Which is healthier butter or margarine? What to choose for a safe diet - butter, vegetable-cream mixture or margarine

We understand how these products differ and how they affect the body.

Oil

This is a natural product. To get butter, they are churned in oil mills: due to the high speed of rotation, they release concentrated milk fat.

According to GOST, butter must contain at least 72.5% fat. Most of them are saturated, which is why many consider this product unhealthy: it is assumed that such fats increase the level of "bad" cholesterol. And it clogs blood vessels and can cause a heart attack or atherosclerosis.

This is not true: just recently, an international team of cardiologists analyzed data from 1.3 million people and found no link between cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. Fats can clog the vessel, not because you ate oils, but because you have a bad heredity or an unhealthy lifestyle. And cholesterol from cream, on the contrary, strengthens the immune system and protects against infections.

Butter can be used for frying, although it is not very convenient: at temperatures above 150 ° C, it starts to burn.

Margarine

The word "margarine" has almost become synonymous with the word "poison", and this is no accident.

Until 2018, by law, this product could contain up to 20% industrial trans fatty acids - these substances cause. However, since January 1, amendments have been made to the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union: now they should not exceed 2% in margarine.


There are few useful substances in margarine, but there is almost no milk fat in it: the product will perfectly fit into your menu if you have a tendency to atherosclerosis.

Just do not heat it above 180 ° C: at this temperature, margarine begins to release aldehydes that are hazardous to health.

When you go to the store to choose butter, your eyes run wide - creamy, melted, soft, light, combined, margarine, spread ... Only a sophisticated buyer can understand what kind of fat is needed for sandwiches, and which one is needed for frying potatoes and baking.

In Soviet times, there were only three oil products - butter, margarine and combined fat. The first was yellowish, melted in the mouth, had a delicate taste and quickly froze in the refrigerator. Natural oil could be used in any way - spread on a sandwich, fry potatoes on it, bake pies and make cream for the cake. Nobody ate margarine and combined bread with bread, but they were amazingly suitable for cooking and baking. The main problem was to find scarce products in the store, and all the housewives knew how to use them. But then the 90s came, and a real bacchanalia began on the oil market.

Combined fat disappeared from the shelves once and for all, natural butter became a rarity, but an insane amount of “soft” butter appeared, which was not at all like a real high-quality product - the food burned on it, an incomprehensible liquid appeared in the pan after melting, the pies turned out to be bland ... Later it turned out that the new product was made not on cream, but on the basis of cheap vegetable oil with the addition of a mass of thickeners, emulsifiers and flavor enhancers. The outrages in the fat market continued for almost ten years, until in 2003 new GOSTs were adopted, which dotted the "i". According to them, today only a natural dairy product can be called butter - there should not be any “soft”, “gentle”, “combined” and other options. Everything else is margarines and spreads. Products differ in composition and production technology, so they must be used differently in the kitchen.

Oil must be solid.

People have learned how to whip butter for a very long time. Even in the Indian Vedas, dating back to 2000-1500 BC. e., describes the procedure for its production in primitively arranged mixers. The Arabs and Syrians acted somewhat differently - they sewed a tight bag of goatskin, left one small hole, filled it with fatty milk, hung it from poles and swung it until cooked. In our country, butter became a ubiquitous food product in the 9th century, and its industrial production began at the end of the 18th century. Domestic ghee was known all over the world and was called nothing more than "Russian" - it was this kind that was actively exported to Europe, Turkey and Egypt.

Unfortunately, the glorious traditions are far in the past. Today, there is little real high-quality oil produced in the country; there are a lot of fakes on the shelves. Therefore, when choosing a natural product in a store, first of all pay attention to its label - it should contain the inscription "cow's butter" or "butter", GOST and the name of the variety - peasant, Vologda, amateur, ghee, etc.

After reading this information, take a pack in your hands - a quality product can only be solid! In addition, check the integrity of the packaging and the expiration date - the oil is stored in parchment for only 10 days, in aluminum foil - 15 days, and in metal cans - 3 months. If you buy a product by weight, take a closer look at it - the oil on the cut should be shiny and dry in appearance, only single tiny droplets of moisture are possible. Its color may vary from white to yellow, but the shade of the piece should be uniform. And most importantly - do not purchase goods that are sold without a refrigerator.

