Butter is better....?

Do you remember this?


Well folks, we've moved way past Parkay, Promise, and Country Crock. Add in Smart Balance, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, Olivio, Brummel and Brown, Benecol, Romi, Blue Bonnet, Saffola, Earth Balance, and the list goes on and on.

The debate still remains: Which is better? Butter (the real deal that only contains ingredients you can pronounce, like cream and salt) or the various "spreads" (many of which boast health benefits such as lowering high cholesterol (the bad kind...LDL) and increasing the good kind (HDL)).

These spreads, such as Smart Balance, contain ingredient lists more like this: Natural oil blend (soy, palm, canola, olive), water, contains less than 2% of the following: salt, whey, vegetable monoglycerides and sorbitan ester of fatty acids (emulsifiers), soybean lecithin, potassium sorbate, lactic acid (to protect freshness), natural and artificial flavor, vitamin E (dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate), calcium disodium EDTA, vitamin A palmitate, beta-carotene for color.


Instinct says to to go with what is 100% natural, right? It also should tell us to use these things in moderation. I have to admit I use Smart Balance, because I like that there are absolutely no hydrogenated  oils in this product as in other buttery spreads. This means less trans-fatty acids, which translates into less artery clogging.


But wait. Let's not stop here. The rabbit hole of health continues deeper...as do the flip/flop artists that publish reports about "eat this....no wait...don't eat that." Make up your mind already, people. 


Let's see how long we can make the list of "questionable" substitutions:


1. sugar vs. aspartame vs. splenda vs.....
2. bacon vs. turkey bacon
3. eggs vs. egg substitutes (egg whites)
4. coffee vs. no coffee
5. wine vs. no wine
6. chocolate? only dark chocolate?
7. reduced fat peanut butter vs. natural peanut butter vs. almond butter
8. regular yogurt vs. greek yogurt?


You get the point. We are constantly bombarded with mixed messages about our health. Who do we believe? What about when they turn around and change their mind? I don't have any answers for you. 


I do have a suggestion: Do your research. Look at several important things while doing your research related to health facts:


1. Credibility (CDC.gov vs. Cindy Lu's Healthy Living blog)?
2. Date of information?
3. Source of information?


Let me know how you make these types of decisions. Who do you talk to? Who do you trust? What are your main sources of health information?


I found myself pondering this as I cooked breakfast this morning...a bacon, egg and cheese on a whole wheat bun....cooked in Smart Balance. 


Anna Marie