Margarine vs Butter – Which is Healthier

Our Verdict

When comparing margarine to butter, we picked the butter.

Why?

Once upon a time, when margarines were filled with now-banned trans fats, this would have been an easy win for butter.

Nowadays, the macronutrient/lipid profiles are generally more similar (although margarine often has a little less saturated fat), except one thing that butter has in its favor:

More micronutrients. What exactly they are (and how much) depends on the diet and general health of the cows from whom the milk to make the butter came, but they’re not something found in plant-based butter alternatives at this time.

Nevertheless, because of the saturated fat content, it’s not advisable to use more than a very small amount of either (two tablespoons of butter would put one at the daily limit already, without eating any other saturated fat that day).

Read more: Butter vs Margarine