Butter substitute?

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ErrataCorrige
ErrataCorrige Posts: 649 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I have never tried any of the butter substitutes or lower cal butters, so I could use some advice on which ones you guys use and like. Is it really worth the switch from real butter?

I just can't give up my toast with butter every morning, but it is hard to look at all the calories it costs. I would be willing to switch if the amount of calories I save will be worth the taste.

Thanks!
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Replies

  • PediNurse67
    PediNurse67 Posts: 66 Member
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    Smart Balance Buttery Spread! It's so yummy :-) Definitely worth the switch!
  • jessmo803
    jessmo803 Posts: 56
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    I really like I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray. It has 0 calories and I think it tastes really good
  • CherylleeH
    CherylleeH Posts: 27
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    Well this isn't butter (or margarine) but I just had a piece of toast and spread a wedge of Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss Cheese which has only 35 calories. Tasted great!
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
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    Why would you want to substitute the REAL and natural item with a man made chemical substitute?

    Real butter is GOOD for you, substitutes are not.

    Always opt for the REAL, NATURAL and WHOLE Food item over a substitute.
  • Shamrock40
    Shamrock40 Posts: 264
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    I use Olivio spread. Made with Olive Oil and Canola Oil, 1.5g saturated fat, (butter has 7) and is a good source of the good fats - polyunsaturated 2g and monounsaturated 4.5g.

    It's still 80 calories, but a 1/2 tbsp (40 cals) actually goes a long way.
  • jessieinblue
    jessieinblue Posts: 287 Member
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    Please just use real butter. Substitutes, margarines, spreads, sprays, and everything else that pretends to be butter is just that: pretending. Fake food is not healthy, and I still don't understand why anyone would prefer to put chemicals in their bodies instead of real, traditional, whole foods.
  • skinnyminnie
    skinnyminnie Posts: 95 Member
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    I like Brummel & Brown Yogurt Spread, or Blue Bonnet Light Spread. They're both good. But honestly, I think it's something you get used to - nothing tastes exactly like real butter.
  • SMarie10
    SMarie10 Posts: 956 Member
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    I struggle with this also. I love the taste of real butter, and my experience with the fake butters leaves something to be desired. My solution so far is to skip the butter -- and make it something for special occassions or when I just have to have it. This morning I skipped it on my waffles and did not miss it. Now toast & popcorn may be another story. But, like everything we put in our bodies to control our calories, butter will have to be in moderation or not at all.
  • vcatmb44
    vcatmb44 Posts: 129 Member
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    i have been using i cant believe its not butter lite for ever and i dont even like how real butter tastes anymore
  • vanillasugar
    vanillasugar Posts: 246 Member
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    I always preferred real butter over fake stuff as well and now find myself using light butter (kroger). I don't know if it's any healthier than margarine, but I figure it is since it's real butter. Probably not as healthy as real butter, but a better choice than margarine. Maybe I'm just fooling myself though? It's half the calories of regular butter (50 cals/TB)
  • jessieinblue
    jessieinblue Posts: 287 Member
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    I always preferred real butter over fake stuff as well and now find myself using light butter (kroger). I don't know if it's any healthier than margarine, but I figure it is since it's real butter. Probably not as healthy as real butter, but a better choice than margarine. Maybe I'm just fooling myself though? It's half the calories of regular butter (50 cals/TB)

    Most light or whipped butter is "real" butter with air whipped into it. I don't think they taste nearly as good as the genuine article.
  • noltes2
    noltes2 Posts: 202 Member
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    Smart Balance Light Heart Healthy - 45 calories per Tbsp. The downfall is that there are many random ingredients.... yikes...but it tastes really creamy and good!
  • MzBug
    MzBug Posts: 2,173 Member
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    Go with the real stuff. It tastes better, doesn't make the toast soggy, you can cook with it, and it is good for you. Watch your portion size and enjoy it!
  • angebean
    angebean Posts: 195 Member
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    I have tried most of the butter substitutes and by far, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, is the best tasting. However, I have recently switched back to real butter. I got to reading about chemical that we are putting into our bodies and, well, the butter substitutes are loaded with them. I don't want to load my body with toxins or chemicals, so I have now gone back to real butter and I am actually using the "light whipped" version. I jus thave to be more careful with portions and when I cook with it, I can see that it actually cooks differently. Just my 2 cents.
  • exacerbe
    exacerbe Posts: 447 Member
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    I personally like Earth Balance -- no hydrogenated oils, vegan, and made from certified non-GMO ingredients.
  • TMR001
    TMR001 Posts: 37
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    I have to use butter substitutes b/c I'm allergic to dairy. I like Earth Balance.

