thread: Butter vs. Margarine

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  1. #1
    Registered User

    Nov 2006
    Atop the lookout...
    2,777

    Butter vs. Margarine

    I am hoping to do some baking very soon, got all the good intentions of sending predominantly homemade goodies to school with DD (she starts prep this year!).... Wonder how long that will go for..... (the homemade thing)

    And I'm positive that I'm just not real sure because of my preggo brain, but butter is better (healthier) than margarine, isn't it? Thanks!

  2. #2
    Registered User

    Jul 2006
    Cloud nine :D
    6,309

    No, but if your going to choose between two evils then I always go the butter. I can't remember where I read but it was that butter wasn't he healthy option.

    (and for a good school snack idea freeze the stuff you make I do cooking every 2weeks and just freeze it)


    Cat xox

  3. #3
    Registered User

    Apr 2008
    Adelaide
    1,741

    Butter is a more natural product (depending on how it is processed or if it is organic), margarine is far from being natural

    Butter is higher in saturated fat, margarine has more unsaturated fat.

    So if you think organic products are healthier then butter wins, but margarine wins when it comes to the type of fat it contains.

    I like the taste of butter and we have mainly lean dairy and meat products so a little bit of saturated fat isnt the end of the world

  4. #4
    BellyBelly Life Subscriber

    Jun 2008
    In snuggle land
    4,499

    Yes, butter is better for you. Margarine is a synthetic product in that skim milk and various oils are heated to a point where they can mix, along with emulsifiers and other rubbish.

    Butter is a more natural product and the fat is better for you.

  5. #5
    Registered User
    Add leckert on Facebook Follow leckert On Twitter

    Mar 2008
    still on the teaching contract roundabout
    1,952

    I think there's some research somewhere about natural fats being better for us than the low-fat stuff that's been promoted to everyone.
    That aside, when cooking, unless the recipe specifically states margarine, I use butter. I use marg on sandwiches for spreadability so I always have some of both in the fridge.
    I think cooking with butter tastes better (mash gets butter and not marg for taste reasons)


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk so sorry if I'm confusing you

  6. #6
    Registered User

    Nov 2006
    Atop the lookout...
    2,777

    Cat; yes, hoping to do more of my bulk cooking and baking, and use the freezer. I guess I should have asked which is the lesser of two evils...
    I don't buy organic butter, but I agree that it seems 'better' than marg cause it is more of a 'natural' product, and even though butter is higher in the saturated fat, doesn't marg have some highly processed vegetable fat in it that is worse for you than the saturated fat of butter?

  7. #7
    Registered User

    Feb 2006
    NSW Central Coast
    5,301

    I have no idea on the technicalities of things, but I prefer butter, purely for the fact it is an all natural product. If you look on the ingredients list and all there is in it is cream, water and salt, then I am a happy chappy.
    Last edited by MrsFabuloso; January 2nd, 2012 at 09:43 AM.

  8. #8
    Registered User

    Aug 2006
    On the other side of this screen!!!
    11,129

    I often use a blend of butter (because it cooks and tastes as planned in the recipe) and another healthy oil like olive, canola or rice bran oil. Just remember when substituting oil to use a lot less because butter has other things in it but oil is 100% fat.

  9. #9

    Mar 2004
    Sparta
    12,662

    Margarine was developed in a laboratory. It's full of toxic chemicals and it's dyed yellow so that it isn't an unappetising grey colour.
    Butter is made from milk and tastes delicious.

  10. #10
    Registered User

    Jan 2009
    A Pirate Ship
    3,627

    Butter all the way! I'm going to start making my own in a few weeks from raw biodynamic, organic cream. I'm sure it will be YUMMMMO too. My great grandma told me once that the secret to great tasting home made cookies etc is to use good butter

  11. #11
    Registered User

    Jun 2009
    vic
    2,886

    I would use butter here but as dairy free we use nuttelex. But yes butter is healthier as margarine is full of unnatural nasties.

  12. #12
    Registered User

    Apr 2006
    Perth
    4,203

    We do pretty much what leckert does - marg for sandwiches and butter for everything else. When I'm baking unless the recipe specifically comments on it I use unsalted butter. I hate the thought of all the chemicals in marg, and given that most of the baking I do is for the kids (no, really it is ) and they're such scrawny little weeds I'd rather have the different/extra fat content of the butter over the nasties of the margarine.

  13. #13
    Registered User

    Jul 2006
    Cloud nine :D
    6,309

    I have found a good use for margarine..... Getting chewing gum out of hair. DD got it in her hair last night, and I used a little of this morning to get it out! That is all.
    Haha, at least it works! Apparently peanut butter does that same thing! Lol


    Cat xox