Best Butter substitute/Spread?

  • I want a tub spread to use in place of butter. Something healtheir than butter, not hydrogenated, with some health benefits. Right now I am using Land O Lakes Light Butter with Canola Oil, which has 50 cal/T and I love the flavor. I am wondering if there is anything healthier?

    What's your favorite?
  • I'm curious, why do you use the butter? There may be other things that would be more healthful but it would depend on what you use butter for.

    Certain things come to mind -

    Olive pate
    Hummus (and various flavored hummus)
    Eggplant pate
    Laughing cow light cheese wedges
    etc
  • I still use butter just not in the same quantities as I used to. I use strictly olive oil for cooking. But I have to have real butter on my lima beans! It also depends on what you mean by healthier. I don't use any margarines because of all the additives and artificial stuff.
  • I use olive oil pam to cook, regular butter on bread and toast and I cant believe its not butter spray on everything else (this stuff is the best, there is no hydrogenated oils, no calories, and no fat). it tastes pretty good. I dont use it on toast because it makes it soggy. but it is good on potatos and rice...
  • It depends on what you're using it for.

    I like Crisco cooking spray for sauteing veggies.

    On toast I like Smart Balance now with flaxseed, the kind that lowers your cholesterol.

    If it's a dish that needs the butter flavor, I've just been using a slice off the stick, and I think it's about a teaspoon.
  • I use the tub stuff on rolls, bread, cornbread, and toast. Mostly toast.

    To cook I use spray, and for cooking I use olive oil.
  • The Smart Balance stuff is good but does not always melt nice into toast, just a warning; if you are the kind of person that likes the butter to completely melt into the toast, you will have to put the Smart Balance on there while it's still hot. I love it.
  • I use the spray butter that dek mentioned ~ I use it on everything even my toast!! I love the stuff, no calories or fat and it has great taste too!!
    Take care,
    God Bless,
    Tari
  • I love Smart Balance Lite in my oatmeal each morning.
  • Yep, I'm an olive oil girl for cooking, and Smart Balance for spreading. My DH can't stand any kind of spread, though, so we also keep butter around - but use it minimally.
  • At work I use some sort of yogart spread, I forget the name, but at home I use actual butter. "Fake" butter just doesn't seem very healthy for whatever reason, it has lots of additives.
  • Oh,

    I don't use butter on bread, but are you just trying to find something buttery tasting for toast?

    The suggestions I listed may be good substitutes. There is also natural peanut butter. High in calories but at least provides some protein and healthy fats as opposed to butter spreads which really offer you nothing.