Which brand of margarine tastes more buttery?

[procon]

I like butter on things like freshly baked bread, but its expensive and for most other foods I use margarine. Country Crock is the brand I use most. I've tried I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! but my taste buds tells my that doesn't taste anything like butter. What about the rest of you folks, which margarine would you recommend for a good buttery taste?

[dewsgirl]

1. Country Crock churn style

[hlthe2b]

2. well, this is the one I like and use (healthy too--no trans fats) Earth Balance Original

I've used it for years--produced in Boulder, but I think Whole Foods has it nationwide

[TexasProgresive]

3. We pay the extra for butter- it is store brand but still higher than margarine

I believe margarine is as unhealthy as any hydrogenated oils. My cholesterol and triglycerides are in a very good range regardless of eating bacon and butter (no, I don't put butter on bacon )

[mahatmakanejeeves]

5. Ditto. I'd be surprised if anything other than the real thing tastes like butter.

Store brand here (northern Virginia) is now $2.99 per pound, give or take. This is the "walk in and buy it, not subject to any gimmicks" price. The Aldi, which can put butter on sale for $2.49 per pound, keeps local prices in check.

[TexasProgresive]

9. Our local super market carries Kerry Gold at a primium. I would buy it because

I am an hibernophile so Irish soda bread with Kerry Gold would be close to heaven.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

11. I've seen that in the store. It carries a high price.

What the hell - everybody needs one indulgence. Maybe a few.

When I hitchhiked through Ireland, I downed a lot of bread and butter. Mmmmmm.

[TexasProgresive]

13. On the road from Bandon to Cork city there was a famous topiary

called "the hitcher." I wish I took a picture but was more concerned about driving.

[hermetic]

56. I'm with you

I buy butter when it's on sale and freeze it. Win/win.

[ollie10]

4. margarine has trans fats, probably just as bad as butter imo

I use a butter blended with oil. You can buy in a stick or a plastic container. Pretty much can't tell the difference, but it is less saturated fat than butter.

[hlthe2b]

6. Most Plant based ones don't.... I use earth balance and zero transfats

[ollie10]

7. Actually, my biggest advice is to cut down on ALL this stuff

Low fat diet is best. Count your fat grams. If you are getting more than 50 per day, change your eating habits.

There are a lot of very tasty foods that require little or no butter/margarine at all. And for the ones that call for them, you can often substitute oil....or cut down on amounts.

For example you can air pop popcorn and use olive oil spray instead of butter and season at will with other seasonings. OK, not as tasty but still decent.

Going to the movies is so fun with popcorn....but a gall bladder or pancreatitis attack is no fun,

[hlthe2b]

12. we need healthy fats especially omega 3s--that's why I use earth balance

Read up on it.

More and more data is pointing to a deficiency of healthy poly and monounsaturated fats as correlated with increased risk for alzheimers and related dementias.

[ollie10]

16. yes, omega 3s are good...but still the same....we need to limit our fat intake

High fat intake is associated with pancreatitis, gall bladder attacks, cancer, high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes.....the list is long.

50 grams or lower should be our goal. And, of course, among those fat grams, it is better to avoid the saturated stuff.

You can get omega 3s from seafood, chia seeds, walnuts and other things in the diet. Or you can take fish oil capsules for omega 3s. Just buying a brand of butter substitute won't cut it

[hlthe2b]

18. Moderation, yes.. exceedingly low fat (unless under physician guidance) NO

[ollie10]

21. are you saying 50 grams in exceedintly low?

Sorry, but my wife just got home from the hospital with a bout from pancretitis. The recommended low fat diet from the docs is 40-50 grams tops. I have had cardio issues in the past, and guess what, they advocate low fat for that too. And a friend of mine came home from prostate cancer surgery and they recommend low fat to better your odds at preventing cancer as well. No, 50 grams is not exceedingly low....it is a very attainable goal. You eat lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low fat cuts of meat or vegetarian dishes.....and cut out the fried stuff. Who needs it? Certainly not your gall bladder.

[hlthe2b]

22. I did not say anything of the kind. Please re-read

Extreme low fat is usually defined as less than 33 g for a 2000 calorie diet.

[ollie10]

24. OK. Sorry. But what I am trying to say is we need to adjust our diets....not just one part of them

What matters is not what brand of butter or margarine you use. What matters is how much fruits/vegetables/whole grains/low fat meat and dairy, etc you get. If you eat enough of the healthy stuff you won't have room for the bad stuff!!! Fried foods should be avoided, no matter what they are fried in. And if you slather your toast a quarter cup of "healthy" margarine or butter....it ain't healthy anymore.

You could have, for example a breakfast with cereal and skim milk, some fruit/juice and do that in less than 2 fat grams.

You could have a decent lunch with vegetables and fruit and some low fat soup of a sandwich.....and not get many more fat grams.

Now you go into supper and maybe you are hungry for spaghetti....you fix a big bowl of whole grain spagetti, and pour on all the Bertolli tomato sauce you want.....and we are talking almost no fat here. Add a salad with low fat dressing. And more fruit or steamed vegetables.....and we are still talking very low fat.

