Regular butter is made with one ingredient: cow's milk or cream, churned or shaken until it reaches a semisolid state. It contains at least 80% milk fat by weight, and it takes about 11 quarts of milk to make 1 pound of butter. Most butter sticks contain 100 calories per tablespoon, a typical serving size. One serving has 11 grams of fat, and 7 grams of saturated fat. It also contains 30 milligrams of dietary cholesterol.
Margarine is any vegetable-oil-based, butter-flavored spread that contains 80% oil. Anything with a lower oil and fat content is called a soft margarine spread. It's been called a healthier, plant-based alternative to butter, but it also has it's detracters for being artificial and having trans fats, which help keep oil-based ingredients solid at room temperature.
The American Heart Association suggests buying soft, trans-fat-free spreads instead of regular butter or stick margarine. Choose a blend with the least amount of saturated fat and zero trans fats. Check the ingredients: If it says partially hydrogenated oils, it still has some trans fat, even if the label says trans fat free. When baking, use a hard stick of trans-fat-free margarine in place of butter
Your healthiest option may be to skip both the butter and margarine. Try using monounsaturated fat instead. Olive oil for dipping bread or vegetable oil for cooking. Use avocado and nut butters in place of butter on sandwiches. These are healthier fats and sources of omega 3.
Flax seed, chia seeds and lignans are also great sources for omega 3's. Enjoy the benefit of flax seed and the benefit of chia seeds with FitFlax.
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