Is Butter Healthy?
I get asked that question all the time. I try to be very cautious when answering questions like, “Is (fill-in-the-blank) healthy?” Because everyone from doctors and nutritionists to your average home cook has a different view of what is healthy. And with so much research available, it is hard to process it all and form an opinion. So I will tell you what I think and why, and you can decide what you believe.
I use butter. There, I’ve said it. Now, let me tell you some of the good things about butter and why I use it.
- Distinct flavor. On top of oatmeal, to saute asparagus or mushrooms, or on a baked potato, butter is the only flavor that works for me. And honestly, those are about the only times I use it.
- It is natural. I think our bodies process natural foods far better than foods born in laboratories.
Now, here are some things to be aware of about butter. I won’t say they are bad things about it, just things to be aware of.
- I has 102 calories per tablespoon which is 18% of your total recommended fat for the day. It contains 36% of your recommended saturated fat as well as 10% of your recommended cholesterol for the day. What that says to me is “use it sparingly.” I would never use more than a tablespoon on something I’m eating, and will gladly use less if it gives me the flavor I’m wanting. And I will thoroughly enjoy every bite. (To put it in perspective, 2 cubes of cheddar cheese from a snack tray have the identical fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol of butter with 36 more calories.)
Consequences follow our choices and I don’t believe we can short circuit that process of cause and effect. Can we engineer some buttery tasting spread in a laboratory that has all of the good qualities of butter with none of the bad? I don’t think so. Because when we ingest chemicals, that causes a different set of consequences.
So when people ask me if butter is healthy, I usually ask, “How much butter?” While one tablespoon is a fine addition to a meal, three or four is definitely not. As always, I believe a healthy diet is one with great variety and wise moderation. So for certain foods I unashamedly say, “Please pass me the butter.”
Special thanks for the photo to booleansplit on Flickr.
