Fat Free Butter

By: Olivia Taylor

Fat Free Butter
Photo By: Burst at Pexels

Is there a fat free butter substitute?

Yes, and this article explores alternatives and substitutes that can be used for eating, baking, cooking and even frying. Fat free butter substitutes are an excellent way to add flavor and cut calories.

Butter is made up of fat and water. The fat in butter is polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, saturated and trans fats. Low-fat butter substitutes still contain fat but they do not contain the “bad fat”.

Butter Substitutes

Fat-free butter substitutes, on the other hand, are an excellent alternative to butter and great way to enjoy the benefits of butter without the high fat content. To make the switch from full fat to a fat-free butter substitutes doesn’t have to be hard The best way to do this is to learn about what butter alternatives are available and how and when they should be used.

There are several different brands of spreadable butters available today and most have about half the amount of saturated fat as full butter.

Choosing a fat free butter replacement doesn’t have to be difficult. A fat free butter substitute will allow you cut back on calories and unhealthy fats. Butter substitutes can also add healthy fats and added nutrition to your diet without guilt.

There are a three main reasons why you may need to find a substitute for butter which include dairy allergies, heart health and lactose intolerance. Lets take a look and learn more about butter substitutes and their benefits.

Benefits of Using a Fat Free Butter Substitute

There are many benefits of using a fat free butter substitute including: reducing fat, healthier heart, milk allergies, lactose intolerant, and a desire to go vegan. Lets take a closer look at each benefit.

  • Reduce Fat – Fat free butter substitutes can help reduce or eliminate the amount of fat you’re consuming while eating and while cooking your favorite meals.
  • Heart Health – Butter substitutes can help lower your risk of heart related problems.
  • Food Allergies and Sensitivities– Non-dairy fat alternatives reduce allergies and sensitivities caused by regular butter. These substitutes may allow you to enjoy meals and recipes you’d otherwise have to skip.
  • Lactose Intolerant – Lots of people are lactose intolerant, which is an inability to digest lactose. Lactose, the naturally occurring sugar in dairy products, can cause problems for people who are lactose intolerant. Butter substitutes and alternatives allow people to cool and bake recipes that call for butter.
  • Vegetarian – Using a fat free butter replacement made with olive, canola, or other oil is good way to eliminate animal products from your diet.

What is the lowest fat butter?

There are many low-fat butter products to choose from. The main component to be concerned about is the saturated fat content in the butter product you choose.

Products like whipped butter is an excellent alternative. The calories in whipped butter are reduced by whipping air into full butter. As a result, whipped butter has about half the fat and calories of regular butter.

Is real butter bad for you?

No, butter is not bad for you. Healthy individuals who love butter should use it in moderation. Fat is a necessary part of a healthy diet. Eating fat will help your hair and skin, as well as help you feel full.

While real butter may not be the best choice for all of us, there are many alternatives available. It is possible to enjoy a modest amount of butter and still be healthy.

What is the healthiest type of butter?

The healthiest type of butter is butter that does not include a large amount of saturated fat. Saturated fats come from animal sources. At room temperature, saturated fats will turn to a sold form.

Many butter alternatives have a low amount of saturated fat. Vegan options will not have saturated fat because saturated fat only comes from animal sources. Choosing the right type of fat is the healthiest option, based on your body and goals..

Non-Dairy Substitutes For Vegans

There are many non-dairy butter substitutes available. They include: vegan butter, cocoa butter, vegan butter, coconut cashew butter, coconut oil, olive oil, avocados and nut butters. As with any substitute, you want to make sure you check the nutrition labels to compare saturated and trans fat. Not all non-dairy substitutes for vegans are better. Lets take a look at our options.

Vegan Options

Cocoa butter is an excellent substitute. It is extracted from cocoa beans and is used to make chocolate. Cocoa butter can be used to replace butter when baking. It is considered a healthy fat. In addition, it is rich in antioxidants and polyphenols.

Vegan butter is also great butter substitute because the taste and texture is very similar to real butter. Vegan butter is one of the most popular butter substitutes since it more affordable. Vegas is a good alternative to use for buttering toast, baking or sautéing vegetables.

Coconut Options

Coconut cashew spread is made with, you guessed it, coconut oil and cashews. It has a great rich and buttery taste. It is very easy to spread which makes it great for buttering bead and baking.

Coconut oil is great for baking and cooking. Its a great alternative because it helps you cut down on saturated fats intake. The downside to coconut oil is it cannot be used for spreading on because because the taste is very different from real butter.

Olive, Avocado and Nuts

Olive oil is another great substitute despite having more calories than regular butter. However, on the bright side it contains no cholesterol or trans fats. Olive oil can be used in in place of butter when baking, frying, or sautéing food. It can also be used on toast, bagels, and garlic bread included.

Avocados are smooth and creamy, and can be easily spread on toast. They are full of vitamins and minerals. In addition, they can be used to replace butter in many recipes. Avocado are a super food and contain monounsaturated fat which can actually help lower your cholesterol.

Nut butters are a great alternative to dairy butter. They can be easily spread on bread and don’t turn to solids even when stored in the refrigerator. Nut butters like almond butter does contain more fat than regular butter but, as with avocados, it is monounsaturated fat, which is actually healthy for you.