Margarine - for baking

Unlike butter, which people have learned to make since time immemorial, its neighbor on the store shelf, margarine, appeared not so long ago. The French emperor Napoleon III became the godfather of this product - in 1868 he announced a competition for the creation of a cheap oil substitute for soldiers. Two years later, the chemist Hippolyte Mezh-Murier came up with a new product in his laboratory, making it from melted fat of cow kidneys, milk, crushed udder and some other ingredients. The resulting fat shone like a pearl, so it was called "margarine" (translated from Greek margarites means "pearl"). Of course, the modern product is very different from its progenitor, but the essence remains the same - it is made from vegetable (palm, sunflower, olive) and other fats (fish, seal, walrus, whale). The main horror story that accompanies this product is related to the content of harmful trans fats in it, which are obtained as a result of the conversion of liquid oils into solid ones. Today, serious producers are abandoning the old technologies and getting margarines that do not contain trans isomers, but most still operate in the old fashioned way.

Margarine can be spread on bread and made into sandwiches, but it is primarily intended for cooking and baking. For the convenience of housewives, the product is available in solid, soft and even liquid form. Moreover, each variety has its own specialization.

Solid. This margarine is suitable for any type of baking - pies, cakes, cookies. If you want your culinary creations to be particularly fluffy, tasty and golden brown, choose a product with a fat content of at least 75%. The higher this figure, the easier the dough will knead.

Soft. It is better to use for cream, stuffing eclairs, rose decorations. The soft consistency of the product mixes well with cocoa and condensed milk and is perfectly squeezed out of a confectionery syringe.

Liquid. This margarine is best suited for making cakes and other products that require volume expansion during the baking process. In addition, the liquid product is recommended for heating, stewing and frying - it does not splash, does not burn and contributes to the formation of an appetizing crust.

What do they eat spread with

Spread (from the English spread - “spread”) is a cross between margarine and butter. It contains milk and vegetable fats, but no fish and animal fats. Naturally, the more the first, the better, and you can find out about this from the name of the spread. If there is no butter fat in the product at all or it is extremely small, it is called vegetable fat. If it is from 15 to 49%, the product is called vegetable-creamy, more than 50% - creamy-vegetable. Sometimes they also write on the packages that the spread is light. Of course, its calorie content is lower than that of ghee, but still this product cannot be called dietary. Officially, it is high fat (70-95%), medium fat (50-69.9%) and low fat (39-49.9%). The amount of harmful trans fats in spreads is officially standardized - their mass fraction should not exceed 8%. Vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, and cholesterol-lowering styrenes are often added to them. This product can be used in sandwiches - it spreads easily on bread and does not freeze.

Oil types

Vologda. It differs from other oils in its high fat content - 82.5% - and a special nutty taste, which is achieved by whipping almost boiling cream. A quality product perfectly sets off any dish, therefore it is suitable for sandwiches, mashed potatoes and cereals. The original recipe was invented in the 18th century by the famous Russian milkman Nikolai Vereshchagin, who called his oil “Parisian”. According to one version, it happened at the oil mills of the Tver region, according to another - in the Vologda region. Be that as it may, in the Soviet era, the oil was renamed "Vologda".

Amateur. This oil has a fat content of 77-78%, so it will make your meals lighter.

Sour cream. This butter is made from cream fermented with lactic starters. The product is tasty and original, but it is very rare on the shelves. Its fat content can be from 72 to 82%.

Sweet cream. This butter is made from ordinary cream, without sourdough. Its fat content can also be different - 72-82%. Perhaps this is the most common type of oil that is sold in domestic stores. It is suitable for any purpose.

Peasant. According to the old GOST, it was the lightest oil with a fat content of only 72%. According to modern law, cream can be even more dietary - up to 50%. Moreover, a new product will soon appear - oil paste, which has from 39 to 49% fat. Technologically, it is very similar to low-fat spreads - in order to maintain consistency, moisture, stabilizers and emulsifiers are also added to it. But unlike them, the fat in the oil paste can only be milk.

Ghee. It is heated at a temperature of 75-80 ° from butter, as a result of which milk fat is separated from all related impurities and reaches 98-99%. This type of oil is devoid of vitamins and other biologically active substances, but it is ideal for cooking, frying food and long-term storage - in ancient times, butter was specially heated so that it would not deteriorate for a long time. Just don't confuse ghee with ghee, which is not made from milk and cream, but from other fats.

Salty. Information about the amount of salt in the product must be indicated on the label. This oil is suitable for sauces and second courses.

Chocolate, fruit, vanilla, honey. Butters with additives are good for making confectionery creams, and some people prefer to spread only such a product on bread and toast. When choosing an unusual oil, make sure that it is not made on the basis of dyes and flavors, but from natural fruit juice, cocoa powder, vanilla or honey.

