There are so many kinds of margarine on the market it’s very difficult to know which one to buy. Rosemary looked at the contents of some of the popular yellow spreads, and explained how to make a choice when confronted with dozens of different brands.
Cholesterol
All margarines are cholesterol free, so don’t choose between them on that basis.
Polyunsaturated vs monounsaturated
Both the polys and the monos reduce blood cholesterol, and the polys reduce cholesterol the most. However it’s thought that having too much polyunsaturated fat is not a good idea, and a monounsaturated margarine made from canola, olive oil or sunflower seeds is a better choice.
Trans fatty acid
The type of trans fat that occurs in some margarines is the worst of all fats, and it’s important to know if the margarine you eat contains trans fat. You can either ring the manufacturer and ask, or you’ll sometimes find the information on the bottom of the tub. If the product has less than 1% trans fat, it is ok to use. All nutritionists agree that these fats are really bad, so it would be good if all manufacturers put the amount of trans fat in a prominent place on the container. Trans fats lower the good cholesterol which reduces the risk of heart disease and raises the bad cholesterol that clogs your arteries.
Other margarines
We looked at margarines which did contain olive oil, but it only made up about 30% of the total oil content. Soy margarines are an option, but don’t be deceived – they do not have any of the beneficial phytoestrogens found in other soy products.
Mixtures of butter and canola oil
These have about half the saturated fat of butter, they avoid the artificial flavour of margarine and they spread easily. Most importantly, they do not contain the undesirable type of trans fatty acid.
Other options
Spread avocado on sandwiches if the filling matches. For a delicious taste with only a fraction of the fat of margarine, spread ricotta cheese on toast and top with marmalade. Ricotta is also great on raisin toast. Drizzle olive oil onto bread and serve with tomato and basil. This is delicious, but doesn’t go down too well on the kids’ sandwiches!
Rosemary’s recommendations
If using margarine, choose a monounsaturated one with a low level of trans fats (below 1%). If you don’t have high cholesterol you might prefer one of the butter oil mixtures. Whichever yellow spread you choose, don’t use too much. More is not better.