Butter, Margarine or Oil?
- Thread starter Liya98
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Best for you, how? Are you on a low fat diet or are you looking to just eat better, like, no saturated fats?
Fat is fat, a teaspoon of butter has the same calories as a teaspoon of margarine or oil.
When you choose an oil, choose Canola, Olive, my personal favorite is grapeseed oil. High smoke point, means you can fry without it burning, and no flavor to it to mask your food. It is also not heavy (greasy) like some oils.
That being said, I will not give up butter, but I have cut down on it.
buckytom
Chef Extraordinaire
hmm, can you cook with fish oil?
if so, which fishes produce the best tasting, and/or high temp oil if any?
if so, which fishes produce the best tasting, and/or high temp oil if any?
For me: Never margarine. Mom used that all the time growing up and, well, ICK. (just my opinion). I use butter, canola oil, or olive oil, and peanut oil for deep frying.
Trans-fats are the worst for you so watch out for those. Otherwise if you are not on any type of restrictive diet then my feeling is "all things in moderation."
Trans-fats are the worst for you so watch out for those. Otherwise if you are not on any type of restrictive diet then my feeling is "all things in moderation."
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
This is an unanswerable question. Each has pluses and minuses. Used in moderation, they won't kill you.
I don't use margarine. I use butter and oils. Each is different in the cooking process in how it acts and tastes.
Margarines generally are lower in fat but often contain trans-fats which have been shown to be harmful. They contain a lot of water and a mixture of other ingredients.
Butter contains saturated fats but no transfats and it tastes great.
Different oils have different make ups containing more or less saturated fats and smoke points.
I don't use margarine. I use butter and oils. Each is different in the cooking process in how it acts and tastes.
Margarines generally are lower in fat but often contain trans-fats which have been shown to be harmful. They contain a lot of water and a mixture of other ingredients.
Butter contains saturated fats but no transfats and it tastes great.
Different oils have different make ups containing more or less saturated fats and smoke points.
Bolas De Fraile
Executive Chef
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2010
- Messages
- 3,191
or lardLet's not forget bacon grease!
Yep, I'm with Dave. I very rarely, maybe once in a year, use margarine. Don't like the taste of most brands and if I want water, I'll go to the tap for it.
And, as Andy pointed out, each of the different fats has its merits. I also make some of my best pie crusts with lard and I can't imagine making cornbread without bacon grease.
As Dave said, "all things in moderation." We don't eat Thanksgiving/Christmas dinner every day either, but we enjoy them when they're on the table.
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blackpig
Assistant Cook
The chemical processes used in the manufacture of margarine would put you off the stuff for life. It certainly did me. I use a lot of olive oil in cooking and I'm not averse to spreading a nice dollop of butter on a slab of home made bread the odd time. all things in moderation, as they say, but I never touch margarine. Ould Mrs. Blackpig (the Ma) used margarine all the time in the 60s and 70s. Such foodstuffs were at the time seen as "modern" and "trendy" and "much better for your bowels" than more traditional stuff that humanity has enjoyed for millennia.
Olive oil contains zero cholesterol.
Olive oil contains zero cholesterol.
Snip 13
Master Chef
Health wise I would go for olive or canola oil, and just a touch of butter for flavor in potato dishes or on bread etc. You get light olive oil which I use for cooking and extra virgin for dressings etc.
Rocklobster
Master Chef
Gotta add some pasta dishes in there too.
Snip 13
Master Chef
I thought that was obvious..lol! I need pasta like I need clean underwearGotta add some pasta dishes in there too.
CWS4322
Chef Extraordinaire
Okay--I use butter (unsalted). I use olive oil--different grades, flavored. Grapeseed oil. Canola oil. Coconut oil (which is concentrated--that is solid). Walnut oil. Avocado oil. Sesame oil. I use lard. I use bacon fat. I use chicken fat. I use crisco. I NEVER use margarine (except to add fat to the dogs' food). I use vegetable oil. I think they all have their place. Each in moderation... The coconut oil is nice when making a curry but I'd never use it with eggs. The avocado oil is nice for your skin--as is green olive oil. I guess this is kinda of like asking--which vinegar do you use?
BTW, my cholesterol level is excellent.
BTW, my cholesterol level is excellent.
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babetoo
Chef Extraordinaire
butter and canola oil. once in awhile olive oil. ran out of butter this week, had some spray "i can't believe it's not butter" yuck, phooey , sprayed on popcorn. almost couldn't eat it.
Barbara L
Traveling Welcome Wagon
babetoo
Chef Extraordinaire
Are you "hinting" that you could believe it wasn't butter?
indeed i am. i used to eat the stuff all the time. i switched to butter so i could use the unsalted for low sodium diet. i am spoiled now, big time. i will admit the unsalted doesn't taste as good as salted. but it sure taste better than that stuff.
I never did like that squeeze butter. I bought some thinking I was going to get a real treat from a Paula Deen recipe and squeezed some into a biscuit that was going to be fried along with some honey. Not. I ended up throwing it out. It had a weird taste. And I can eat or find a use for most anything.
CWS4322, I never heard of adding margarine to dog food for fat content.
I used to use margarine all the time. IMO it was the true multi-tasker. You could spread it on toast or cook with it without it burning. I have since changed to butter and a few different oils, but still keep "spreadable butter" on hand for breads and toast. I think it is butter and canola oil, but for all I know it's a fancy name for margarine, lol.
I do go through a lot of butter though. I think it would be fun to try to make it sometime.
CWS4322, I never heard of adding margarine to dog food for fat content.
I used to use margarine all the time. IMO it was the true multi-tasker. You could spread it on toast or cook with it without it burning. I have since changed to butter and a few different oils, but still keep "spreadable butter" on hand for breads and toast. I think it is butter and canola oil, but for all I know it's a fancy name for margarine, lol.
I do go through a lot of butter though. I think it would be fun to try to make it sometime.
NoraC
Senior Cook
I am also of the "never margarine" school, for reasons of health, taste, and cooking predictability. Let me add another oil to have on hand: mustard. It is amazing paired with a tarragon flavored dish (as well as pretty good for plain old Indian cooking, LOL).
CWS4322
Chef Extraordinaire
Pacanis--get whipping cream and you can make butter...just keep whipping it. I'll have to ask the DH why we add margarine to the dogs' raw food...he is in charge of that.
I have 8 lb of butter in the freezer--it was on sale this week.
I have 8 lb of butter in the freezer--it was on sale this week.