6 signs of quality oil

1. The name "cow butter" or "butter" plus an indication of the variety: peasant, Vologda, amateur, melted ... No more additions like soft, combined or light. For Russian oil - GOST mark.

2. Pleasant creamy taste, in Vologda - with nutty notes. Delicate, melts well in the mouth.

3.Solid consistency. The softer the oil, the more vegetable fats it contains, which means that it is no longer a natural product.

4. The color is from white to yellow, but the shade of the piece is uniform, without mold and other foreign inclusions.

5. Shelf life - from 10 days (by weight) to 3 months (in metal cans). If more, then the product contains preservatives and other additives.

6. After melting in a pan, it does not emit liquid.

The debate about the benefits of butter and margarine when used in baking never stops. Admirers of the first consider it more tasty and harmless, and admirers of margarine praise its benefits for the heart and vegetable composition. The difference between these products really exists, however, only one of them is better suited for baking.

Choose your recipe

Instruction

Butter is a product of natural origin, which is made by whipping cream to a firm consistency. One tablespoon of butter contains 7 g of fat and 30 mg of cholesterol, so you should not abuse it so as not to harm the arteries. Butter is best for baking, as it contains 80% fat, which makes dough tender and airy, while butter with vegetable additives or churned butter will not give such an effect. Another important point is that animal fats in butter blend best with flour and eggs.

If butter is forbidden by a doctor or a person tries to follow the principles of a healthy diet, it can be replaced with a vegetable option - namely, soybean or rapeseed oil. They are well suited for baking - when kneading dough with them, their taste and texture will remain the same as when using butter. To give baked goods a special and piquant taste, cooks recommend adding walnut or sesame oil to the dough.

Margarine is made from vegetable oil to which hydrogen has been added. Many types of it contain hydrogenated fats, which reduce the level of good cholesterol and increase the level of bad. They are usually sold in packs - to avoid such a purchase, you need to choose packages that say “soft margarine” on the label, since these products are less firm and do not contain hydrogenated fats.

Cooks rarely use margarine for most types of baked goods, since many varieties contain only 35% fat, and the rest is water. Most often, housewives put high-quality soft margarine in the dough, if its presence is specifically specified in the baking recipe - otherwise, replacing the butter indicated in the recipe with margarine can lead to spreading and burning of the dough, so it is best to use soft margarine with a high fat content for baking and minimal moisture.

Hard varieties of margarine, if abused, can increase the risk of developing coronary heart disease, while soft varieties are more harmless and even beneficial.

Take a stroll through the dairy section and you will see that the selection of butter and margarine is huge. At the same time, both products are equally popular among the population. Each person has their own opinion that explains their choice. However, not everyone knows how butter actually differs from margarine.

Difference between butter and margarine

Although these products are used for basically the same purposes, they have little in common. The main factors that distinguish butter from margarine are the method of manufacture and composition. First of all, these products contain fats of different origin.

Butter

Butter lovers probably know that butter is made from milk. That is, it contains only animal fat. The main ingredient is fresh milk or cream. The selected component foams to separate the fat. In this case, the liquid solidifies.

Cow's milk is usually used to make the butter we buy in stores, although other varieties are sometimes substituted. Sheep or goat milk products are also available to the consumer.

The color of the finished oil can vary from white to deep yellow. In fact, the shade does not indicate the quality of the product, but the diet of the animal from whose milk it was made. Moreover, only one ingredient is required to churn liquid into a dense mass.

You may have noticed that butter is usually labeled "sweet creamy" on packages. Why is this happening? The answer suggests itself. It's just that the main component of this product is not milk, but cream. In addition, it is pasteurized or heated before churning. This is done to extend the shelf life of the manufactured product. In many countries, such as the United States, it is strictly forbidden to sell unpasteurized butter.

During churning, milk or cream turns into a thick paste. At the same time, the process itself contributes to the fact that air enters the mass, making it easier. That is why butter contains fewer calories than regular animal fats.

Many housewives have been interested in the question for several decades - is margarine in baking harmful to health? What are the consequences of using this product, and is there evidence of benefits and harms?

It is almost impossible to refuse homemade baking, despite the abundance of such products on the shelves of modern supermarkets. Homemade pies, pies and buns have a special charm, even their taste is very different. Such food is prepared with love, family members and guests eat homemade products with pleasure.

For many decades, margarine has been the basis for baking. Of course, today there is an opinion that this product is unhealthy, because advanced housewives try to replace it with butter or other dairy products. However, our ancestors did not see any harm in margarine, they added it to all pastries, and no side effects were found.

