Butter vs. Margarine

"Nutrition Lizard, what's better butter or margarine?"  The big winner is TUB margarine, not hard (stick) margarine.

Butter is high in saturated fat, which has been shown to raise LDL (bad) cholesterol and clog arteries.

Margarine is high in trans fat (also called partially hydrogenated oil) which is produced by changing the chemical structure of vegetable oils.  It is more harmful than saturated fat because it raises LDL and lowers HDL (good) cholesterol.

Choose a tub margarine that is low in saturated and trans fats!  Good choices include Smart Balance Light, Country Crock Omega Plus Light, Olivio Light, Promise Light, etc.  For cooking, choose non-light versions of the tub margarines.