    BUT

    Unless you CAN'T eat it I would stick with the real thing and just limit your intake. Real food is always better than substitutes! Honestly with everything I've been reading I would eat real butter over a substitute if I could.
  • HawkeyeGuy
    HawkeyeGuy Posts: 183
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    Ok, a few misguided attempts here at advice. First of all, yes, butter tastes better and it's natural. Bad news is it's extremely calorie-dense and not a wise food choice for many people on here. That goes for Smart Balance as well...don't just fall for marketing. It's 90kcal per Tablespoon, that's a 10 calorie savings over butter. Sure, I know, it's healthier fat...but it's still calories you need to burn before getting to healthier weight.

    I wish we could all live 'natural'...but for those of us that can't, I use spray butter. And yes, it has calories and fat (if you wonder how that's true with the label saying 0/0, ...a bottle of spray butter has over 800 calories in it, and 90ish grams of fat. They work a labeling loophole and essentially round down based on the small serving size). I tend to use less of it, and it gives me the salt / butter flavor I crave.

    So again, there is no winning by eating what you "love the taste of". You have to eat for your bodies health, not your palates pleasure (most of the time). Remember, if you bust your butt at the gym, you can afford the luxuries of eating better tasting food occasionally... Now go work out.
    I always preferred real butter over fake stuff as well and now find myself using light butter (kroger). I don't know if it's any healthier than margarine, but I figure it is since it's real butter. Probably not as healthy as real butter, but a better choice than margarine. Maybe I'm just fooling myself though? It's half the calories of regular butter (50 cals/TB)

    Most light or whipped butter is "real" butter with air whipped into it. I don't think they taste nearly as good as the genuine article.
  • jessieinblue
    jessieinblue Posts: 287 Member
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    Who is misguided?

    What reason (besides an allergy or other medical issue) would there be for anyone not to "live natural"?
  • HawkeyeGuy
    HawkeyeGuy Posts: 183
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    The concept of living natural is a fine concept. But for the poster of this question, the answer isn't "live natural, eat butter", it needs to be "no butter". She is fighting a battle to lose almost 50 lbs, and is doing a great job of it, being over half way home. And a reason for me to "not live natural" is my overall fitness. I would argue all day long that if 3 sprays of my 'artificially flavored' butter keep me from slapping on 100 kcal of butter fat, the pro's will outweigh the cons. I wouldn't call that an allergy or a medical issue, but instead a wise-choice which comes out to in excess of 10lbs of calories over the course of a year if I make that choice everyday.

    Who is misguided?

    What reason (besides an allergy or other medical issue) would there be for anyone not to "live natural"?
  • jessieinblue
    jessieinblue Posts: 287 Member
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    The concept of living natural is a fine concept. But for the poster of this question, the answer isn't "live natural, eat butter", it needs to be "no butter". She is fighting a battle to lose almost 50 lbs, and is doing a great job of it, being over half way home. And a reason for me to "not live natural" is my overall fitness. I would argue all day long that if 3 sprays of my 'artificially flavored' butter keep me from slapping on 100 kcal of butter fat, the pro's will outweigh the cons. I wouldn't call that an allergy or a medical issue, but instead a wise-choice which comes out to in excess of 10lbs of calories over the course of a year if I make that choice everyday.

    Thank you for your detailed answer.

    My preference, and overall belief about food, is that a wiser choice would be to make allotments elsewhere in order to stay within calorie range if it means one can choose a natural, real food over a fake one.

    (edit: typo)

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