Margarine often tops butter when it comes to heart health. Margarine is a blend of oils that are mostly unsaturated fat. Butter is made from cream or milk. The type of fat found in animal products, such as cream, is mostly saturated fat.
Impact of Butter and Margarine Consumption
Since margarine has a variable but high trans fat level, the consumption of margarine may lead to an increased incidence of heart disease, cancer, and other diseases when compared with butter. Hence, butter is considered healthier than margarines.
In fact, butter is about 50 to 60 per cent saturated fat, while margarine is only about 9 per cent saturated, which is why margarine is usually the healthier choice.
As part of a healthy diet, CSIRO and Heart Foundation recommend the use of margarine / table spread over butter. Using Nuttelex Original in place of butter will reduce the saturated fat intake by 2.5kg* per year *Based on 20g of margarine versus 20g of butter per day.
But when you're baking, butter triumphs over margarine every time. For cakes, cookies, and pastries, butter (unsalted, that is) provides richer flavor. (It begins as cream, after all, and margarine is made from vegetable oil.) Butter's high fat content is also what gives baked goods their texture.
Flora is made with nutritious seed oils that are packed with Omega 3 and 6. That's why swapping butter for butter alternatives in your weekly shop is a good idea.
Margarine (such as Flora) contains no bad fats, is cholesterol free and has a lower saturated fat content. Margarines are also sometimes fortified with other vitamins.
Try: swapping butter to vegetable oil spreads like sunflower, olive or rapeseed oil spreads.
Which spread is better for my heart — butter or margarine? Answer From Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D. Margarine often tops butter when it comes to heart health. Margarine is a blend of oils that are mostly unsaturated fat.
Olive Oil. Olive oil is the most popular butter replacement and can be used for cooking and baking. Keep in mind that the taste of olive oil can vary, so be sure to choose a mild-tasting variety.
Olive oil is generally considered a healthier option than butter, as it contains beneficial fats that can improve heart health, while butter contains saturated fats that can be harmful in excess. However, moderation is key when it comes to using any type of oil or fat in cooking.
Healthy Margarine Substitutes
For 1 cup margarine, substitute 1 cup of the following: 1 cup softened cream cheese (or one 8 oz. block) or reduced-fat cream cheese, which has fewer calories and fat. 1 cup 60% to 70% vegetable oil spread or olive oil spread, which are trans-fat-free.
Regardless of the type, olive oil is high in monounsaturated fatty acids, containing about 75% by volume. When substituted for saturated fat, monounsaturated fats help lower your "bad" LDL cholesterol. The health benefits of olive oil have been attributed to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Flora ProActiv Buttery has a deliciously creamy and buttery taste. When part of your daily routine, it can help you lower cholesterol in a delicious way. Lowering your cholesterol absorption doesn't mean you have to give up the taste you love.
Saturated fats — such as those in meat, butter, cheese and other full-fat dairy products — raise your total cholesterol. Decreasing your consumption of saturated fats to less than 7% of your total daily calorie intake can reduce your LDL cholesterol by 8% to 10%.
The Best Options
The most heart-healthy options are neither butter nor margarine, but olive oil, avocado oil, and other vegetable-based spreads.
Made with plant stanol ester, Benecol margarines are proven to lower cholesterol levels, according to the company's website. Often found in corn and rye, plant sterols and margarine with plant sterols work by partially blocking the intake of cholesterol by the gut, so less is absorbed into your bloodstream.
In most recipes, you can use a 1:1 ratio to swap butter and margarine or plant-based butter (if the recipe calls for 1 cup butter, use 1 cup margarine or plant-based butter).
Get your Flora Spread online
It contains 65% less saturated fat than butter and has no artificial colors or flavors. With a mission to help people look good, feel good and get more out of life, and a background in nutrition research, we have been at the forefront of developing margarine spreads for over 40 years.
Is Flora better for me than butter? Our Flora spreads range contains less saturated fat than butter for a happier, healthier heart. We use a natural blend of plant oils which means Flora naturally contains Omega 3 and 6 which are essential good fats for your body.
Flora Buttery is our delicious creamy tasting option, 100% plant based but with a buttery taste. What's not to love? Melt onto hot vegetables, fold with love into cake mixtures or even use for pan frying.