Butter or margarine?

For many years there has been a fierce debate about which is better - butter or margarine for baking? Proponents of a healthy lifestyle argue that margarine is harmful, it negatively affects health, it contains a lot of cholesterol and unhealthy fats, so its use leads to serious consequences.

However, many housewives still use this particular product despite the well-known benefits of the oil. So, what is the difference between these products, which one is better and safer?

Pros and cons of oil

Butter is a product made entirely from natural cream. The component is whipped to the desired consistency. One tablespoon of butter contains:

1. 30 mg bad cholesterol.
2. 7 g of fat with harmful fatty acids.

Note! In order to avoid health problems, oil, which is high in fatty acids, should be excluded from your diet. An excess of this substance can harm the arterial system.

People who cannot refuse to use butter, even understanding its harm, are advised to pay attention to those types of product that contain less fat and cholesterol. As a rule, today it is not difficult to find a good oil made with the addition of olive or canola oil. In this form, it is easier to digest, which has a better effect on human health.

In baking, butter outperforms margarine because its fat content reaches eighty percent. Due to this, the adze turns out tender, soft and ruddy. It should be understood that an oil created with the addition of other components will not produce a similar effect, so you need to choose the product carefully.

It is important to consider that butter melts rather quickly, so it is unlikely to be suitable for making puff pastry. Moreover, to create creams, it is necessary to use an odorless oil, otherwise the aroma will remain on the finished products.

Pros and cons of margarine

Unlike butter, margarine is not a natural product. It is produced by adding hydrogen molecules to vegetable oil, which results in a mass of medium or high hardness that looks like ordinary butter.

Many products of this nature contain hydrogenated fats, which can cause serious harm - they significantly reduce the content of good cholesterol, which is necessary for the body, and increase the amount of bad cholesterol, which is harmful to the body. The harm of margarine is to increase the risk of cardiovascular and arterial diseases.

When buying, you should focus on margarine marked "soft" - in such a product, the content of hydrogenated fats is either completely absent or significantly below a dangerous level.

For baking, even with great popularity among older generations, margarine is not the best solution. Despite its low price, this product can spoil the dish instead of making it tasty and attractive. The fact is that the fat content in margarine is only thirty-five percent, the rest of the composition is ordinary water. That is why pastries created on the basis of margarine will simply spread over the dishes and burn.

Besides:

• Trans fats contained in margarine easily penetrate into the cells of the body, creating a fertile ground for malignant neoplasms. Therefore, people with serious illnesses should avoid using this product.
• The use of margarine by people whose diet contains mayonnaise and other sauces is strongly discouraged - these products also contain harmful trans fats that can harm the body. Together with margarine, a dangerous mixture is obtained, which instantly destroys good cholesterol, saturating the body with bad cholesterol.

Note! In some recipes, margarine is the main component and is prescribed specifically - in this case, you must follow the recommendations and follow the step-by-step instructions exactly.

Soft margarine, despite popular belief, is much safer than butter. No wonder, when choosing margarine or butter, housewives often read the composition. The soft product contains a minimum amount of bad cholesterol and fats dangerous to health, so this product is great for preparing a variety of dishes.

The only thing the hostess needs to consider is that pastries made with margarine are likely to burn or spread.

Margarine has a rather specific taste and smell. As a rule, during baking, these qualities of the product are completely preserved, and all buns and pies acquire the taste of margarine. Despite this, housewives still do not refuse margarine, preferring it because of the low price and difficult heating.

Spread

Another popular product used for baking is spread. It is created from a mixture of a variety of fats - both animal and vegetable. Often, natural cream, milk are added to the product, and any of the vegetable oils is necessarily present in the composition.

Such a product often comes to replace the usual margarine and butter, not only due to its affordable price, but also because of the content of natural ingredients in its composition.

Video: margarine, spread or butter?

Vegetable oil

One of the safest, but at the same time no less popular products for baking, is vegetable oil. Its main advantage is that its composition almost always contains exclusively natural ingredients. Moreover, manufacturers try to avoid harmful cholesterol in the composition of the product, and therefore the harm to health is minimal.

Despite the fact that technological progress allows us to use any products, get acquainted with their composition and replace them with analogues, margarine is still popular.

The experience of past years shows that there is nothing fatal in the use of margarine - our parents, grandparents have been using this artificial substance for years, skillfully creating delicious homemade pies and delighting guests and family members with pastries created with warmth and love.