Best Butter/Margarine Substitute?

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kgainez23
kgainez23 Posts: 38
in Food and Nutrition
With the exception of EVOO, what is your fave butter replacement?
I'm trying to eat clean/healthier and I REALLY enjoy butter. Any ideas?
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Replies

  • aquarabbit
    aquarabbit Posts: 1,622 Member
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    I've been loving coconut butter. I just learned it from a blog. You just whip up coconut shreds and it's almost the exact same texture as butter. Great for baking when coconut oil is a little too thin. For savory dishes I like smart balance. Or I should say my husband likes smart balance, so that's what I use. I like it too though. I get the giant tub when it's on sale and it lasts for months.
  • beachbriel
    beachbriel Posts: 70 Member
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    I love smart balance lite with flax oil. It is better for you than many options, is soft and spreadable, tastes great and can be used any any recipe.
  • Kierda
    Kierda Posts: 14 Member
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    Is real butter not considered clean? (serious question...)
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    i really love the smart balance stuff.

    i also like the real butter with the indian girl on it. don't ask me why.
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
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    Is real butter not considered clean? (serious question...)

    I was wondering this too. It's definitely "cleaner" than most margarines/butter substitutes, but I don't know how much.

    If you were really worried, you could buy heavy cream and churn your own butter. That'd be a good workout, too! (But I know that most people aren't into that, so it's more of a lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek idea … please take it as such and just smile and move along)
  • kgainez23
    kgainez23 Posts: 38
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    Is real butter not considered clean? (serious question...)

    I heard it's the 'cleanest' option if you have to choose between that and margarine
    but i also understand it's not clean or healthy because it's sweet cream and often something else in it. I'm not sure.
  • AbbeyDove
    AbbeyDove Posts: 317 Member
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    Hi kgainez23,

    You might want to consider checking out the following articles, a quick one from The Guardian, (a major UK newspaper) and a much more detailed discussion of the topic.

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2013/jul/12/good-for-you-butter

    http://chriskresser.com/for-a-healthy-heart-stick-to-butter

    Regards, and may you have good health!
  • Kierda
    Kierda Posts: 14 Member
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    If you take some heavy cream (whipping cream) and fill a bottle that has a tight sealing cap on it about half way full and then shake it as hard as you can for ... oh I dunno... 20 minutes? The heavy cream will separate into butter and "skim" milk liquid. Butter is just milk fat, isn't it? Sure, you can add all sorts of weird stuff to it like salt or honey or whatever, but I mean, if you get organic butter, I am pretty sure that's gotta be one of the least processed semi-solid fats there is!
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,020 Member
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    Butter FTW. The alternatives are left overs from the fat is bad for us wars. Anyway as a butter substitute I use mostly duck fat.
  • Carnivor0us
    Carnivor0us Posts: 1,752 Member
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    I use ghee. Or coconut oil.
  • sallydurkin
    sallydurkin Posts: 211 Member
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    I do not replace butter.... I don't eat it on sandwiches or toast... but it is my ingredient of choice for baking/ some sauting.... I also use coconut oil and evoo.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,020 Member
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    I use ghee. Or coconut oil.
    I keep forgetting to mention ghee, love to cook with it..........I use it constantly for Indian and SE Asian cooking.
  • Mslmesq
    Mslmesq Posts: 1,001 Member
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    I stick with real butter, just use a little less. Evoo is good too. If it's for bread, what about bruschetta? For cooking, you can switch to broth and butter.
  • Carnivor0us
    Carnivor0us Posts: 1,752 Member
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    I use ghee. Or coconut oil.
    I keep forgetting to mention ghee, love to cook with it..........I use it constantly for Indian and SE Asian cooking.

    Ghee's pretty awesome. I wasn't aware that butter's not considered 'clean', but I'd assume pure butterfat would be.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,020 Member
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    I use ghee. Or coconut oil.
    I keep forgetting to mention ghee, love to cook with it..........I use it constantly for Indian and SE Asian cooking.

    Ghee's pretty awesome. I wasn't aware that butter's not considered 'clean', but I'd assume pure butterfat would be.
    Must be those "other" milk solids that make it dirty, eh!
  • conniemaxwell5
    conniemaxwell5 Posts: 943 Member
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    I just eat the butter in moderation. There is no substitute!
  • Carnivor0us
    Carnivor0us Posts: 1,752 Member
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    I use ghee. Or coconut oil.
    I keep forgetting to mention ghee, love to cook with it..........I use it constantly for Indian and SE Asian cooking.

    Ghee's pretty awesome. I wasn't aware that butter's not considered 'clean', but I'd assume pure butterfat would be.
    Must be those "other" milk solids that make it dirty, eh!

    I guess so.....and I thought *I* was strict about that stuff....sheesh.
  • rodneymonster
    rodneymonster Posts: 2
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    Seriously, eat the butter. It's churned cream, delicious, and you need very little of it to cook eggs, butter toast, etc. Don't buy honey-salmon-flavor infused butter crap, just buy butter (salted or unsalted).
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,020 Member
    Options
    I use ghee. Or coconut oil.
    I keep forgetting to mention ghee, love to cook with it..........I use it constantly for Indian and SE Asian cooking.

    Ghee's pretty awesome. I wasn't aware that butter's not considered 'clean', but I'd assume pure butterfat would be.
    Must be those "other" milk solids that make it dirty, eh!

    I guess so.....and I thought *I* was strict about that stuff....sheesh.
    I use a good amount of organic butter in my diet, and would never think of changing that for any vegetable product that like to promote health with big hearts and no cholesterol on the packaging........ obviously, ridiculously and greedily taking advantage of the nutritionally challenged folk..............at least after 80 years of high amounts of trans fats they have shied away from making the less obvious amount a good thing for most brands, which I find pretty funny.
  • kellyhargis
    kellyhargis Posts: 2
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    Just read the "5 things you should not eat to lose weight" ad that keeps popping up on the MFP webpage and it claims butter is better for you than margerin and other butter replacements. This is because they contain a lot of additives to maintain their shelf life. These additives are not good for us. Plus they keep you from losing weight. This is per the Trimdown club, whoever they are. Butter is naturally made. I have heard it other places also.

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