been reducing saturated fat, so for 99% of the time I replace butter with extra virgin olive oil. This is considered healthier (think Mediterranean Diet), but has slightly more calories and fat. However, I'm eating more high fiber foods and less high fat foods like cheese, so I did manage to skew my macros the way I wanted them.1 -
yellow1111 wrote: »Thank you all for your answers! Some were pretty rude to be honest, but for those of you who responded with kindness and helpful content I appreciate it very much and they were very helpful to me!! He used to be very active and fit but due to injury he can’t.
I would like to address the rude comments, I’ve removed many of them....Not that it’s anybody’s business, but my husband is an injured vet and has extremely limited mobility, due to his injuries. Yes, I cook his meals for him, I take him to physical therapy, I care for him after his many back surgeries and I will continue to do so...as the wife of someone who gave his body for our freedoms, it’s the very least I can do. And someone commented he is a “grown *kitten* man who should be taking care of himself” my husband is a grown *kitten* man who gave up his physical freedoms for his country. Please think before you reply with rude comments when you don’t know the backstory, or..maybe don’t reply at all.
Thanks for letting us know, even though you are right, it is none of our business.
I'm a vet, and my physical therapist is married to a vet with PTSD and she's been telling me stories about how they are training a service dog. My dad was a vet too, and both of us liked to sit with our backs to the wall at restaurants. At our favorite restaurant we were able to get a corner table to make us both happy
I'm somewhat uncomfortable otherwise - my PT's husband is super uncomfortable, but their service-dog-in-training has his back, which I think is lovely.1 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »yellow1111 wrote: »Also, I’m sorry, I don’t know how to directly respond to peoples questions. He’s trying to be healthier and lose weight.
It looks like from one post that you've figured out the quote button (maybe too well, ).
After you click quote, you should see the quoted text appear in the box for your post (the box is at the bottom of the page on the website; it's been a while since I used the app for the forums, so I'm not sure if it's at the bottom of the page there too or if it pops up right below the post you're responding too). Just click in the box, either above or below the quoted text, and start typing your direct response to that person.
Just realized it's possible that by "directly respond" you could mean DM'ing them. Not something I do a lot with random users (I don't even do it much with my "friends" group), but if that's what you meant, just say so, and I'm sure somebody else would be happy to explain how it's done. I think you just click on their name, maybe?
Last I knew, to direct message you have to be an accepted friend first. And of course there is no error message letting you know >.<
But I think she meant Quote, not DM.1 -
@kshama2001 ghee is the pure fat part of butter. You remove the "creamer" part (lactose or sugary part). Fat has more calories than sugar, thus you'll get higher calorie.0
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mpkpbk2015 wrote: »I use Ghee it's a lot healther and even my kids don't notice the difference.
the point of ghee is not to be healthier. The point of ghee is to have butter that can be used at a higher temperature and that is shelf stable (i.e., doesn't need refrigeration).5 -
@kshama2001 ghee is the pure fat part of butter. You remove the "creamer" part (lactose or sugary part). Fat has more calories than sugar, thus you'll get higher calorie.
You also lose most of the water that is in butter, which has an even greater impact on calorie density. It's more like oil in calorie density than butter.3 -
For me Ghee is healthier - sorry if my opinion offended so many people but the question asked for butter subsitutes and my Registered Dietican feels it is and recommended me or I would not have made the comment. As far as the calories using it as a subsitute I have lost 98 pounds over a 2 year period and am well on my way to my goal of losing 100 pounds. Here's what I looked like prior to using Ghee .
I have made many other food choice changes based on what my dietican recommended also and none of them have let me down.
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mpkpbk2015 wrote: »For me Ghee is healthier - sorry if my opinion offended so many people but the question asked for butter subsitutes and my Registered Dietican feels it is and recommended me or I would not have made the comment. As far as the calories using it as a subsitute I have lost 98 pounds over a 2 year period and am well on my way to my goal of losing 100 pounds. Here's what I looked like prior to using Ghee .
