Time magazine is telling its readers and casual bystanders this week that the experts were wrong about butter and saturated fats, and we should stop the war on butter.
Some of us never fought that war.
The cover story by Time magazine was wonderful news for those who felt deprived because certain factions were telling them butter (and other saturated fats) were bad.
Some of us enjoyed butter in moderation, using butter when we needed that flavor, taste, and consistency.
Time magazine might be the loudest voice, but this is only the latest news on the benefits of whole real food. As we found out this spring, full-fat (and therefore more saturated fat) dairy products helped reduce obesity.
The butter in the Swedish study was of much better quality than what most Americans consume as butter. If you feel well-grown meat and milk are a concern, then butter also falls in that list.
Good quality butter in moderation, as part of a balanced diet.
Extra virgin olive oil is my go-to fat in the kitchen. Butter makes an occasional appearance. Bacon grease makes surprise visits. Most of the time, extra virgin olive oil wins out for being a good fat.
Previous coverage:
What's Tempting: Full-fat dairy products
Deep-fried butter: a little is all you need
Butter has a soft spot in my heart. Yes, I have eaten deep-fried butter, and I grew up in a family that used melted butter for fondue.
I understand the power of butter: use well, use wisely.
If you are jumping back into butter, welcome back. You have been missed and we welcome you back with no judgments. We do have one new recommendation: buy better butter.
This does mean paying more for butter, but we have good news. You will naturally use less butter each time.
Using better butter means using less butter that helps in two ways: 1) you won't overdo good butter so you don't have to worry about overdoing butter, and 2) by using less butter per serving, the cost differential is sharply reduced. So you might not spend that much more for better butter.
Americans envy the French because they eat rich, decadent foods and don't gain weight as much as those in the States. Eating the rich, decadent foods without understanding the approach is only working with half the story.
The Time magazine cover story will give people the "freedom" to eat butter once again. They should also have the responsibility to eat butter well.
Eat a wide variety of fats. Avocadoes, olive oil, butter, nuts. Meat and fish provide fat. Cheese and milk, too. And maybe an occasional dose of bacon grease.
Like any other food category, eat mostly good fats. Add some "bad fats" in moderation. And have fun with them. Be mostly good and the guilt can melt away … like butter.
photo credit: Time magazine
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