Margarine vs Butter?

jwooley13

I don't have anything against margarine, but I much prefer the taste of butter. I actually use clarified butter (ghee) for high-heat cooking most of the time because it smokes at a much higher temp than butter.

parkscs

I use butter. Margarine is hydrogenated fat which our body doesn't know how to process (we don't have the right enzymes to break it down) so it stays in the system for longer and can contribute to build up of fatty deposits.

I used to use marg but in my recent research for a lesson I was teaching (newly qualified science teacher) i found out all this scary stuff about the molecular structure that literally shocked me seeing as they sell this stuff as a "healthy" alternative.

Right, so nobody who ate marg ever got lean and stayed lean? Right?

Health goes beyond being lean and I'm pretty sure the poster you're quoting was referring to health reasons to avoid margarine and hydrogenated fat. If body composition was the only indicator of health, competitive bodybuilding would be the epitome of healthiness, yet competitive bodybuilding is generally a fairly unhealthy activity for a variety of reasons. There are valid, health-related reasons to reduce or altogether avoid sources of trans fat like stick margarine.

mrsfoster102613

Organic and unsalted butter. I can always add salt and like to control the quantity and quality. I haven’t used margarine in my cooking for several years.

I also like to mix things up and use Ghee, coconut oil, olive oil and/or avocado oil.

jimmmer

I use butter. Margarine is hydrogenated fat which our body doesn't know how to process (we don't have the right enzymes to break it down) so it stays in the system for longer and can contribute to build up of fatty deposits.

I used to use marg but in my recent research for a lesson I was teaching (newly qualified science teacher) i found out all this scary stuff about the molecular structure that literally shocked me seeing as they sell this stuff as a "healthy" alternative.

Right, so nobody who ate marg ever got lean and stayed lean? Right?

Health goes beyond being lean and I'm pretty sure the poster you're quoting was referring to health reasons to avoid margarine and hydrogenated fat. If body composition was the only indicator of health, competitive bodybuilding would be the epitome of healthiness, yet competitive bodybuilding is generally a fairly unhealthy activity for a variety of reasons. There are valid, health-related reasons to reduce or altogether avoid sources of trans fat like stick margarine.

Actually the OP said she switched to butter and was surprised that she still lost weight. So yeah, she discovered that weightloss is about calories and macros.

I've eaten lard, butter and marge my whole life. I am healthy by any definition of the word. My parents who are nudging their eighties have eaten this way pre/during/post war until now. In fact, post-war, eggs, butter marge, cooking fat were all rationed and people had to make a mix of all kinds of things to get by. They have turned out to be the longest-lived (and most vital at an advanced age) of any generation so far.

I think people discover eating styles like a new religion. It's all fire and brimstone and the non-believer shall be cast out. Yeah well, I've got news for you. You didn't just discover how to be healthy. And you can find studies that say all kinds of crap is bad (or good). In the seventies it was eggs. Remember that? Recently bacon's gonna give you cancer. Who knows what they're going to tell you next after they study 11 (read it: 11) sedentary 60 year olds. Or whatever. And you're insane if you think that insert-hallowed-food-here consumption makes you better/healthier than someone else. Balance your diet according to your macro/calorie needs and you'll be fine. Unless you're eating cyanide or something, then you're probably ****ed.

Galatea_Stone

Real butter. I simply don't like the taste of margarine. It tastes like sadness.

I have used the fake stuff on occasion to cook a kosher meal or for people with other dietary restrictions.

parkscs

Just because scientists have been wrong in the past doesn't mean that science should be disregarded. There's quite a bit of evidence weighing against trans fat consumption, and personally I wouldn't dismiss it just because of some anecdotal evidence about some people who are currently healthy yet they have eaten trans fat in the past. I've known unhealthy people that lived well into their 90s and healthy people that didn't make it past 50. Trying to draw conclusions from anecdotal evidence isn't going to get you anywhere, and just because you can be lean while eating lots of trans fats doesn't mean it's healthy to eat lots of trans fats.

LoneWolfRunner

Butter, butter, butter...

Although I just started cooking with organic unrefined coconut oil and I kinda like it....

jimmmer

Just because scientists have been wrong in the past doesn't mean that science should be disregarded. There's quite a bit of evidence weighing against trans fat consumption, and personally I wouldn't dismiss it just because of some anecdotal evidence about some people who are currently healthy yet they have eaten trans fat in the past. I've known unhealthy people that lived well into their 90s and healthy people that didn't make it past 50. Trying to draw conclusions from anecdotal evidence isn't going to get you anywhere, and just because you can be lean while eating lots of trans fats doesn't mean it's healthy to eat lots of trans fats.

I guess there's science and there's science. Dietary studies are often poorly framed and then widely misunderstood.

I guess you'd have to tell me what you think is "healthy" if it can kill a 50 year old.

castlerobber

Real unsalted butter for cooking and baking. The spreadable butter with olive oil on rolls or baked sweet potatoes. I have full-fat margarine in the house only when I"m baking certain Christmas cookies and want a specific texture. Low-fat margarine is an abomination.

earlnabby

If I am going to spend 100 calories on fat, it is going to be something tasty. Butter all the way!

Showcase_Brodown

Butter, totally!

Take a stick out of the fridge and put it on your counter (or in a butter keeper). It spreads really nicely at room temperature and if you leave it out, it doesn't go bad very quickly.