I have made many other food choice changes based on what my dietican recommended also and none of them have let me down.
You lose weight due to a calorie deficit. You did that while eating ghee, others do that while eating butter or other forms of fat.
The ghee didn't cause your weight loss any more than the olive and coconut oil I ate while losing weight caused my weight loss.
I'm not aware of any research showing that ghee is healthier than butter. Since they're both calorie-dense foods that aren't particularly micronutrient rich, most people in a calorie control situation are better off consuming the bulk of their calories from other foods and only using butter, ghee, or other concentrated fats in moderation. So it really doesn't need to be super healthful, you're fine using it to make the rest of your meal taste better and to help you meet your needs for fat.
That your RD "feels" it's healthier than butter doesn't necessarily make it so. She'd still need to provide some kind of evidence, because that's what responsible RDs do -- they practice based on evidence, not feelings.
I do think if you're cooking at a high heat point, there is some evidence that ghee is better choice than butter. But OP's husband is putting it into oatmeal, so that wouldn't be a factor.6 -
janejellyroll wrote: »mpkpbk2015 wrote: »For me Ghee is healthier - sorry if my opinion offended so many people but the question asked for butter subsitutes and my Registered Dietican feels it is and recommended me or I would not have made the comment. As far as the calories using it as a subsitute I have lost 98 pounds over a 2 year period and am well on my way to my goal of losing 100 pounds. Here's what I looked like prior to using Ghee .
I have made many other food choice changes based on what my dietican recommended also and none of them have let me down.
You lose weight due to a calorie deficit. You did that while eating ghee, others do that while eating butter or other forms of fat.
The ghee didn't cause your weight loss any more than the olive and coconut oil I ate while losing weight caused my weight loss.
I'm not aware of any research showing that ghee is healthier than butter. Since they're both calorie-dense foods that aren't particularly micronutrient rich, most people in a calorie control situation are better off consuming the bulk of their calories from other foods and only using butter, ghee, or other concentrated fats in moderation. So it really doesn't need to be super healthful, you're fine using it to make the rest of your meal taste better and to help you meet your needs for fat.
That your RD "feels" it's healthier than butter doesn't necessarily make it so. She'd still need to provide some kind of evidence, because that's what responsible RDs do -- they practice based on evidence, not feelings.
I do think if you're cooking at a high heat point, there is some evidence that ghee is better choice than butter. But OP's husband is putting it into oatmeal, so that wouldn't be a factor.
^^^^^ This.
But I will say this. I bought some popcorn that's made with ghee (I've never had it before) and it seems like it leaves me feeling like I actually ate something. You know, as opposed to like the same serving size as Skinny Pop or Orville Reddenbacher or whatever. 2 -
Well I don't know what specifically makes ghee "healthier" (I mean, how are we defining 'healthier' here? I don't really understand what is being debated.) I will say, though, that I prefer to cook with it because the flavor is more concentrated and it tastes better to me. I also make a lot of curries, and the smoke point is higher than butter.3
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mpkpbk2015 wrote: »For me Ghee is healthier - sorry if my opinion offended so many people but the question asked for butter subsitutes and my Registered Dietican feels it is and recommended me or I would not have made the comment. As far as the calories using it as a subsitute I have lost 98 pounds over a 2 year period and am well on my way to my goal of losing 100 pounds. Here's what I looked like prior to using Ghee .
I have made many other food choice changes based on what my dietican recommended also and none of them have let me down.
First, congrats on the weight loss - fantastic progress/results!
