Butter replacement

berrr94
berrr94 Posts: 7 Member
edited November 15 in Food and Nutrition
What would be a good replacement when cooking instead of using butter? I know it's very fattening but I don't know what else to use! Help! :)
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Replies

  • farfromthetree
    farfromthetree Posts: 982 Member
    Actually butter is much better for you than processed margarine. I would stick with butter (lol...get it?) When I saute something in a pan I use either olive oil or coconut oil. I use a misto to spray the olive oil so it is lighter on the calories.
  • Adc7225
    Adc7225 Posts: 1,318 Member
    Use butter, just count it. I also use olive oil or coconut oil but anything that has minimal processing is better than substitutes.
  • berrr94
    berrr94 Posts: 7 Member
    Lol thank you! I was just curious because I'm making a turkey roast tonight in the crockpot and it calls for a whole stick of butter! Maybe next time I'll just use half a stick :) thank you!
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    All fat has the same calories, so if you want to lower calories you'd need to go with some type of fat substitute. Margarine would be the obvious choice, but read the ingredients and make sure there are no paritally hydrogenated oils.

    You can also just cook with less butter. For sauteeing you can use a little broth or stock for cooking, and then melt a little butter over once cooking is completed.

    You can mix butter and oil and keep in the fridge for spreading on breads. This makes it much easier to spread so you can spread it more thinnly.
  • j75j75
    j75j75 Posts: 854 Member
    farfromthetree wrote: »
    Actually butter is much better for you than processed margarine. I would stick with butter (lol...get it?) When I saute something in a pan I use either olive oil or coconut oil. I use a misto to spray the olive oil so it is lighter on the calories.

    Right on!! I like to use grass-fed butter. It's so good!!

  • fat2strongbeth
    fat2strongbeth Posts: 735 Member
    Butter! Seriously, I use butter, ghee or nut oils to cook with. I like the taste of the real thing and I just use less.
  • berrr94
    berrr94 Posts: 7 Member
    Thank you so much for the tips! :)
  • PiSquared
    PiSquared Posts: 148 Member
    Peanut oil is my go-to work horse oil. It's got a higher smoke point than olive oil, so it works well in stir fries that require a screaming hot pan. I don't have a peanut allergy, and I enjoy the slightly peanuty taste it gives. I also use olive oil, or even occasionally butter. I typically only use a tablespoon or two, depending on the recipe. I did a browned butter gnocchi this past Monday, that used a mixture of olive oil and butter. It was quite tasty.

    For non-cooking applications, like dressing vegetables or spreading on toast, I'll use Brummel and Brown spread. To my knowledge, it does not contain any trans fats.

    For baking, I'll use regular butter, as the recipe calls for it. I've had mixed results with substituting applesauce or yogurt for some of the butter in recipes.
  • DaneanP
    DaneanP Posts: 433 Member
    Another fan of butter here. For pan cooking I generally use olive oil as my cookware recommends against cooking sprays - just a drop. Every once in awhile for a piece of toast or something I want to spread butter on (and I only have cold butter) I will use a little Brummel and Brown yogurt spread. It is very tasty and about half the fat and calories.
  • MoiAussi93
    MoiAussi93 Posts: 1,948 Member
    edited April 2015
    A lot of people already gave great suggestions, but if you don't need the flavor it provides and want to avoid the calories, the non stick no calorie cooking sprays work well.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Yes, as others have said, less butter. Also olive oil (the spray bottle or you can get a spritzer to make doling out smaller amounts easy) or coconut oil are good and have a nice to neutral taste, depending.
  • dym123
    dym123 Posts: 1,670 Member
    There is no substitute for butter. Mo butter, mo better.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    Just use butter. CICO.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,261 Member
    edited April 2015
    Butter also has less calories then vegetable oils, if it's calories your worried about.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    This is an interesting arguement for me because I was born in the US where we cooked alot with butter. When I married my Italian husband and moved to Italy, I learned to cook Italian from his mother and two aunts. They hardly ever use butter and use extra virgin olive oil in almost everything. I seldom use butter now, and really don't miss it. Northern Italy uses more butter in their cooking, but middle and southern Italy rely on oil. Calorie wise we're about the same, but some people consider it a healthier fat. Only you can decide what you like to use. B)
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    Butter is one of the sacrifices I havent made. I simply have less of it. No health reasons and it tastes great. I eat less French toast/toast and fewersandwiches or baked potatoes, so by default less need for butter.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Nothing cooks like butter. Like others have noted, you can use a fraction. If the recipe calls for a full stick, I'd try a tablespoon.

    @snowflake954 I agree with you too. EVOO works in a lot of recipes. But for a newbie I'd suggest following the recipe only cut the amount.

    Avoid half-the-fat spreadable margarines at all costs. They replace the oil with water and when you spread it on toast is soggifies it. Totally gross.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,261 Member
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    This is an interesting arguement for me because I was born in the US where we cooked alot with butter. When I married my Italian husband and moved to Italy, I learned to cook Italian from his mother and two aunts. They hardly ever use butter and use extra virgin olive oil in almost everything. I seldom use butter now, and really don't miss it. Northern Italy uses more butter in their cooking, but middle and southern Italy rely on oil. Calorie wise we're about the same, but some people consider it a healthier fat. Only you can decide what you like to use. B)
    I was going to say, you must live in the south because the north lurve their butter.

