The best option to put on bread...

I looked at three different options, all of them not healthy, but bare with me.

• Butter (2tbsp) which has 204 calories, 23 grams of fat, 14.6 grams saturated, cholesterol 20%, sodium 6%, fiber 0, sugar 0, protein 0.2 grams
• Peanut Butter (2tbsp) which has 188 calories, 16.1 grams of fat, 3.4 grams saturated, cholesterol 0%, sodium 6%, fiber 1.9 grams, sugar 3 grams, protein 8 grams
• Nutella (2tbsp) which has 200 calories, 12 grams of fat, 4 grams saturated, cholesterol 0%, sodium 1%, fibre 2 grams, sugar 22 grams, protein 1 gram

So I've always put butter on my toast/bagels, etc... but then when I actually looked at the nutrition I was like NOOO! I started thinking about whether different options were better with the same calories. When I started counting calories, I thought a calorie was a calorie. But now I realise that I had three options in my cupboard to put on my bread, all three were close to the same amount of calories and I was choosing the worst one.

What I want to know is a) how do I determine the best options out of my foods? what should I be looking for most in the label? b) which would you choose out of those three? and c) any suggestions on things to put on bread that is just as convenient? I'm lacking ideas.

of the three peanut butter is your best bet. you are getting the healthy fats and a lot more protein.

Well I personally think that it depends on what you're craving. Sometimes you can eat the healthiest food in the world but if you can't get rid of a craving you will keep eating until its gone. Nutritionally speaking, the peanut butter is the best option, I personally would do half peanut butter and half nutella. I'd get a sweet treat with some nutritional value.

Also, if you're putting butter on your bread because you want something salty, try hummus. You can get it in different flavors and its like 50-60 calories for 2 tablespoons. Go ahead and add a slice of cheese or meat and you have a great sandwich for the same amount of calories as butter.

I choose Nutella because it tastes good. Another option is to mix half nutella and and half peanut butter like other poster suggested. Check out couple of my recent posts in recipe section.

UD

i'd choose butter. and cheese. and tomato.

i don't have it everyday though, and i thourally enjoy it when i do.

cream cheese and tomato is also great.

i just find if i crave something, i have it, because if i don't i'll eat so much other stuff, not be satisfied, and still eat what i was avoiding! lesser of two evils!!!

This may be a silly question, but is it really necessary to have as much as 2 tbsp. of butter?  That seems like an awful lot to me.  Peanut butter is probably the healthiest of the three options, but I personally can't stand the stuff so would look for alternatives - like cream cheese or hummus (or butter - but I'd only be using 1 tsp.)

Usually with toast or sandwiches, I don't bother with a spread, just eat it as-is or with a spoon of reduced-sugar jam (20 cals) or for a sandwich just use mustard and other low-cal condiments.

If I am craving peanut butter, one tbsp on a peice of toast is plenty...and if I am in the mood for buttered toast, half a teaspoon does the job. I can't imagine using 2TBSP of butter, that seems excessive, you'd be biting through butter instead of just flavouring the bread! If you love these options, maybe try just cutting back on portions a bit.

a. IMO, in general determining the best options takes into account calories, fat content particularly trans fats and saturated fats, protein, sodium, fibre, and looking for short ingredient lists of the most natural ingredients.  

b. Of the three, if it was for breakfast I'd choose peanut butter, as I am getting a good amount of protein with it and that will keep me fuller longer. If it is for a treat, I'd choose nutella cuz it's chocolately and yummy.

c. There are lots of things you can put on bread, if you are attached to eating bread. Low-sugar fruit jams, honey with sliced banana, Laughing Cow speadable cheese wedges (which admittedly are processed but their low calorie count trumps the preservatives and sodium for me lol), lite cream cheese ( the fat free stuff is nasty but the lite is good) with sliced tomato or ham (eeks on the sodium though) or lox or sliced strawberries...mmm cream cheese! I don't eat bread or bagels much but I do love it on crackers.

EDIT TO ADD: Haha it took me too long to type this out...I see others have since recommended the cream cheese

Fat free cream cheese is indeed gross. I've learned the hard way that those calories were there for a reason, and I still have most of a tub to finish.

Nutella is lovely, but I don't buy it because it would be too tempting.

I've pretty much stopped using butter and use Olivio, which is made from olive oil and amazingly tastes the same as butter without an aftertaste like some of the other butter alternatives.

As for peanut butter, I don't even use 1 tbls. I use 10 grams or just over 1/2 teaspoons. (But then, I use the Pepperidge Farms Light 7 Grain bread which is smaller and thinner than regular bread.)

You could always replace the butter with something like margarine or a low-fat version. That's what im planning on doing anyway! Cause I loove butter :)

I have a quiestion though, what kind of bread is the best do you think?

