Butter, light butter spread or butter substitute?

shannashannabobana · July 2013

I just use real butter. If the ingredients aren't basically 'cream, salt' then it is not the same. I don't know what is in light butter, but if they are mixing it with other oils, you are not just eating butter.

I would go for grass fed, if you can find/afford it, because it has additional CLA's (a very good for you kind of fat), more O3's, more vitamins, etc... Kerry Gold is a reasonably priced brand.

taso42 · July 2013

just use butter

ashleybohman · July 2013

Real butter or coconut oil for me.

JustLindaLou · July 2013

BUTTER!!!!!

Trying to use olive oil, avocado, natural PB as my "fats" of choice these days, but sometimes ya just gotta have butter.

~former margarine user~

Julz1967C · July 2013

I am under the impression that butter is butter ie made with dairy products.. milk, churned til it turns into butter.

Margarine (Flora, Olivio, vitalite, ICBINB etc) are all made with sunflower oil or other oils, but has no dairy in it (this is why vegan's eat it)

Spreads really are horrible aside from the Weigh watchers one which does actually taste like butter, but isn't.

erikkmcvay · July 2013

The only problem with 'real butter' that you buy is that like most things, it's been processed if even a little.

Recently, when making cheese I decided to skim the fat off my raw cows milk and make some butter, what surprised me was that it remained hard sitting on the counter when the store bought butter we had did not. This gave me pause to think but then I was already doing that about milk because I could not use store bought milk to make cheese the same way I use raw milk because store bought milk is highly processed also.

Sadly, if you can't or don't make it yourself you are stuck with what is available to buy and I recommend buying natural foods over any man made or manipulated foods regardless of what the FDA or USDA tell us (After all, they seem to think Mac-n-cheese is food!).

As for buying olive oil and butter mixed, why? Buying it made for me means I get to pay more for something I can make myself.

But then this coming from a guy who makes his own non-stick stuff (better then pam and 10 times cheaper), his own flour (can't beat the bread I make with store bought stale crap) and many other things

erikkmcvay · July 2013

From the Land O Lakes site:

Ingredients: Sweet Cream, Natural Flavoring.

CONTAINS: MILK

Since Butter is made naturally with the fat skimmed off the top of the milk one has to wonder why their ingredients are as listed -- perhaps they water it down some and the additional 'natural flavoring' which could be anything, may also contribute to the softening under room temp vs real home made butter.

Anyway, I'm way off track here but thought I'd point that out for those interested.

Jmeisalive · July 2013

I really like Land'O'Lakes light butter with olive oil...it saves you about 50n cals a TBL too

Jmeisalive · July 2013

The only problem with 'real butter' that you buy is that like most things, it's been processed if even a little.

Recently, when making cheese I decided to skim the fat off my raw cows milk and make some butter, what surprised me was that it remained hard sitting on the counter when the store bought butter we had did not. This gave me pause to think but then I was already doing that about milk because I could not use store bought milk to make cheese the same way I use raw milk because store bought milk is highly processed also.

Sadly, if you can't or don't make it yourself you are stuck with what is available to buy and I recommend buying natural foods over any man made or manipulated foods regardless of what the FDA or USDA tell us (After all, they seem to think Mac-n-cheese is food!).

As for buying olive oil and butter mixed, why? Buying it made for me means I get to pay more for something I can make myself.

But then this coming from a guy who makes his own non-stick stuff (better then pam and 10 times cheaper), his own flour (can't beat the bread I make with store bought stale crap) and many other things

You make your own cheese? Whaaat....

LauraBalyk · July 2013

real butter all the way. everything else is just oil with a mix of chemicals and plastic lol

juliegrey1 · July 2013

Butter its hardly the case you are going to eat a block at the time!!!

HeidiCooksSupper · July 2013

This first ingredient in LOL Light Butter with Canola Oil is water. Ingredients are listed by weight, the most first. The next ingredient is butter and the third is canola oil. The other things are basically thickeners and color.

You don't need the thickeners and color. You can whip together water, softened butter and the oil of your choice to make a spread and it will stay together in the fridge. It's especially easy if you have a Kitchen Aid mixer with a balloon whisk but anything that can beat egg whites will do.

Making it at home is MUCH cheaper and you avoid all the thickeners and mystery ingredients in the store product. It works just as well. We used to do it all the time but we now just use straight butter but try not to use it very often.

My favorite recipe is 1 part unsalted butter : 1 part olive oil : 2 parts water with a pinch of salt. Hubby prefers it salt free. Whip the butter, whip in the oil, then add the water slowly still whipping.

erikkmcvay · July 2013

You make your own cheese? Whaaat....

Yup

Cheddar mostly which is probably one of the hardest to make.

My raw milk cheddar is VERY good and even after only 6 months of aging would stand up to a lot of the more expensive cheeses you can buy but here in WA it is VERY expensive to buy raw milk and it's illegal to transport across state lines so I can't buy in Oregon and bring home to make cheese or drink so I don't do it often.

I was making a lot with store bought milk and having mixed results but once I went with all natural raw milk I quit making it any other way and won't go back

We also make our own jams and jelly's, Atomic Mushrooms (habenero infused pickled mushrooms to die for), canned meats and more

erikkmcvay · July 2013

Another home made there you'll sometimes find here is mayonnaise though i try to avoid eating it as a rule but the home made stuff is also ten times cheaper and WAY better tasting then anything you can buy and only takes a minute or two to make

__Di__ · July 2013

I like spreads because they do not churn all my bread up when I am trying to make my sandwiches and I like low calorie spread because it is low calorie.

AlabasterVerve · July 2013

Butter and I don't use it sparingly. Whatever is needed to make whatever I'm cooking taste the best is what I'm using -- I never try and get by with using less. Spending a few hundred calories a day to make my meals rich and satisfying is well worth it.