You know those small McMuffins you get at McDonald’s that you secretly love? Well, the iconic fast-food chain recently announced it will be using real butter in its McMuffins, bagels and biscuits moving forward. Prior to the announcement, McDonald’s was using liquid margarine. One McDonald’s location (Manhattan) has already made the change.
While this is great news for McDonald’s fans, it raises an important question: What is liquid margarine? For starters, it’s an alternative to butter, which you probably already guessed. It contains less fat and it’s cheaper, but here’s what you’re swapping it for: hydrogenated oils, preservatives and artificial flavor.
So, how does it affect your overall health? There’s increased risk of coronary heart disease and diabetes and your LDL (bad cholesterol) levels increase while your HDL (good cholesterol) levels decrease, just to name a few.
Here is what Angela Ginn, a registered dietitian nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in Baltimore, Maryland, had to say regarding the whole butter vs margarine debate:
“This has been the battle for years. It really isn’t about which one is better, but which one has the potential to do more harm. Butter is simply sweet cream and salt. Whereas, margarine may contain palm oil, palm kernel oil, soybean oil, water, salt, soy lecithin, Potassium Sorbate (preservative), vegetable mono and diglycerides, lactic acid, vinegar, vitamin A palmitate, beta – carotene (color). Looking at the ingredients, you may assume butter is the better choice because it has five ingredients or less. But, after reviewing the nutrition facts, you may choose differently.
When comparing one tablespoon of butter to one tablespoon of margarine, butter contains 50 more calories and 5.5 grams more of saturated fat. According to the American Heart association, it is recommended to consume only 13 grams of saturated fat per day. And one tablespoon of butter will provide 7 grams to your total intake. When it comes to choosing healthy fat, pick mono and poly unsaturated fat since it is less likely to clog your arteries. Tub margarine contains more polyunsaturated fat and that is heart healthy. The key is to avoid foods containing partially hydrogenated vegetables and limit saturated fat.”
As an alternative to either option, try cooking with coconut oil.
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