I’ve cut down on my use of margarine and butter, but when I do use one, I go for the real thing. The taste is sooo much better.

Oh, yes. I love butter, and really, if the milk is good, the process minimal, it must be a better choice. If only in moderation.

I do so like that butter sculpture, too.

There’s a fairly technical article on the ‘badness’ of margarine here:
http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2009/03/margarine-and-phytosterolemia.html

I must confess that I cannot debate the point made on wholeheatlhfoodsource, as I am far from qualified. But as a mathematician, I simply must point out that all of his arguments contain fallacies. That’s not to say that the point is incorrect of course, just to say that the points are invalid (pretty disconcerting given the source).

As much as we romanticise views of the past (“simple” life, “clean” life, etc.) one must recall the horrible atrocities people of that time had to live through, and worse yet, perform to eachother. Remember that we know more now overall than we ever have, even if sometimes it doesn’t seem that way.

I try to take your approach of super-variety (keyword is of course try). So I try to avoid eating the same spread twice in a row. It’s not like there is a scientific reason for this, honestly it’s just an attempt to improve my memory.

I never eat butter and margarine on sandwiches or toast, but if I want something equivalent, I’ll use avocado. I’d say that is better than both of the other options :-)

The unfortunate conclusion seems to be not to eat much of either, which is difficult when you’re baking. I’m trying to find more recipes for baking with oil, but they’re pretty uncommon. I had my first try at olive oil pastry yesterday, but I haven’t done the taste test yet.

this was really timely for me and I’ll add the info here to my growing awareness of the issue.

I’ve always steared clear of recipes that list margarine – the purist in me just finds the idea repugnant. But a good quality marg can be ok in moderation, it’s just determining what’s a good quality one….

I’ve definitely run into the butter vs. margarine debate with my clients sometimes, and I always say it’s a matter of personal choice. Yes, butter is higher in saturated fat, but some people are concerned about all the different stabilizers that go into margarine that give it that texture. To be honest, I think as long as you’re not eating it often and not eating large amounts of it each time, it doesn’t make a huge difference. And to the people who are concerned about baking – in most cases, butter vs. margarine is probably not your only concern!

Thanks for the link to the article, Kathryn, I’m definitely going to talk about olive oil and avocado as alternatives from now on as well.

In the US, marg was coloured orange until the early 70’s. It was not allowed to be coloured yellow as people would confuse it with butter

Neither — except I do buy & use butter for certain Holiday (Christmas) recipes. I’ve never liked the taste of margarine & I’m one of those odd birds who likes her toast dry except for honey or fruit preserves. When I have craving for savoury, I apply a thin layer of spreadable cheese on bread and toast. The brand and variety I’m using now has about 3 grams of total fat per 16 g wedge but I use only 1/2 wedge per slice of bread. About 2 of those grams are saturated fat so I know it’s not a perfect spread but I do enjoy it and I have it only once or twice a week.

Great question, Kathryn, and thanks for linking to the article. I’ve added it to my resource files.

I don’t eat either margarine or butter on sandwiches or toast, but I do use butter when baking cookies and cakes for lunch boxes each week, and I use oil when baking muffins.

I just find it really hard to resist the dairy counter at the Victoria market where they slice chunks out of the huge blocks of butter. I never ate butter before I started shopping at the market. The big blocks just looks so wholesome that it’s too easy to forget about cholesterol.

Here in Finland margarines are pretty healthy, they’ve never really contained trans fats or other atrocious things. These days they’re also pretty rich in omega 3 fats.

I use margarine on bread (very little of it), canola oil in baking and coconut oil in some things. I would never use butter, it doesn’t even taste that good. Some of our margarines actually taste much better. And everyone who hasn’t baked with canola oil should try it out.

mmmm butter. i only really use butter on toast and in baking (oh and the occasional brussels sprouts saute) but i don’t eat a lot of it, so i feel fine about it. i switched back to butter after being brought up eating margarine and hnoestly, the taste is incomparable.

incidentally, my parents use “olive oil spread”. i’m not sure what it’s exact ingredients are, but that is another alternative.

We go through a stick of butter every month or so and we have a half full tub of margarine that has been sitting in the back of the fridge for what seems like almost a year. Like most, we have weaned ourselves off using too much of either – the butter is only primarily used for baking.

Only butter and never margarine. Used in moderation, it’s just so good for you. And I might add, baked goods are always superior when made with butter.

I use butter, but sparingly. The bulk of my cooking fat is olive oil.

I am surprised that so many people, including nutritionists, continue to espouse the view that butter causes dangerous changes in LDL levels. From the reading I’ve done, the scientific evidence simply does not support this position. Take a look at the Michael Pollan book called In Defense of Food, and Nina Planck’s Real Food. In any case, whatever your views on butter consumption, it is overwhelmingly clear that it is far, far, far better to eat butter than to eat any margarine, which is an artificial food that contains transfats.

