Margarines, Butters & Dairy Spreads

Better buys

• Margarines or low fat spreads rather than butter.
• Reduced fat margarines are good choices. They are lower in energy than the original product.
• Alternative spreads include reduced fat cream cheese, cottage cheese, hummus and avocado.

Good to know

• Plant sterol margarines are expensive and come in a smaller volume but may be useful if you have high cholesterol.
• Use small amounts of spreads if you are watching your weight.

Watch points

• Animal fats and saturated fats such as butter, ghee/clarified butter, dripping, lard, Chefade, are not good choices for your heart.
• Watch the amount of saturated fat in foods – too much saturated fat can raise blood cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease.
• Saturated fats are usually hard at room temperature.