Butter is better

Since I didn't really cook dinner tonight (I don't count two slices of toast with butter and marmalade for myself as dinner), I still wanted to leave you with something that has been on my mind lately: why I use butter instead of margarine.

I suppose part of it is an individual taste; once you stop using margarine and try butter on your foods for a few days it's very hard to go back. But part of it is my aversion to hydrogenated oils and my love of natural foods. Cream and salt churned together until solid. You really can't get much more natural than that.

Anyway, I also did a little research online and found that the greatest argument AGAINST using butter is its saturated fat content (which anything that is made from natural animal ingredients will have), which can cause problems for consumers with high cholesterol problems.

The American Heart Association says the fat in butter is a monosaturated fat, which can actually end up being healthier for you than the fat contained in margarine.

These other articles also back up my argument:

Fat Fight: Is Butter Better?

Why Butter Is Better Than Margarine

Why Healthy Butter Is Better

My conclusion: Hooray for sweet cream salted butter! I don't even keep margarine in my house anymore; if I need soft butter I take some out of the covered butter dish I leave always full out on my counter. Butter replaces shortening in all my baking recipes, as "shortening" usually refers to Crisco, which I find really yucky. As long as you don't have a cholesterol problem, try trading your tub of margarine for a smaller amount of real butter next time you need to cook, bake, or put something on your toast.

I must also remind you that because butter is made with cream it technically becomes spoiled/hazardous in less than a week if left on the counter. I have not experienced this myself, but if you are unused to using warm butter you may prefer to take precautions and purchase a Butter Keeper.