Marg on sandwiches/toast – it’s mostly a moistener and is lower in cals. Butter for cooking/baking – risotto just isn’t the same without it.

My approach is that butter as one of many possible spreads. I love the flavour of it, but am aware of the high saturated fat content so look upon it as an occasional treat rather than an everyday food.

If I’m having toast I’ll generally just spread jam or honey straight on the bread, although sometimes I might use a bit of ricotta too. I find a sandwich doesn’t really need any spread. If I want something spreadable then there’s always tahini, hummous, avocado, cottage cheese.

I do use butter on toast if I’m having marmite – in my book you just can’t beat that combination. Plus boiled potatoes shine with a few bits of butter and fresh herbs.

I do often use butter when making cakes, unless I’m doing a vegan recipe. But again, cakes are an occasional treat and I don’t see the point in compromising on flavour, by not using butter. I’d prefer to bake the cake in all it’s fat and kilojoule laden glory, share it with friends, enjoy my pieces and then continue eating well afterwards.

I tend to use butter in baking but it depends on how I feel as to whether I buy butter or marg for spreading on toast – I don’t use it that often on toast but love it with honey

I eat butter sparingly.

I never eat margarine. It makes me want to vomit. I remember as an eight year old not being able to eat the fairy bread at a friend’s birthday party because it was made from margarine. No one told me, it was just that the ‘butter’ tasted funny and I didn’t like it.

I use nuttalex.
Butter is only a ‘natural’ product for baby calves, not humans!

My use of butter as a spread is pretty much like yours, Kathryn – only for vegemite toast. Although I use it in cooking quite a bit.

My kids, OTOH, adore it on sandwiches, etc. They are very, very active and healthy weights, so I don’t mind. Also the butter we eat is organic and unsalted, bought in bulk from the local co-op.

@Sarah “Butter is only a ‘natural’ product for baby calves, not humans!”

Lol on that one. I gotta get me some of that cow-made butter. How do they churn it without opposable thumbs???

Amen to RB!

Four sentences into that article and the misinformation is clear – “Then new research discovered that saturated fat raises our cholesterol and increases our risk of heart disease.” What research? You mean the unsupported theory suggested by Ancel Key’s cherry-picked observational data in the Seven Countries Study?

If McMillan-Price had done her research, she would know that even that final claim – the one then picked up and run with by the USDA despite the lack of scientific evidence – was preceded by many contrasting claims and findings by the same scientist. Here’s a good summary of ol’ Keys – http://www.stop-trans-fat.com/ancel-keys.html

Monounsaturated and saturated fast are good for us. Would you claim that nuts are unhealthful? Our cells are made up of the stuff. Margarine is polyunsaturated fat, processed in a similar way to plastic. Would you eat plastic? Vegetable oils in themselves are unnatural for us to consume in large doses (if any), and are rancid at room temperature (and therefore rancid in our bodies). Margarine/vegetable oil is high in omega-6 fatty acids, and the unbalance of omega-6 with omega-3 is one of the causative factors of inflammation in our bodies, a situation repeatedly linked with cancer development and other nasties. These are all points that are, in fact, backed up with scientific analysis.

I could go on, but I won’t. Margarine is 100% unhealthful.

However, I’m not pro-dairy either, since it’s infrequently found in nature that animals consume the milk of different species. If it’s butter vs. margarine though, butter will always win.

Personally, I use coconut oils and butters as they are real, whole foods, ‘processed’ through primitive, natural means, and are full of healthful fats. Coconut oil is excellent for baking purposes, and as a saturated fat, tolerates heat with far more stability than monounsaturates such as olive oil, which become carcinogenic at high temperatures (only use olive oil as cold dressings, etc). And ethically speaking, supporting small farming cultures in the pacific islands (mine is from Fiji) by buying fair trade coconut oil benefits not only your own health, but the survival and quality of life of those people.

Oh it has to be butter for me – like you say, it is a natural product. Everything in moderation and all that.

@Arlo – exactly! I fail to see how butter is a natural product!

I prefer the taste, texture and ingredient list of real butter, and, since I use it very sparingly, I feel pretty good about choosing to stick to the original.

There was a time in my life i ate a pound of butter a week – not joking – but this was before i was thirty, now i am terrified i am going to keel over dead as land ‘o’ lakes performs rigamortis for my entire body and not just my arteries.

i found out recently that you can grow mould on margarine (nuttelex) i don’t know how long it was sitting in the fridge… years? I love the taste of nuttlelex, especially with vegemite on toast, but don’t eat it much now, i prefer avocado and miso when i’m craving something salty. i’ve started putting butter in my cooking more too now, to keep me from losing weight (sorry, opposite battle to most it seems!) I’d love to get into coconut oil, but i’ve only ever seen it advertised as hair oil rather than food grade.