Butter | Healthy Eats – Food Network Healthy Living Blog

Butter: Is It Healthy? by Dana Angelo White in Is it Healthy?, June 26, 2012

Can butter be a part of a healthy diet?

One of the most controversial debates in the nutrition world – can butter be part of a healthy diet?

Yes
There’s something deliciously simple about good old butter. It’s made from nothing but cream and salt, not the laundry list of ingredients you’ll find in tubs of butter alternatives. One tablespoon has 7 percent of your daily needs for vitamin A and even a hint (45 milligrams) of omega-3 fats.

The flavor and velvety smooth texture is second to none. Lobster rolls, croissants, fettuccine Alfredo and chocolate cake just wouldn’t be the same without at least a little.

Label Decoder: Diacetyl by Toby Amidor in Grocery Shopping, Label Decoder, March 9, 2012

: What's this movie night treat made with?

There’s no better snack for movie night at home than a bucket of buttery popcorn. But you may think twice about the microwave stuff after we tell you about and ingredient it contains, diacetyl, and the trouble it has caused.

What is it?
Diacetyl was first synthesized more than 80 years ago and can now be found in about 6,000 food products. It’s used as a preservative in unsalted butter to lengthen shelf life, but higher amounts are added to butter-flavored products like microwave popcorn, cooking oils and sprays and margarine.

Robin’s Healthy Take: Are Butter Sauces Healthy Eats? by Robin Miller in Robin's Healthy Take, February 13, 2012

: Asian Noodles With Wasabi Butter Sauce

Are butter sauces healthy? They can be! Let’s be honest, butter makes sauces silky and smooth. But that doesn’t mean you need the whole stick. The key is adding just enough to make the sauce richer, allowing flavors to linger on your palate longer than they would without fat. Here are two great examples. The noodle dish is a vibrant, Asian dish heightened with the flavors of wasabi and soy. I used wasabi paste but you can make a paste with equal parts wasabi powder and water. For the London broil, lean steak is crusted with cracked peppercorns (which add fantastic flavor and crunch) and then grilled until medium. The steak slices are then drizzled with a lovely tarragon butter sauce. Sounds rich, but check out the calories!

5 Ingredients or Less: Eggs In A Basket by Toby Amidor in 5-Ingredient Recipes, Healthy Recipes, October 11, 2010

: Toby's Eggs in a Basket

Also called “eggs-in-a-hole”, “birds nest,” “eggs-in-a-blanket” or “toad-in-a-hole”, I served this fun breakfast fave to my kids on their first day of school. With less than 5 ingredients, it’s an easy and stress-free dish to cook up on a school day.

Get the easy breakfast recipe »

Pancakes, Lightened Up by Toby Amidor in Healthy Recipes, Meal Makeovers, September 28, 2009

pancakes_lead
I love digging into fluffy pancakes. In fact, banana-chocolate chip is the house favorite. But let’s face it — topping your pancakes with gobs of syrup and butter is not the healthiest way to start your day. Do a little swapping in your recipe, and you can lighten up your pancakes in no time.

In the News: The Fatty Food Tax, Unilever Ditches Trans Fat & Steroids in Diet Supplements by Toby Amidor in Food News, July 31, 2009

From this week’s headlines: Denny’s gets sued for its high-sodium foods, a proposed tax on fattier foods and did you realize that additional toppings may not be factored into those posted nutrition numbers at restaurants?

Better Butter Alternatives by Toby Amidor in Healthy Tips, March 25, 2009

Are you swapping butter with margarine as a “healthier” alternative? Some butter substitutes may actually clog your arteries just as much — if not more — than good old butter. Learn more about the butter-versus-margarine debate and butter alternatives to try.