AmyRhubarb

Buttah is the bomb. Butter, always butter.

parkscs

Just because scientists have been wrong in the past doesn't mean that science should be disregarded. There's quite a bit of evidence weighing against trans fat consumption, and personally I wouldn't dismiss it just because of some anecdotal evidence about some people who are currently healthy yet they have eaten trans fat in the past. I've known unhealthy people that lived well into their 90s and healthy people that didn't make it past 50. Trying to draw conclusions from anecdotal evidence isn't going to get you anywhere, and just because you can be lean while eating lots of trans fats doesn't mean it's healthy to eat lots of trans fats.

I guess there's science and there's science. Dietary studies are often poorly framed and then widely misunderstood.

I guess you'd have to tell me what you think is "healthy" if it can kill a 50 year old.

I should have said seemingly healthy. A friend's father was an avid cyclist, always incredibly lean and active, ate what would be considered by almost everyone to be a healthy diet - and yet died tragically in his early 50's. Meanwhile, my grandfather was overweight, was an alcoholic earlier in his life, used tobacco for decades, had heart attacks earlier in his life, had type 2 diabetes, and yet he lived well into his 90's. If you were to use these two people as anecdotal evidence, we could conclude cycling and staying lean are a lethal combination, while smoking, drinking and being overweight are generally better for your health. Anecdotal evidence simply isn't useful in drawing conclusions about nutrition.

I won't disagree that science is oftentimes misinterpreted and not all studies and experiments are created equal. On the other hand, there really isn't much disagreement at the moment that industrial trans fats are a bad idea for your health, and you saying you can stay lean while eating them really doesn't change that conclusion. Leanness is far from the only issue when it comes to health.

Swiftlet66

Real butter and fat drippings from meat...XD Margarine is pretty much very processed and FYI, even though some products say 0g trans fat, it is most likely still has some artificial trans fat since the FDA allows products to claim 0g as long as it has less than .5g. Overtime, it does add up especially if these foods are consumed repetitively and in large quantities. Just saying...

jimmmer

Thing is, I'm always being told what healthy is.

Normally by people who have cut something out and want to tell you about it. insert-favourite-diet-fad-here.

But I've been healthy (and I'm still not sure how we're defining that) all my life. I know, you'll dismiss that as anecdote. Perhaps rightly so. But don't be so sure that only knowledge that comes from a book (or a paper) is worthwhile. Sometimes the lived experience is a powerful thing.

And, anyway, my marge doesn't really contain much in the way of trans-fats (so google has reliably informed me.)

I guess I don't (and probably never will) get what all the fuss is about. Calories > Macros > Micros > Train properly. Done. It's not as complicated as people have to make it out to be.

k8blujay2

I just like the taste of butter better. I'll eat margerine if that's what's available but butter is my go to choice.

nicsflyingcircus

As a side note: I grew up eating marg because it was SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper than butter. Like, 1/4 of the price. I loved it. Moved to the US, from Canada, couldn't find my specific marg in the spreadable tubs, only in sticks, which spread for ****. Bounced around between the American stand-bys of Parkay, country crock, whatever. Never satisfied. Eating real butter in restaurants, didn't like it at first, came to warm to it. Discovered spreadable butter... BOOM! Happy medium for me.

Butter vs marg is not how I got fat, heh.

LianaG1115

I'm way more concerned about the overly processed fake stuff in margarine than any of the fat that's in butter.

THIS!!!!

smashley_mashley

butter - I prefer the taste and texture over margarine and butter is less chemically processed. I've heard that margarine is only one molecule off from plastic

kaseyr1505

I only use butter. Margarine smells weird and gives off an aftertaste that I don't really like.

MikeEnRegalia

climbing_trees

I use coconut oil because I do not eat dairy.
However I would choose real butter over margarine because it is less processed.

kiniece

REAL. BUTTER. ALWAYS. :drinker:

For awhile now I had thought that buying low fat margarine was better and healthier than real butter. I made a switch to using real butter for a month and I've lost weight. I thought the 100 calories from just one tablespoon would kill my calories but not really. I was also talking to my sister who's an RN for 20 years and she told me that she's been using real butter for 15 years.

So my question is... What do you think? What do you use?

Elsie_Brownraisin

Butter is in my top 5 most frequent foods on here.

Elsie_Brownraisin

I remember my Mum having a lard chip pan when I was a kid and my grandparents using it. Mmm. Lard chips. No-one makes them any more for some reason. I use it for making pastry though.

mariluny

I never used spreadable fat. I grew up with no butter on toast and sour cream on baked potato so really it was not something I ever considered until very later in life. Not that I dislike or have anything against fat as i eat plenty but my mom always though it was weird to add it on things outside of cooking and it stuck with me.
I use oil to cook, mostly olive oil. I do have butter at home for cooking (sauce, mash potato, cake, etc...) but it take me so long to go through it I usually store it in the freezer and leave a quarter of it in the fridge that will last me a few months.

bloodofareptile

Butter, 100% all the time, even when baking and recipes call for margarine. I adapt.

I think margarine tastes gross and don't want to eat it!

WisteriaLady

I use flora light or light olive spread, I just dont like real butter. Only time I use it is for baking. Margarine is NOT one molecule from plastic or paint. If we listened to everything friends, newspapers etc said then living is bad for us!

http://www.heartfoundation.org.nz/healthy-living/healthy-eating/food-for-a-healthy-heart/replace-butter/myth-busting-butter-versus-margarine.

marylynn85

Butter only, I don't think I have ever had margarine.

SandyBVTN

Never margarine, only butter. As long as I stay within my calorie range, I'm not concerned with fat at all. So, in moderation, I use butter, coconut oil, olive oil and animal fat (mostly duck fat).