Second, It's not that you offended anyone, it's just that they are disagreeing with what you said. If you are using the ghee for cooking (in place of other oils), then it might be slightly healthier because of it's higher smoke point ... there is some evidence that if you 'smoke' your oil (get it too hot) during cooking then it will break down and actually create free radicals that are not good. In that sense, I could see it as being 'healthier', but I cannot think of another reason that it would be any healthier than other oils.3 -
dragon_girl26 wrote: »Well I don't know what specifically makes ghee "healthier" (I mean, how are we defining 'healthier' here? I don't really understand what is being debated.) I will say, though, that I prefer to cook with it because the flavor is more concentrated and it tastes better to me. I also make a lot of curries, and the smoke point is higher than butter.
That's a good reason to use ghee. I am open to the possibility that there are specific uses where ghee is a better choice than butter, just objecting to the assertion that it's overall "healthier."
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Hundreds of millions of dollars were spent convincing the public that butter is unhealthy. Only to find that the trans fat in margarine was what was seriously unhealthy. Mostly transfat is phased out now, but the lobbying efforts continue and food industry funded studies continue to influence medical opinions. Most medical recommendations regarding food have turned out to be wrong, other than "eat a diverse diet in moderation."
Ignore this nonsense.6 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »@kshama2001 ghee is the pure fat part of butter. You remove the "creamer" part (lactose or sugary part). Fat has more calories than sugar, thus you'll get higher calorie.
You also lose most of the water that is in butter, which has an even greater impact on calorie density. It's more like oil in calorie density than butter.
Right. If you look at the stats for butter, 10 g has 1.6 g of water, less than 0.01 g of protein, almost no carbs of any time (0.006 g), and 72 cals. For 10 g of ghee, 0.05 g of water, no protein or carbs, and 90 cal.
Butter is obviously not sugary, and I am wondering if this idea that it is is why some are saying it's less healthy than butter (sugar demonization taken to an extreme). (Ghee is better for cooking some things, however, and is a perfectly decent choice if someone likes it, of course, but my guess is that OP is looking for something either lower cal or lower in sat fat, as those are the usual concerns people have about consuming lots of butter.)0 -
@mpkpbk2015 no offense to all professional nutritionists or dieticians in here... But the fact that your dietician told you that ghee is healthier is not relevant.
There are studies on nutrition coming out daily. If you notice saturated fat on labels doesn't have a minimum, nor USDA says a percentage to assume daily (they even have one for sugar, but not saturated fat).
There are studies and everyone can have his opinions, but the fact that there's one dietician telling you it's healthier, is valid also the fact that there are other registered dieticians that tell you it's unhealthy.1 -
I tried to find a substitute for YEARS.... came back with the original one.... butter.... 40-50g a week. It just fits nicely in my log. I don't use it in a pan for example, I prefer canola oil in spray or vegetable broth.1
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I mostly just use real butter but don't eat a lot of it. I don't use it to cook with, or to put in mashed potatoes. When it comes to buttered toast I use real butter as nothing really quite compares well enough, but I use Challenge lactose-free, which has 50 calories per 14g and is made from butterfat and canola, for my potatoes and I don't notice the difference. However, I did try 'I Can't Believe it's Not Butter' but I CAN totally believe it's not.1
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gigius72 you missed my point I am saying MY OPINION - FOR ME its HEALTHIER - Rather you think it's valid or not is up to you. I'm out of here this is stupid. Guess I will keep my OPINION to myself. Everyone have a goodnight. And good luck with your weigh lost - I've lost mine.2
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mpkpbk2015 wrote: »I have made many other food choice changes based on what my dietican recommended also and none of them have let me down.
so you really have no basis for attributing your weight loss to switching to ghee.1 -
mpkpbk2015 wrote: »gigius72 you missed my point I am saying MY OPINION - FOR ME its HEALTHIER - Rather you think it's valid or not is up to you. I'm out of here this is stupid. Guess I will keep my OPINION to myself. Everyone have a goodnight. And good luck with your weigh lost - I've lost mine.
@mpkpbk2015 - I think several of us were just curious as to what exactly makes it healthier in your opinion or your dietitian's opinion. No one was offended, mostly curious.7
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