If you’ve ever found yourself in a restaurant spreading soft butter over just-baked bread and wondering how many calories were packed into the creamy spread, you’re not alone. One tablespoon of butter contains 102 calories, but don’t fret. While these calories can easily rack up, research shows that butter can be included in small amounts as part of a balanced diet. Read on to learn more about the nutritional stats of butter, how much is too much and butter alternatives you might enjoy.
Made from the fat and protein components of milk or cream, butter has a rich flavor and is commonly used as a spread, as well as an ingredient in cooking and baking.
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Because it’s primarily composed of fat, butter is a calorie-dense food. One tablespoon (14 grams) of butter contains 102 calories, which is similar to a medium-sized banana, and about 11.5 grams of fat, 7 of which come from saturated fat.
It also contains several vitamins, including fat-soluble ones. Some vitamins found in high amounts in butter include vitamins A, D, E and B12. However, butter doesn’t contribute much to our total daily intake of these vitamins because we usually consume it in small amounts.
When used as a teaspoon here and there, butter has few known adverse health effects. However, eating butter in large amounts may very well lead to weight gain and associated health problems, especially in the context of a high-calorie diet.
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Most major wellness organizations recommend limiting your saturated fat intake to less than 10% of your total daily calories. For example, if you eat 2,000 calories per day, this translates to about 22 grams of saturated fat. One tablespoon of butter contains 7 grams of saturated fat, or about a third of the total recommended daily amount of saturated fat. So, if you’re eating other foods that contain saturated fat, aim for no more than 1 tablespoon of butter per day.
The butter aisle can be almost as overwhelming as the yogurt selection, with options ranging from plain old butter to margarine to olive oil and coconut oil blends. It can be difficult to know what’s really a healthful option, and what’s just good marketing.
As a general rule of thumb, butter is a better choice compared to margarine (which may contain trace amounts of trans fats known to raise bad LDL cholesterol and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease) and other highly processed fat substitutes. Still, plenty of alternatives like avocado and Greek yogurt are lower in saturated fat and serve up added health benefits.
Here are a few of our top picks for butter and butter alternatives.
Real butter
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Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Spreads & Sticks + Smart Balance Original Spread
Coconut oil
Avocado
Greek yogurt
Editor’s note: Registered dietitian Molly Kimball offers brand-name products as a consumer guide; she does not solicit product samples nor is she paid to recommend items.
Source: https://en.congthucvatly.com
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