For all the 2tbsp remarks, I don't actually use that much... it's just the size that shows on the nutrition label, I was only using it to compare nutrients and how all three were close to the same amount of calories.

I will probably cut out the butter from now on, all the trans fats seems to give me the shivers just thinking about it.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Unfortunately I hate cheese or cream cheese's etc, so those options are out. I reallyyy like nutella though, it's almost like eating a toast cake. haha

and cassie_j, I don't know about other's but for bread I loveee the Ben's Smart 100% Whole Grain bread... it has a lot of nutrients in it, but it's slightly on the big side (slices). And for bagels I like the Dempster's 100% Whole Wheat... yummm! And full of fibre.

Umm butter doesn't have trans fats. Trans fats are produced when vegetable oil is solidified.

UD

I actually enjoy the fat free cream cheese, and at 30cal for 2tbsp, it's not so bad calorie-wise. I put it on toast rather than bagels.

as for bread - i buy a brown seeded bread roll - and slice it into little pieces so i can weigh it, the pieces are so delicate that it feels like a treat, and i'm not eating the whole bread roll. i do this because i LLLOOOOOVVE cheeses, so i need to lower my calories in bread to allow for the extra in the cheese.

xlovelyx- if you don't like cheeses, how about lemon curd? its sweet and tart, and yummy too.

or honey, naturally sweet, and if you buy the decent stuff has health benefits in too.

I absolutely love peanut butter so I am always looking for a healthy alternative. While in the commissary last week I found PB2. Its made by Bell Plantation. It's powdered peanut butter! You take 2 tbsp of the powder, mix it with 1 tbsp of water (or more if you want it smoother) the nutrition facts are amazing!

Calories 53.2

Fat 1.87g

sodium 77.6mg

Sugars 1.66g

Protein 5.65g

It is really good and best of all..it comes in a chcolate brand too :) Hope it helps. You can purchase right on the website. As a disclaimer I don't work for them I just love their stuff :)

 As for bread I love the weight watchers whole wheat. It's only 90 cals and 1 g fat for 2 slices.

I would bet a lot of money that peanut butter is much healthier than this PB2.  PB2 may be lower in calories, but it will have lost most of the vitamins/minerals that naturally occur in peanut butter in the processing/powdering process.

I like to put fruit jam and laughing cow cheese on my bagels. mmmm. if you still want butter or cream cheese get a whipped version, tastes exactly the same and it's a little lower in calories. and it's easier to spread, to boot! XD

I think while comparing foods, I care more about the ingredients than the nutrition.

p.s. peanut butter is NOT unhealthy at all!

there's a peanut butter substitute that is really good - it's called "better than peanut butter" and you can get it at trader joes or online.  it's half the calories of regular (100 for 2 tbsp) and although it's much sweeter than the real thing, i use it with polaner s/f preserves (10 cal per tbsp!) it satisfies my craving for a pb&j.

i've also trained myself to use kraft fat free "cheese" slices - they're disgusting, but only 25 cal per slice, and you can convince yourself you're having cheese.

if you don't already, you should check out "hungry girl" -- she has a lot of tricks and swaps and interesting products and ways to satisfy cravings without going overboard with calories or fat.  she turned me on to arctic zero - it's ice cream with only 32 calories per serving (that's 128 for a whole pint!) and it tastes great.

good luck!

Original Post by carriegood:

i've also trained myself to use kraft fat free "cheese" slices - they're disgusting, but only 25 cal per slice, and you can convince yourself you're having cheese.

Why would you want to?!?! Cheese is not "bad" food.

UD

sure it is, if you're counting calories - 80-100+ per ounce, and almost entirely fat.  and high sodium. plus, if it's commercial cheese, who knows how much processing and chemicals are in there?  so it's really not your best source for protein or calcium, or anything else.  if i absolutely must have cheese, i will have one of those fat free slices - and they're so nasty, i don't want anymore.

Original Post by carriegood:

sure it is, if you're counting calories - 80-100+ per ounce, and almost entirely fat.  and high sodium. plus, if it's commercial cheese, who knows how much processing and chemicals are in there?  so it's really not your best source for protein or calcium, or anything else.  if i absolutely must have cheese, i will have one of those fat free slices - and they're so nasty, i don't want anymore.

1. Yes you can fit 80-100 calories of something in to your diet.

2. Fat is not bad, you need fat, and ammount in one ounce of cheeese won't kill you.

3. Less chemicals, processing etc then in the fat free, horrible "cheese" thing you are eating.

4. Sodium is not that high.

5. It is OK to enjoy food, and not just go by what is the most nutritious thing. That is sure path to cheating on your diet, giving up eventually.

Your logic makes no sense.

UD