After my butter vs. margarine post last week, I got a lot of comments asking about products like Smart Balance and Earth Balance. Here are some answers to those questions and more...
sarayael says:
i use the land of lakes whipped butter (glad to hear its ok) --but should i *really* be using the smart balance? is that a better choice than butter? what is it, exactly? theladyevil says:
We've been using smart balance because my husband has high cholesterol, what are your thoughts on smart balance? Ishdatobes says:
What do you think about the Brummel and Brown kind with yogurt? MegRoxy113 says:
I would also like to hear your thoughts on Brummel & Brown. I don't use butter/brummel a lot, but I'd like to know what's "better" for me! alissaRD says:
I'm curious if you have a reference on the difference between fully and partially hydrogenated oils? I've done a quick search but can't come up with anything that explains why there is a different impact on heart health. Thanks!
Cristin says...
Great questions! There are so many products on the shelf, I'm glad you asked about the ones you use.
Smart Balance is vegetable oil spread. It contains a blend of various oils (soybean, palm fruit, canola and olive) as well as water, natural & artificial flavoring, emulsifiers, thickeners and preservatives. It contains no trans fat, no partially hydrogenated or fully hydrogenated oils which is great. There are a variety of Smart Balance options - ranging from Original, to Light, to Whipped, to Olive Oil, to "Heart Right". All contain less saturated fat (1.5-2.5 grams) than whipped butter does (3.5-4.5 grams), but about the same number of calories per tablespoon. This is a perfectly fine choice for spreads. You still have to remember portion control because the saturated fat will add up. I personally prefer the whipped butter over this product because it has less additives and a more "real butter" taste. I realize I am getting more saturated fat per tablespoon, but I value the product as a whole not just individual numbers on the label as well as taste, and that is why I chose to use the whipped butter.
Earth Balance is a similar product to Smart Balance. It also is an oil blend (same oils) combined with water and natural thickeners, flavorings, colorings and emulsifiers. It has more calories than Smart Balance (100 kcals per tablespoon) and more saturated fat (3.5 grams) but it also is free of trans fat, partially hydrogenated and fully hydrogenated oils. It is another fine choice so long as you watch the portions.
Brummel and Brown is a vegetable oil and yogurt blend. It contains less calories, less fat and less saturated fat than any of the other products I have discussed so far BUT it contains partially hydrogenated oil in the ingredient list so I would avoid it. You'll see "0 grams trans fat" on the front of the package but you always have to turn it over and read the fine print on the back.
As for the question about partially vs fully hydrogenated oils, here is a great link from Harvard School of Public Health about Trans Fat. Unsaturated fats contain double bonds, and when double bonds are present they can be in either the cis or the trans configuration. When you fully hydrogenate the fat, you immerse it with hydrogen and make any unsaturated bonds into saturated bonds. Since no double bonds remain, there is no chance for a trans configuration. "Fully hydrogenated" means you have the LDL-raising effect of saturated fat but at least you don't have the HDL-lowering effect of "partially hydrogenated oils" (aka trans fat).
I hope this helps...keep the questions coming!