And what if, instead of that spahetti, you pig out and split a frozen pizzz with your spouse? Well, you are still way below the 50 grams for the day. Maybe have some frozen yogurt for a snack and you STILL are under 50 grams!!!! Or maybe even some real butter on your popcorn! In moderation, of course.

Point is, you can eat a bunch of fun food, and eat abundantly, and still have less than 50 grams.

Just get a fat gram chart and see how it adds up.

There are a lot of foods that simply are unsafe to eat at any speed,

[hlthe2b]

30. preaching to the choir... n/t

[moose65]

8. Isn't ALL margarine plant-based?

In general I find margarine to be nasty and weird. I spring for a few extra dollars and get the butter, but I don't use a whole lot of it.

Land O Lakes has some spreadable butter which is butter with a touch of oil. It tastes pretty good!

[hlthe2b]

17. For decades margarine included partially hydrogenated oils (chemically changed to "harden)

Those were the source of transfats in the original plant-based margarines of old.

Newer healthy (expelled) forms of margarines do not containe these hydrogenated fats and thus no transfats

[TexasProgresive]

10. What chemical process do they use to get plant fat to harden?

Most plant oils are liquids that might thicken a bit in the fridge but are nothing that could be formed into a stick.

[hlthe2b]

14. Non-Gmo Expelled

read up here:
https://earthbalancenatural.com/philosophy/

[TexasProgresive]

19. !st ingredient palm fruit oil - I'll stick with butter.

Palm oil, made from the fruit of the oil palm tree (Elaeis guineensis), is one of the most widely produced edible fats in the world. The oil palm yields two types of oil: One is extracted from the flesh of the fruit (palm oil), and the other from the seed, or kernel (palm kernel oil). Palm oil is consumed in many countries in vegetable oil, shortening, and margarine. In the United States, it accounts for a very small percentage of overall fat consumption.

Palm oil, palm kernel oil, and coconut oil — the so-called tropical oils — got a bad reputation in this country some years ago because they're high in saturated fat, which has long been linked to heart disease. Saturated fat boosts "bad" LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, both of which are risk factors for heart disease. Palm oil, which is 50% saturated, has a more favorable fatty acid composition than palm kernel oil and coconut oil, which are more than 85% saturated. In general, the higher the saturated fat content, the more solid a fat is at room temperature. Palm oil is semisolid at room temperature but can be processed into a liquid cooking oil.

In recent years, we've learned a lot more about the health effects of various fats. The honor of unhealthiest fat now goes to trans fat, which not only increases LDL and triglyceride levels, but also reduces "good" HDL cholesterol. Most trans fat is artificially created through hydrogenation. Partially hydrogenated oil, used in many processed baked goods and snacks and for frying foods, is a major source of trans fat.

In 2006 the FDA started requiring that trans fat be listed on nutrition labels. Because of that requirement — and bans on trans fat like those in New York City and elsewhere — many food manufacturers and restaurants have stopped using trans fat and are looking for alternatives. One of them is palm oil. It's less saturated than butter and contains no trans fat. But just because it's not as bad as trans fat doesn't make it a health food. According to Harvard nutrition experts, palm oil is better than high–trans fat shortenings and probably a better choice than butter — but vegetable oils that are naturally liquid at room temperature, such as olive oil and canola oil, should still be your first choice.

— Celeste Robb-Nicholson, M.D.Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch

https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/By_the_way_doctor_Is_palm_oil_good_for_you

[hlthe2b]

20. it is a very low percentage of the fats in this product and at this level not considered a problem

Moderation of saturated fat is important, but unless you are strict vegan (no dairy, no meat at all) then you are getting some saturated fats.

[procon]

25. I saw that palm oil was near the top in Smart Balance Buttery Spread

The label says, "Made with Extra Virgin Olive Oil", but that very misleading. The ingredients are:
Vegetable Oil Blend (Canola, Palm, Extra Virgin Olive, and Flaxseed Oils).

[hlthe2b]

15. I did not say Earth Balance was in stick form.. It is a spread

[Kali]

23. none

butter is the only thing that tastes like butter. it is worth the price. margarine is nutritional poison and tastes nasty.

[procon]

27. All true, but not what I asked.

I was thinking about maybe whipping up my own house blend, a mix of butter and margarine, or maybe butter and olive oil, or all three. I have no idea what ratio would taste best, but my goal is to find something that tastes good and buttery, but it should be more economical for daily use.

[ginnyinWI]

37. you can already buy a butter/oil spread.

I have not tried it yet.

I compared Earth Balance to Smart Balance directly in a taste test, and Smart Balance won. Nutrition is very similar.

Over Christmas I needed some unsalted butter substitute and bought unsalted Country Crock sticks. But that wasn't as good tasting. Still, easier when making cookies to use a stick rather than scooping it out of a tub.

My main deal is to reduce saturated fat. By switching to these spreads from butter I saw my LDL go down with no other changes.

[Kali]

46. I use half butter half olive oil for a lot of cooking

lard for pie crusts

[procon]

47. What is the consistency of that butter and olive oil combo?

Sounds interesting. Is it spreadable right out of the fridge? Does is separate? Would it freeze well?