  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    I actually live in Rome, but my husband's family come from Pulglia, in the south. Their sauces are alot lighter than the northern cooking. Once my husband (after a trip to my family in Minnesota) was spreading butter on a piece of bread and his brother, who is a cardiologist, just about went nuts. He said that habit wasn't a good idea. ;)
  • tinascar2015
    tinascar2015 Posts: 413 Member
    I am ALL ABOUT THE BUTTER. I was still using real butter, just way less of it. Now I'm using Land O'Lakes Light Butter, which is about $5 a pound (!!), but it's closer to real butter than anything else and 50% of the fat and calories. It's really excellent.
  • breezy0906
    breezy0906 Posts: 164 Member
    berrr94 wrote: »
    What would be a good replacement when cooking instead of using butter? I know it's very fattening but I don't know what else to use! Help! :)

    Have you tried Ghee? Its basically super refined butter. Its delicious and like half the fat and carbs. Great for cooking. I haven't tried it like spread on a piece of bread but its amazing for sauteing and grilled cheeses :)
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    mmmmm butter

    i use the no calorie non stick sprays a lot. just kind of depends on what it is.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,261 Member
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    I actually live in Rome, but my husband's family come from Pulglia, in the south. Their sauces are alot lighter than the northern cooking. Once my husband (after a trip to my family in Minnesota) was spreading butter on a piece of bread and his brother, who is a cardiologist, just about went nuts. He said that habit wasn't a good idea. ;)
    Well, it's lifestyle and butter really isn't going to shorten your life when you factor everything in, but they continue to try and the status quo is a hard one to maneuver, no doubt about it. I believe they also consume the funny oil made from olives up in Rome.

  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Now I have to go try me some ghee.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,261 Member
    breezy0906 wrote: »
    berrr94 wrote: »
    What would be a good replacement when cooking instead of using butter? I know it's very fattening but I don't know what else to use! Help! :)

    Have you tried Ghee? Its basically super refined butter. Its delicious and like half the fat and carbs. Great for cooking. I haven't tried it like spread on a piece of bread but its amazing for sauteing and grilled cheeses :)
    Well, no it's not half the fat and it has no carbs at all. It's basically a clarified butter that is taken to the next stage where some color is added from an extended cooking time and it actually has more calories than regular butter.

  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    neanderthin wrote: »
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    I actually live in Rome, but my husband's family come from Pulglia, in the south. Their sauces are alot lighter than the northern cooking. Once my husband (after a trip to my family in Minnesota) was spreading butter on a piece of bread and his brother, who is a cardiologist, just about went nuts. He said that habit wasn't a good idea. ;)
    Well, it's lifestyle and butter really isn't going to shorten your life when you factor everything in, but they continue to try and the status quo is a hard one to maneuver, no doubt about it. I believe they also consume the funny oil made from olives up in Rome.

    The "funny oil" as you call it, has extremely high quality. Oils here are treated like wines. There are many different types and most people know someone who produces oil, so they buy directly. Oil is given as a gift especially at Christmas. A high quality, cold pressed oil is considered a classy gift. :)
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,261 Member
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    neanderthin wrote: »
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    I actually live in Rome, but my husband's family come from Pulglia, in the south. Their sauces are alot lighter than the northern cooking. Once my husband (after a trip to my family in Minnesota) was spreading butter on a piece of bread and his brother, who is a cardiologist, just about went nuts. He said that habit wasn't a good idea. ;)
    Well, it's lifestyle and butter really isn't going to shorten your life when you factor everything in, but they continue to try and the status quo is a hard one to maneuver, no doubt about it. I believe they also consume the funny oil made from olives up in Rome.

    The "funny oil" as you call it, has extremely high quality. Oils here are treated like wines. There are many different types and most people know someone who produces oil, so they buy directly. Oil is given as a gift especially at Christmas. A high quality, cold pressed oil is considered a classy gift. :)
    I was trying to make a joke......I have 4 different types of evoo's in my kitchen at the moment. 1 from Spain, 1 from Calif. and 2 from Italy, one is unfiltered and peppery, love it. But I have a warm spot in my heart for butter, I am French and I cook for a living....lol.

  • hstull82
    hstull82 Posts: 116 Member
    Yeah I say use the butter. Or olive oil or coconut oil are my go to oils ;)
  • MindySaysWhaaat
    MindySaysWhaaat Posts: 401 Member
    So, this doesn't really relate a whole lot to your question, but I use Imperial brand margarine instead of butter. The reason actually ISN'T because it's less calories: It's simply that it's what my mom used when I was growing up, and I always thought it actually WAS butter (I actually called it Imperial butter).

    So imagine my surprise when my fiance told me to pick up a box of butter, I get home with my Imperial margarine, and he goes "Mindy....this isn't butter...." and I am like "Huh....?"
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,261 Member
    That's pretty funny Mindy
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