Plant-based butter is high in monounsaturated fats because they are prepared with plant-based oils instead of dairy. According to the American Heart Association, these fats are considered healthy fats that can help lower bad cholesterol and provide the body with essential minerals and antioxidants.
Palm oil, coconut oil, and palm kernel oil (from the seed of the fruit) are all high in saturated fat, which is a culprit in driving up LDL cholesterol in the body that can lead to plaque, blockages, and ultimately heart disease, which may end up raising your risk for heart attack and stroke.
Light butter has half the calories, saturated fat and cholesterol of butter. This blend of light butter and oil has heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (MUFAs and PUFAs).
Plant-based butter still contains a large number of saturated fats which are bad for your body. As a result, plant-based butter isn't considered a healthy food and is only marginally healthier than typical dairy butter.
Which Vegan Butter Is the Healthiest? The healthiest vegan butters on this list are Miyokos, Wildbrine, and Wayfare, as they do not contain canola oil or soy products.
Flora has less saturated fat than butter. All around the world, health experts recommend that you should reduce your intake of saturated fats and eat more 'good fats' that is, Omega 3 and 6, which help to maintain normal cholesterol levels. Flora is made with nutritious seed oils that are packed with Omega 3 and 6.
Flora Unsalted Plant Butter is made from plant-based oils and it's ready for cooking and baking. Go ahead, make chewy cookies, fluffy cakes, and creamy sauces. It's non-GMO, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, and free of artificial flavors and preservatives.
Nutiva Coconut Manna
Nutiva makes this spread with pureed coconut and nothing else. That's right, it has just the one ingredient! "This plant-based spread is sodium- and cholesterol-free, which makes it a great replacement for butter and cream cheese," says Palinski-Wade.
Other times, you can decrease calories and fat, improve the nutrition profile, or build a recipe to suit your dietary needs by replacing butter with avocado, applesauce, yogurt, or even pureed beans.
Nuttelex is virtually free from trans fats at 0.4% or lower. Nuttelex also contains 65% or less saturated fat than butter. In addition, Nuttelex is made with vegetable oils. Vegetable oils contain higher content of the good fats (monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat) and are lower in saturated fat.
The Best Options. The most heart-healthy options are neither butter nor margarine, but olive oil, avocado oil, and other vegetable-based spreads. 7 In baked goods, consider substituting applesauce, nut butters, or squash purees for butter. Dip your crusty piece of bread into some olive oil.
Scientists around the world simultaneously showed that saturated fat—the kind in butter and lard—increases both “bad” LDL cholesterol and “good” HDL cholesterol, making it similar to carbohydrates overall but not as beneficial to health as polyunsaturated fats from nuts and vegetables.
swapping butter to vegetable oil spreads like sunflower, olive or rapeseed oil spreads. switching whole milk to skimmed milk. using natural yogurt instead of sour cream or double cream. replacing regular mince with leaner, lower fat options.
Flora ProActiv spreads and drinks contain plant sterols which are natural substances that have powerful cholesterol reducing properties. Consuming 1.5g to 2.4g of plant sterols per day can lower cholesterol by 7-10% in 2-3 weeks*.
Ideally, olive oil, nut butter, or clarified butter can be used by diabetes patients. These alternatives prevent blood sugar spikes and reduce cholesterol levels.
*Based on peer reviewed comparative lifecycle assessments conducted by Quantis in 2020 of Flora Plant compared with dairy butter in UK. Switching from one 250g pack of dairy butter to a 250g pack of Flora Plant saves 1.8 kg CO2eq. Product life guaranteed for more than 3 weeks.
Mediterranean diet is a better alternative
Brozek recommends substituting both butter and margarine with olive oil or canola oil whenever possible. This falls more in line with a Mediterranean diet, which is high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These fats have been proven to be the best types of fats.
Eating a lot of foods high in saturated fats raises “bad” LDL cholesterol levels. Saturated fats are found in fatty cuts of meat and dairy products. No more than 10% of your daily calories should come from saturated fats. Smoking lowers HDL cholesterol, particularly in women, and raises LDL cholesterol.
The worst foods for high cholesterol, given their high saturated fat content, include: Red meat, like beef, pork, and lamb, as well as processed meats like sausage. Full-fat dairy, like cream, whole milk, and butter. Baked goods and sweets.
While coffee does not contain cholesterol, it can affect cholesterol levels. The diterpenes in coffee suppress the body's production of substances involved in cholesterol breakdown, causing cholesterol to increase. Specifically, coffee diterpenes may cause an increase in total cholesterol and LDL levels.
Although Flora was not made with hydrogenated fat after 1994, a large number of other fat spreads were until very recently.
Best before end: see side of pack. Keep chilled (2-8°C). Flora and Flora Plant are registered trademarks of Upfield.