[Kali]

49. I usually just melt it together in a pan for cooking

I suppose if you mixed it and refrigerated it would be spreadable, considering how olive oil solidifies in the fridge. Just plain high quality olive oil is delicious on good bread alone, but I suspect you are talking more money than regular bread and butter. heh

I am with whoever above suggested saving money elsewhere and sticking with real butter. if you watch for sales you can get it pretty reasonable, well under 3/lb and it freezes perfectly, for up to a year if you put it in good heavy zip locks or equivalent (it will absorb flavors if you have things like roasted green chiles in the freezer, trust me - sigh)

[saidsimplesimon]

26. Butter

for bakers and chefs, please, "buttery taste", ugh.

[procon]

28. Not looking to become a baker or chef, just trying to find a good tasting

margarine for ordinary, day to day use at the table. Thanks anyway. We can't afford to be too snooty and buy butter only (wouldn't that be wonderfully yummy, though!), thus my question.

[Runningdawg]

29. Any margarine will do if...

you also use a little of a product called Butter Buds. Look it up on Amazon but please don't pay their asking price of $8. I can find it at almost any grocery store, with the spices, for less than $3.

[procon]

31. I tried that a while back, but as memory serves, it seemed disappointingly tasteless.

It's been a while, maybe they've improved the product since I last tried it. I know we sprinkled it on hot popcorn and my DH complained, same problem with baked potatoes, and that ended the trial. I don't think we used margarine AND Butter Buds, so maybe that's the secret?

[brewens]

34. I love baked potatoes. I can eat them a number of ways, none of which involve using any fake crap.

Real butter, sour cream, ranch dressing and my favorite store even has real bacon bits in their deli.

[Runningdawg]

39. Butter Buds is a 100% Natural, it is essentially butter extract in powder form

[procon]

41. I love a DIY potato bar with a wide selection of toppings.

With so many choices I can skip the butter (well, sometimes, anyway). Chili, crushed Fritos and cheese. Steamed green peas, crumbly sausage and country gravy. Guacamole, chopped tomatoes, Mexican cheese and salsa with sour cream.

Making myself hungry now, and it's pure torture because I'd need to go shopping before setting up that kind of a big spread.

[Runningdawg]

40. It needs something to bind to

a little margarine, olive oil or the liquid in which you cooked vegetables.

[procon]

44. Yeah, that makes sense. Thanks, I'll give it a second try. 😊 nt

[brewens]

32. Butter. I don't use so much of it that I feel that's anywhere to save money. I'll save

my money shopping store brands and other things where I know I'm getting something that tastes right.

[SamKnause]

33. I use Blue Bonnet stick margarine.

I use it for cooking and baking.

I leave a stick out at room temperature for toast, baked potatoes, etc.

[AJT]

35. Brummel&Brown

[procon]

42. I've never seen that brand. I miss some of the regional brands and store brands

that we got accustomed to in the past.

[AJT]

43. It's yogurt based and tastes great.

[procon]

45. Yum! That sounds good, wish it was available here. nt

[SharonClark]

36. Only butter tastes like butter.

For the difference in taste, butter is not expensive. Look for it on sale, it will only be about $1-$1.50 more than margarine.

[Freddie]

38. I use I Can't Believe...

Make sure you get the original and not the "light". Maybe I've gotten used to it over the years but it tastes good to me.

[left-of-center2012]

48. Isn't "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!" expensive for margarine?

I plan to but the combo 'butter and olive oil' next time I shop.
I only need it on my oatmeal and toast,
and have it recommended to me as easier to spread.

[Bayard]

50. Unsalted butter

Nothing else comes close. I just don't use a lot.

[secondwind]

51. We use Smart Balance and like it very much

[rso]

52. Margarine

It’s none of my business, and with all due respect, margarine contains trans-fats, which are extremely harmful and have been gradually removed from virtually all prepared foods in Europe and the USA.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

53. If you want the taste of butter,

use real butter.

It's as simple as that.

One thing I find incredibly weird about our culture is that we tend to demonize foods. And then a few years later discover the demonization was totally wrong.

As Michael Pollan says: eat real food, mostly vegetables, and not too much.

I also have a strong distrust of all dieticians and nutritionists. Anyone who claims you can substitute no-fat yogurt for sour cream and not tell the difference has no business recommending any food to anyone, since even though they can't tell the difference, a lot of us can.

[Texasgal]

54. In my opinion

If you use real butter you don't have to use as much so the cost kinda levels out.

Ofcourse, I LOVE Kerrygold butter and can only buy it for special occasions!

[dem in texas]

55. Can't Fake the real butter taste

When I am baking cakes and cookies, I use butter. When I sauté, I will use a combo of butter and oil. Sometimes, as in baking, you want the butter taste and it cannot be faked. When sautéing or pan frying, you want that lovely browning and crust that can only happen when real butter is used.

You can cut corners on the butter intake in other ways, like not loading a baked potato with butter, skipping the butter on toast, bread and rolls, a squeeze of lemon juice on steamed veggies instead of dab of butter, many ways to do this.