Butter vs. Margarine

jennynd · 08-03-2006, 07:40 PM

What do you cysters think about margarine?

I'm a little afraid to use margarine cuz of all the things I've read. I tried butter but it just didn't cut it. Then I found this great sub...

Promise spread! It has 65% less saturated fat than butter & 0mg cholesterol. It also has NO TRANS FATS!! It's made primarily of sunflower oil. I like it cuz it tastes more like margarine & seems to be healthier than both. The only down side is that it melts in our butter dish... but I can deal with that.

Does anyone else use Promise? What do you think of the butter vs. margarine debate?

Ammaarah · 08-03-2006, 08:05 PM

Well, I just wanted to tell you I love the choices on your poll!

I marked that I'm a butter gal. It is high-cal and high-fat but I get freaked out by some of the additives in margarine as well as the whole trans fats issue. Plus butter just tastes so darn good. I'm trying to majorly limit it but it's hard for me to forgo buttering toast.

Ajani · 08-03-2006, 09:16 PM

Butter and only butter (except when I use lard for pastry). Even without the trans fats, I still can't bring myself to buy a tub of margarine. There's just something about it that still seems wrong. How are they solidifying liquid fats without hydrogenation? What new process have they created, and what franken-food have they created in the process?

Hezzer · 08-03-2006, 09:42 PM

I prefer butter.

I don't oppose margarin, though, as far as never eating it. Our fave diner uses margarine on the toast and it tastes okay. And I used it when staying with friends or family.

Margarin was what my mom used while I was growing up, but since moving out over 10 years ago, I've switched to butter. I've never bought any margarin.

Plus, the thought that margarin's color is really gray and that they add the yellow color for aesthetics really creeps me out. But who knows, maybe the color of butter gets a helping hand from food coloring as well?

As far as your spread melting - have you tried keeping it in the fridge?

Rebecca527 · 08-03-2006, 10:17 PM

I have to say that being as margarine is only one molecule different than the plastic container it comes in...I'm a butter user! I used to make my own butter from cream and salt...but I've gotten away from that as my hubby thinks it's "weird" for me to do so. LOL My husband likes the taste of margarine though, so I buy it for him. I'd rather not eat plastic!

Jashobeam · 08-03-2006, 10:39 PM

DH grew up with Fit For Life, so he convinced me margarine is a no-no. We buy butter only. For popcorn (since DH has high colesterol) topping he uses Butter Buds mixed with olive oil and parmasean cheese. We go thru a tiny container of Butter Buds in a year or more, lol, I think he sneaks the real butter. Our house goes thru about 4 sticks of butter every other month or so.

Ammaarah · 08-03-2006, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hezzer

Plus, the thought that margarin's color is really gray and that they add the yellow color for aesthetics really creeps me out. But who knows, maybe the color of butter gets a helping hand from food coloring as well?

My dad said when he was a kid, the margarine would come without color and they would include a little color PACKET, so you'd mix your own yellow "Oleo" as it was called.

snowbunny · 08-03-2006, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rebecca527

I have to say that being as margarine is only one molecule different than the plastic container it comes in

WHAT!!!?! Is that true? Where'd you hear that?

AlyBlu · 08-03-2006, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snowbunny

WHAT!!!?! Is that true? Where'd you hear that?

yep - it is true. Margarine was designed orginally as a way to fatten turkeys - they wouldn't eat it - so they realesed it on the general public!

If you leave margarine outside - not animal will touch it. Were as they will devouer butter.

Jashobeam · 08-03-2006, 11:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ammaarah

My dad said when he was a kid, the margarine would come without color and they would include a little color PACKET, so you'd mix your own yellow "Oleo" as it was called.

I watched a special on this! The packet was included in the bag and it would pop and dye the margarine. If I remember correctly it was due to the Dairy groups not wanting people to think margarine was the same as butter, so it was illegal to have butter shades in margarine. The dye packet was the way around it. You would pop the packet, massage the margarine then reshape it to a brick once the color was even.

Jashobeam · 08-03-2006, 11:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snowbunny

WHAT!!!?! Is that true? Where'd you hear that?

http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/butter.asp

"Although a great deal of the information given in the e-mail is valid, one bit of intelligence is nothing more than hyperbole tossed in by the author in an effort to make his point more strongly. The claim that some comestible is but a "single molecule away" from being a decidedly inedible (or even toxic) substance has been applied to a variety of processed foods: I was told that the difference between Cool Whip and Styrofoam is one molecule... is this true???
These types of statements (even if they were true) are essentially meaningless. Many disparate substances share similar chemical properties, but even the slightest variation in molecular structure can make a world of difference in the qualities of those substances. "

LadyBlue · 08-04-2006, 06:04 AM

I use gold n soft light margarine and I have used it for years. And it melts nice and you can bake cookies with it...wnd the cats do misbehave and lick it just like butter if I leave it out. I've never used real butter at home.

shellygirl · 08-04-2006, 06:44 AM

Hey ladies,

I tend to use avocado to spread with. There are some other spreads - like Tahini (sesame seed spread) - that are good (ie. low in *bad* fats).

If I am cooking, I will use the smallest bit of margarine (olive oil spread)... but not butter. I don't think either butter or marg are good for your health - butter causes heart disease and marg causes other problems. I choose marg (the olive oil spread) over butter since I think it is better for PCOS than butter. But like I said, they are both not great, and I only use the smallest bit. Go the avocado all the way!!!

Love,
Michelle

Ajani · 08-04-2006, 02:45 PM

I don't believe for an instant that butter causes heart disease any more than sugar causes diabetes. It's genetics and lifestyle, rather than one singular food choice, that lead to disease. All things in moderation (including moderation on occasion), coupled with a diet rich in natural foods and we can avoid a lot of the health hazzards out there.

jennynd · 08-04-2006, 04:06 PM

Wow, lots of butter gals! Who knew!

I grew up with margarine too. My mom is an excellent cook/baker & has some great recipes. I've found by using Promise instead, I can actually make these recipes taste better than her's! The banana bread is moister & the cookies are softer. It's great!

Promise spread just gets too hard if kept in the fridge & won't spread easily. They do make some in a little plastic container though so maybe that would work.