Is Ghee Healthier Than Butter?

Butter and ghee have a similar nutritional breakdown. Both are made of almost 100% fat. However there are a few differences between butter and ghee.

Ghee is a clarified butter, which means it is butter minus the water and milk solids. As a result, ghee is lactose and casein free making it a great choice for lactose intolerant people. Ghee can also be used at higher temperatures than regular butter.

Although ghee does some some benefits and advantages, it isn’t necessarily healthier than butter. When compared, they have the same fat and calories per serving. Both ghee and butter should be enjoyed in moderation as part of a healthy diet.

Is Butter Good For Weight Loss?

Sadly, butter gets a bad rap when it comes to health and weight gain. However, butter alone, will not make you fat.  Butter and fat in general, are very helpful with weight loss because fat makes you feel full. If you feel full, you will be less likely to overeat. This means you can stick to your calories intake goal. So high fat food like butter is actually good for weight loss.

Can I use low fat butter for baking?

Butter has many great uses and baking is one of them. In baking, butter is a leavening agent, which means it helps baked goods become fluffy, light, moist, and even flaky. Without an ingredient like butter, baked good would be dry, flat and flavorless.

Over the years, many healthier alternative to butter have been found that create the same results in baked goods as butter. Listed below are some great healthy butter substitutes that can be sued with baking.

  • Unsweetened Applesauce – Unsweetened applesauce can be used to replace butter when baking. You can reduce calories, saturated fat, and cholesterol with unsweetened applesauce. Simply replace half the butter in a recipe with unsweetened applesauce.
  • Non-Dairy Yogurt –Dairy free yogurts such as soy, almond or coconut can be sued to replace butter when cooking. Coconut, almond, and soy yogurts are all options to replace butter. The best options are for baking and cooking are plain, non-fat plain.
  • Pureed Prunes – Pureed prunes are an excellent replacement to butter. They can reduce calories by up to eighty percent. Since prunes are sweet, you wan to reduce the amount of sweetener you add to the recipe.
  • Smashed Beans – Similar to prunes, smashed beans can reduce calories by about eighty percent. Use canned smashed beans to replace half the butter in a baking recipe.

Is butter spray healthy?

People really love the taste of butter and who can blame them, its delicious but not the healthiest option. Butter sprays, which are deemed healthier than regular butter are designed to be sprayed on food to add the taste of butter without the calories.

Sprays are usually made with soybean oil, buttermilk, sodium, and butter flavoring. One spray has zero grams of fat compared to one tablespoons of butter which has 14 grams of fat.

A butter spray can be a great fat free butter alternative. However the uses are limited to spraying on popcorn, vegetables or corn on the cob. If you want to spread a substitute, butter spray isn’t the best options.

What can I use instead of butter to lower cholesterol?

Not too long ago, people with high cholesterol were told to stop eating butter because it caused high cholesterol. Butter, which contains a high amount of saturated fat has been shown to increased cholesterol.

When doctors talk about cholesterol there are two kinds: LDL and HDL. LDL is called the bad type of cholesterol and HDL is considered the good type of cholesterol. Saturated fat has been found to increase LDL cholesterol. And butter contains saturated fat, which is why people are told to avoid real butter.

Reducing the amount of saturated fat in your diet is recommended to help lower your cholesterol. There are many products you can use instead of butter, which will help you reduce your cholesterol. Lets take a look:

  • applesauce
  • avocado
  • avocado oil
  • coconut oil
  • olive oil
  • yogurt

What is the best butter for heart health?

When most people think about the best butter for heart health margarine comes in at the top of the list. Remember, fat in butter is polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, and trans fats. Low-fat butter substitutes still contain fat but they do not contain the “bad fat”, which is trans fat.

Margarine is made from vegetable oil and contains the good fats: polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Butter is made from animal fat, which is why it contains saturated fat.

Some margarines contain trans fat. Margarine that is sold in sticks contains more trans fat than a margarine that comes in a tub. When shopping for a healthier margarine, you should look for spreads that do not have trans fat and one that has the smallest amount of saturated fat.

Is plant based butter healthy?

Plant based butter, also known as vegan butter is made by combining a plant based oil such as coconut, olive or avocado and water to make a non-dairy butter substitute.

Plant-based butters generally provide healthier types of fats and a non-dairy alternative to vegetarians. Switching from regular butter to a plant-based will not greatly improve your health.

Many people aren’t aware of this but many plant-based butter are more highly processed than butter. Butter is simply made from cream and salt. Plant based butter my be more processed and might be made with refined oils that cab cause inflammation.

As a result, butter may be a better option for many non-vegan people. The best plant based butter substitute is one that is made with natural oils that don’t contain a lot of processing. In addition, you should look for products without artificial preservatives and additives.

Finally, the plant based butter you choose should be appropriate for the way you want to use it. Some plant based products are only good for cooking and baking. They may not be the best options for spreading because the taste and texture is not the same as real butter.

Conclusion

Today, there are many options when it comes to finding a fat free butter substitute. Regardless of whether you are trying to lower cholesterol, lose weight or just cut back on unhealthy fats with a little research you can find your healthy alternative for cooking baking and spreading. Comment below with your favorite healthy substitute.