There is a golden rule when it comes to food: the less something is processed, the better it is for you. Butter is made by a simple method called churning, and it only contains one thing: milk.
What about margarine or spreads?
We all grew up hearing that margarine was better for our hearts, but science has discovered that the fat in margarine may not be good for us after all! There’s nothing wrong with vegetable oils from sunflower or canola seeds, but to turn them into margarine, the oils have to be changed into something called trans-fats. They are heated and treated with chemicals to alter them, and it doesn’t stop there!
All these treatments turn the oil grey, so it has to be bleached and coloured. It also doesn’t taste good, so artificial flavours are added! Now think about how butter is made: creamy milk is churned until it becomes yellow and delicious. There is just no comparison.
What is in butter?
Butter contains vitamins A, D, E and K, and it also has equal amounts of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids - the perfect balance. Butter also doesn’t turn into something else when it’s heated, which makes it safe to use for cooking. Butter does contain cholesterol, but your body needs cholesterol to repair itself. As long as you eat enough fresh vegetables, fruits and other whole foods, the cholesterol in butter is part of a healthy diet.
Make your own honey butter spread
Delicious on whole grain toast or on cooked carrots, all you need for this healthy spread is:
- ½ cup of butter
- 2 tablespoons of raw honey
The colour of your butter depends on what the cow is eating - the more carotene a cow gets from eating greens and hay, the yellower the butter!
It takes about 10 litres of milk to make just 500g of butter!