Butter has twice as many calories as regular cream cheese. One tablespoon of butter adds 102 calories to a meal, while the same amount of cream cheese only contributes 51 calories.
May Help Reduce Fat in Diet
For some people, cream cheese provides a benefit because it is lower in fat and calories than butter. 3 However, the difference is not substantial and cream cheese cannot stand in for butter in every case.
When it comes to fat, cheese again wins as the butter has double the amount of both saturated and trans fat. For the unversed, cheese is a good source of several vitamins and minerals including calcium which is important for teeth and bone health and development.
Clinical studies show a significant difference between butter and other higher-fat dairy foods on blood cholesterol. In a nutshell, hard cheese and even heavy cream had a neutral or beneficial effect on cholesterol, but equivalent amounts of butter (measured as calories or as grams of fat) had a detrimental effect.
Signs that your cream cheese has gone bad include changes in appearance and color, such as yellowing, mold specs, slime, or dryness. Lucky Belly warns that the spoiling process has begun if you see dried-out places on the cream cheese with larger pools of liquid.
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.
Butter is high in calories and fat — including saturated fat, which is linked to heart disease. Use this ingredient sparingly, especially if you have heart disease or are looking to cut back on calories.
"Tub butters often are the worst; they are usually loaded with unhealthy oils that make them more spreadable," explains Moushumi Mukherjee, MS, RDN, of Dietitian Moushumi LLC. Oftentimes, companies use these oils to increase a product's shelf life and meet consumer demands.
While both contain saturated fat, bacon fat contains more monounsaturated fat. This has been shown to have some heart-healthy benefits. However, bacon fat also contains more cholesterol than butter. This can be a concern for those with high cholesterol levels.
Cream cheese, mascarpone, ricotta, and potentially cottage cheese can all be used in place of butter in some baking and cooking recipes. It is best to choose high quality so they are not too watery (or strain through cheesecloth) and check the fat content which can vary.
Cream cheese is delicious when it's spread on a bagel for breakfast, but just 1 oz of cream cheese contains a whopping 27 mg of cholesterol. When the actual serving size that most people put on their bagel is totalled, it can add up to a very large percentage of the recommended daily allowance of cholesterol.
It's less processed than plant spreads but does contain saturated fats. Based on measurements of over 20,000 individuals, our scientists predict that for 64% of the people, it's OK to eat butter regularly — about every other day — but not every day, and large quantities may have a negative impact.
Butter is high in calories and fat, so people should eat it in moderation or replace it with healthy unsaturated fats. Eating a lot of butter may contribute to weight gain and could play a part in raising levels of LDL cholesterol.
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.
Saturated and trans fats raise your bad (LDL) cholesterol levels, so switch to fruit, nut or seed-based oils and spreads (such as canola, olive or sunflower) rather than choosing butter and other animal-based fats. Include a variety of healthy proteins.
Reasons Not to Eat Halloumi
'Halloumi is very high in salt, and a portion of 70g contains 2.1g, which is a third of your recommended daily allowance of 6g,' says Watkins. 'People with high blood pressure should be especially mindful of their salt intake. '