Butter vs. spreads

[LittleGreyCat]

I have seen some advice in diet sheets to cut out butter and replace it with low fat spreads such as those based on olive oil.

I have also read the contents on the various spreads.
Chemical city!

I still use butter - if I want something 'healthier' in mash I'll use olive oil, but not an olive oil spread.

I have cut right back on the hard cheeses but am pondering the dangers of dairy (if any) after reading other postings here.

Cheers

LGC

 

[fergus]

The only problem with butter is finding enough things to spread it on! I'd avoid polyunsaturated fats instead because they tend to be highly processed and are starting to come under increased scrutiny. There are lots of good vitamins and other nutrients in butter as well as a good balance of essential fatty acids.

All the best,

fergus

 

[Nellie]

I don't eat much of , but I'd far rather eat that than the spreads both because its less chemical and because it tasted better. I've got used to eating bread the French way without butter but I still put it on toast.

 

[Katharine]

There is no good reason to eat margarine/olivio etc unless you really prefer them. High intakes of omega 6s are implicated in worsening of cardiovascular disease, type two diabetes and cancers. If you google "The Israeli Paradox" you will see an interesting paper on this.

I use mainly unsalted butter. One problem is that it really doesn't spread from the fridge so you need a container for your table. There are some good ones at Lakeland Limited. Lidls now do unsalted butter for 69p whereas it is usually £1.20 or higher in most supermarkets. The cost may be more important to you if you do a lot of baking like me. Apart from that I use it everyday in scrambled eggs and on vegetables and for cooking steak. If you use a mixture of oil and butter for browning meat there is less burning.

 

[ally5555]

Margarine has been hijiacked really - it was developed during the war to extend food supplies.

I personally use butter - yes a dietitian using butter but sparingly - partly as I dont like the greasy texture!

I feel marg and spreads have too many additives and taste awful anyway. However some people prefer them i suppose - however the down side is that alot of people think they ar low in fat! and chuck it over everything .

 

[martinbuchan]

You just can't beat a good bit of butter. Oh lovely President or Lurpack. I just enjoy the moment.

When I presented in DKA with my foot abscess 18 months ago, the only change for diabetics on the hospital menu was low fat spread instead of butter. I calculated that the change might reduce my saturated fat intake per day by 1 gram. Hardly worth it.

The other argument is that dairy fats are actually not harmful (see transfat postings). Only about 15% of your cholesterol is ingested, the rest you make yourself. Cutting back on butter is hardly going to make a difference. Also, a high carb / low fat diet raises your cholesterol more than a high fat / low carb diet.

I spend enough time avoiding my old favourite foods- but not my butter. That I enjoy to much. Even the Independent had a good article today onTransfat. It didn't however make any reference to diabetes. There is a lot of basic science research about insulin resistance caused by transfat (http://www.pubmed.com). Whether 'The Cure' works- I am not sure.

 

[fergus]

Gott in Himmel! Finally we've found something we're all agreed about! Hurrah!

In the words of the immortal Frank Zappa, 'keep it greasy so it goes down easy!'

All the best,

fergus

 

[ally5555]

ah but fergus there is one thing - has to be Welsh farmhouse butter!

 

[christine boardman]

Butter is non-negotiable. Flies and bluebottles know a good thing when they smell it. They wont be caught dead near a spread.... Margerine has no benefit at all to us. It is a known fact that butter helps the system absorb other nutrients etc. Its no joke about the flies either.They wont go near margerine. I read it on the internet a few years ago. It was an eye opening piece and I've never forgotten it. Now I want a butty.

 

[Thirsty]

Um. christine, flies may not enjoy margarine but they do enjoy err certain other "natural products" which would make you very seriously ill.

Probably not the best creatures to ask for dietary advice.

:wink:

 

[fergus]

Um. christine, flies may not enjoy margarine but they do enjoy err certain other "natural products" which would make you very seriously ill.

Probably not the best creatures to ask for dietary advice.

Well, even so, they're not at the bottom of my list!

All the best,

fergus

 

[IanD]

You just can't beat a good bit of butter.

That's true :!: Stork ran their "I can't tell Stork from butter" ad for years.

"I can - it creams easier "

 

[Buachaille]

The Goat's milk butter from Tesco is something else.

 

[Henry W]

So pleased to read that Butter is best. Hardly have any except on toast in the morning when I have breakfast, as marg and spreads are revolting.

Sadly my two Labradors disagree with me, or not as the case maybe, one of them "obtained" a tub of lo-fat spread off the kitchen table the day before yesterday, must have been left out by me accidentally when I decided I had enough and wouldn't use it any more and between them wolfed the lot. They then sat around for the next 3 hours with slightly smug, slightly bemused expressions on their faces and then went outside and re-produced the lot.

Taught them a lesson or two I can tell you.

 

[hanadr]

Butter is better every time. Especially if you find the Lactic butters, which have a cleaner taste. that's usually the Lurpak type. Deliucious. Mine has to go mainly on my veggies or occasional Matzo.
Nice for scrambling eggs in the microwave too.
If we want to use olive oil, we can use it as the Spanish do, as a dip with a little winevinegar or balsamic. when God has provided us with much bounty, why do we want to eat the contents of a chemistry lab?

 

[hanadr]

I have already commented on this thread, but just remembered something.
When I was an undergraduate (a lifetime ago ) I shared a house with some girls who worked for Unilever. they brought home a product for us to test. the Very First Low Fat Spread ( which became Outline) it tasted distinctly of soap! : :evil: :
You can make a reduced fat spread from butter yourself if you blend it with water and a little English mustard as an emulsifier. I have done this when I needed to make a huge batch of sandwiches. the mustard made it taste quite nice and it spreads well.
I keep my butter dish in the cupboard with the tea caddies, NOT the fridge.

 

[Thirsty]

Of course, there are no chemicals in butter. :roll:

What the flaming blue blazes is all this **** about chemicals?

Everything is made of chemicals. You, me, Earth, Moon, Sun and stars, flaxseed oil, cinnamon, gliclazide, metformin, insulin...

Aaaargh!

 

[chocoholic]

I recently to spoke to someone whose friend's son is the consultant to consultants at the Marsden hospital and she put the "which fat spread is best?" question to him. His reply...."forget the low-fat spreads and choose butter every time 'cause the other spreads do more harm than good." :lol:

 

[JamesA]

I've been using the list of additives from:
http://www.curezone.com/foods/enumbers.asp

A lot of spreads are poor, as are diet drinks and especially sugar free orange squash.

I think its sometimes better to have less of something natural, and not all the way from New Zealand if possible...

 

[IanD]

I've been using the list of additives from:
http://www.curezone.com/foods/enumbers.asp

You're a brave man, using all those additives .... :shock: