Eating less margarine can be beneficial to your health since this processed food contains unhealthy fats that can raise your risk of various diseases. You can use one of the five healthy margarine substitutes listed here when baking and cooking to improve your diet.

Why is margarine bad for your health?

Margarine is a processed food commonly used as a table spread and shortening in baking and cooking. It was originally made from animal fat but is now primarily made from vegetable oils. These oils are partially or fully hydrogenated to make them solid like butter. This, in turn, increases the saturated fats in the oil and creates trans fats as a byproduct.

Consuming a lot of saturated fats increases “bad” lipoprotein cholesterol in your blood, which can raise your risk of heart disease and stroke. Meanwhile, trans fats are associated with a host of health problems, including inflammation, diabetes and heart disease. They are considered the worst dietary fat because they have no known health benefits and is unsafe regardless of the amount you eat.

The Food and Drug Administration banned foods with artificial trans fats in 2018, but some products that were manufactured before the ban went into effect can still be circulating to this day. In addition, foods with less than 0.5 grams of trans fats per serving are labeled as having zero grams of trans fats. These foods may include some brands of margarine and vegetable oils.

Some margarine products are also made from oils that can trigger an allergic reaction, including canola and soybean oil. If you’re allergic to these foods, avoid eating margarine and cook with healthy margarine substitutes instead.

Healthy margarine substitutes

A handful of foods that make excellent margarine substitutes are good sources of healthy fats. They also offer a host of health benefits, such as a stronger immune system and a lower risk of heart disease.

Grass-fed butter

Grass-fed butter comes from the milk of cows that eat a high-grass diet. It is commonly used as a frying fat, table spread and shortening. Considered one of the healthiest fats on the planet, it contains more omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin K12 and conjugated linoleic acids – healthy fats commonly sold as a weight loss supplement – than ordinary butter.

Grass-fed butter also contains less saturated fats than its regular counterpart and helps protect your heart from disease. A study from Costa Rica, where cows are grass-fed, found that adults who ate the most butter were 49 percent less likely to experience a heart attack compared to those who ate the least.

Lard

Lard is mainly used for cooking foods like tamales and empanadas. This terrific margarine substitute often gets a bad rap because it is made from rendered pig fat. But eating lard as part of a balanced diet can actually be beneficial to your health since lard is an excellent source of monounsaturated fats. These are healthy fats that help reduce bad cholesterol in your blood and scavenge harmful free radicals.

Cream cheese

Cream cheese makes for an excellent table spread and baking ingredient. Soft, spreadable and tasty, it gives pastries a rich and indulgent flavor and adds flavor to a bland slice of bread.

Regular cream cheese is lower in fat and calories than margarine and is a good source of vitamin A and riboflavin. Vitamin A keeps your cornea clear while riboflavin helps metabolize carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

Olive oil

Olive oil is your best option for a vegan table spread and frying fat. An important component of the Mediterranean diet, which is considered the healthiest of all diets, this superfood is among the most nutritious fats out there. It is rich in monounsaturated fats and antioxidants and helps protect against a wide range of health problems, from inflammation to cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

Unsweetened applesauce

Applesauce is a vegan margarine substitute best used for vegan baking. Fat-free and fiber-rich, it is your best option if you’re looking to reduce your fat intake and lose weight. The fiber in applesauce helps keep you full for longer and promotes bowel movement. Applesauce also helps lower bad cholesterol and feed the beneficial bacteria in your gut.

Margarine contains unhealthy fats that can increase your risk of various diseases. In addition, some margarine brands can trigger an allergy to boot. Bake and cook with the margarine substitutes listed here to improve your diet.

Sources:

OrganicFacts.net

Health.Harvard.edu

Healthline.com

EcoWatch.com

MedicalNewsToday.com