Butter is an essential ingredient in our gastronomy, but it often suffers from a bad reputation due to its saturated fat content. Should we deprive ourselves of it? Should we favor a particular type of butter?
For dietitian Orlane Fagnoni, “there is no such thing as a perfect butter, but rather a butter that will be adapted to a use and consumed in reasonable quantities.” The objective? Get away from the logic of the ban and integrate it intelligently into our menus. Here are his golden rules for healthy and tasty use of butter.
Focus on simplicity, by scrutinizing the list of ingredients
For Orlane Fagnoni, the first step is to focus on the quality of the product by checking its composition.
“Good butter essentially contains cream and possibly salt. The shorter the ingredient list, the better” she immediately recalls.
Butters with a long list of additives or those that are “enriched” are not necessarily synonymous with the best nutritional profile. The dietitian emphasizes that overly processed products can lead to “degradation of the main nutrient” without providing any notable additional benefit.
If possible, also favor butters from grass-fed cows, which can be more nutritionally interesting. “Typically it will contain more omega 3 and some specific fatty acids“.
Eat it like a condiment
While it is important to choose the right butter, the expert especially emphasizes the quantity consumed. Butter is a source of saturated fat, which is not a problem in itself, but it requires moderation.
“Butter obviously remains an important source of saturated fat. This invites us to consume it as a condiment for taste and not as a main base of daily fat.”
To maintain the benefits of butter without overloading your body, the dietitian recommends moderate consumption: 10 to 20 grams maximum per day. “What makes about one or two small knobs of butter is a buttered toast, a touch of butter in a dish for flavor.
she insists.
The main objective is that butter does not take up all of the daily fat content, but that it complements vegetable oils.
Alternate the fats and do not cook it at high temperatures
Butter is a flavorful food that should be preferred for consumption cold or at the end of cooking. Orlane Fagnoni insists on the importance of alternating with other sources of lipids. “Butter is more for the flavor side. We will eat it raw or really at the end of cooking. We will avoid damaging it during heavy cooking.”
Indeed, if it is heated to high temperatures, butter tends to develop free radicals. “And these free radicals are risky for cardiovascular health. she warns. For daily cooking, it is therefore preferable to use vegetable oils (olive, rapeseed for daily use, sunflower for neutral cooking). The butter is the gourmet touch.
As for the choice between salted or sweet butter, it is mainly a question of taste, except for people specifically monitoring their sodium intake, who should favor sweet.
To read:
Butter or margarine: which is better?
The best time to consume it: breakfast
If you want to make the most of the benefits of butter, morning is the ideal time to enjoy it.
“With a protein source, we will have a lipid source which will really help with concentration.”
Consuming fat in the morning provides energy and, combined with protein, increases the feeling of fullness, helping to avoid snacking before lunch. And although it is possible to consume a small amount at lunch to accompany vegetables, in the evening it is best to avoid it.
“In the evening, it’s more where meals very rich in fat, gratins, sauces… We still need less energy in the evening. And consuming saturated fat can make digestion heavier.”
In summary: favor raw butter for breakfast, combined with proteins, for optimal energy and satiety.
To read:
What is churned butter?