Butter/Margarine/Yellow stuff in a tub???

Hi all!

What is the difference between butter and margarine?  Are they both equally unhealthy?  Please don't think I'm an idiot, but where do things like Country Crock spreads that are in the tubs fall? Are those butter or margarine? 

I've noticed that butter/margarine seems to be generally regarded as unhealthy, but I'm not sure why.  Is one slightly less unhealthy than the other?  

Thanks in advance for any help!

This might be a little help:  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/butter-vs-ma rgarine/AN00835

Thank you so much for the informative link! Very helpful!

Could be an urban myth.. but I've heard that margarine is only one molecule away from plastic. Even the possibility that was true, put me off the stuff for life!

I say, go with butter and just don't ladle it on (for toast and the like). 

In cooking, subsitutes work very well (such as apple sauce) and for those recipies that must have fat of some kind I use olive oil.

I think always, keep it as natural as possible. 

i use nut butter or tahini on bread instead of butter/margerine - healthy fats and full of nutrients! everybody wins :D

When I buy butter the whole box says butter.  Everything else is not.

Original Post by glos2lv:

Could be an urban myth.. but I've heard that margarine is only one molecule away from plastic. Even the possibility that was true, put me off the stuff for life!

I say, go with butter and just don't ladle it on (for toast and the like). 

In cooking, subsitutes work very well (such as apple sauce) and for those recipies that must have fat of some kind I use olive oil.

I think always, keep it as natural as possible. 

One molecule makes a lot of difference.  Water is one molecule away from being hydroxide, but that doesn't stop you from drinking it.  It's also one molecule away from being formaldehyde (CH2O) but again, you need it to live.  I hate when people use that "one molecule away" nonsense.

It's not surprising to be confused!  There have been a lot of changes in the recommendations over the past few years.

 For a while, butter was demonized because of the saturated fats it contains, and margarine was considered best.  Then when information about the health effects of trans fat emerged, margarine was abandoned and butter was embraced as better.  Now, margarines are being made without hydrogenation, and many do not have trans fat, and very little saturated fat, making them healthier than butter.  

In general, you still need to look for specific brands, as not all have converted over to a non-trans fat formula.  Good brands are: Benecol, Smart Butter (light), I can't believe it's not butter, Promise.  There are a few others out there too - look for no trans fat, and very very very little saturated fat per serving.  Hope this helps!!

Thank you mommakitty for that elaborate explanation! Lol! J/k. 

dondons, I nut butters quite frequently also, but every now and again, I like just a little bit of butter on my grits! :)

glos2lv, I've never had a chance to use many of the substitutions, but most of the dishes I cook don't use/require butter and I typically use an olive oil if necessary.  I'm interested to try the apple sauce substitution in baking, just haven't had the opportunity yet.

I really appreciate all the feed back, I don't use a ton of butter/margarine (1lb. usually lasts us well more than a month, probably closer to 2 or 3), but just recently had to buy some.  I noticed all the varieties in the supermarket; some aren't labeled butter or margarine.  I ended up buying Country Crock, because the calorie content was a little better than what I had been buying, but next time, I'll definitely be able to make a more informed decision.

Original Post by horfinator:

Original Post by glos2lv:

Could be an urban myth.. but I've heard that margarine is only one molecule away from plastic. Even the possibility that was true, put me off the stuff for life!

I say, go with butter and just don't ladle it on (for toast and the like). 

In cooking, subsitutes work very well (such as apple sauce) and for those recipies that must have fat of some kind I use olive oil.

I think always, keep it as natural as possible. 

One molecule makes a lot of difference.  Water is one molecule away from being hydroxide, but that doesn't stop you from drinking it.  It's also one molecule away from being formaldehyde (CH2O) but again, you need it to live.  I hate when people use that "one molecule away" nonsense.

 What he said.

I am pretty sure it's an urban myth (especially since not all margarines have the same ingredients), but even if it IS true, it's not "scary" at all.

One molecule of difference is a LOT when something is comprised of only a few molecules to begin with. There are lots of reasons to avoid certain margarines (or all of them), but this is not one of them.