Butter Nutritional Information | Butter Benefits & Types (2024)

Butter Nutritional Information | Butter Benefits & Types (1)

A simple, natural part of your diet

Butter has been a staple for thousands of years with a simple process: separate cream from milk, churn the cream, then add salt.

Butter contains at least 80% milk fat, around 16% water, 1.5–2.0% salt and 2% other milk solids.

The fat in butter is approximately 67% saturated, 29% monounsaturated and 4% polyunsaturated. Butter naturally contains a type of fat called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which research shows may help protect against cancer.

Butter also contains Vitamins A, D and E, which are essential for healthy eyes (especially night vision), strong bones and healthy skin. Artificial colouring is not used in Australia.

Butter is best kept refrigerated at 4˚C, protected from light and sealed in its original container or wrapping until it is used as it readily absorbs odours from other foods.

Butter will keep refrigerated for up to eight weeks, but it is best purchased when required rather than stored.

Butter will soften at 30°C and melt at 35°C. In warmer climates, it is best kept refrigerated. As temperatures rise, the fats in butter slowly oxidise and the butter will become rancid. Properly sealed, butter may be kept frozen for up to 12 months.

Types of butter

Salted butter

At most, salted butter has 2% salt added after the buttermilk has been drained off.

Unsalted butter

Unsalted butter contains no added salt. Reduced and low-salt butters have about half the salt of regular salted butter.

Cultured butter

Cultured butter is also known as Danish-style butter. It has a culture added to the cream before it’s churned and is kept at a controlled temperature (usually overnight) while a slightly acidic flavour develops. No salt is added.

Cultured and salted butter

Cultured salted butter, typically Australian and not European, has salt added with the culture.

Clarified butter

Clarified butter or ghee, is almost pure milk fat (at least 99.7%) and used mainly in cooking - it takes higher temperatures before it begins to smoke or brown. There is almost no moisture, which reduces spattering.

Butter concentrate

Butter concentrate is mostly found in the tropics, as it preserves well and takes high temperatures to melt.

Butter oil

Butter oil is used mainly for manufacturing ice cream.

Dairy blends

Dairy blends are a mixture of butter and up to 50% edible vegetable oils. This makes the mixture spreadable straight from the refrigerator, while keeping the taste of butter.

Reduced-fat dairy spreads

Reduced-fat dairy spreads contain between 30% and 60% in total fat, of which at least half is milk fat. The remaining ingredients include water, milk proteins, cultures, herbs, spices, gelatin, vitamins, sugar or salt.

Low-fat dairy spreads

Low-fat dairy spreads are table spreads with a total fat and oil level below 30%. Milk, vegetable proteins, flavourings, herbs, spices, vitamins, sugar, gelatin and starter cultures may be added. These spreads are not recommended for cooking due to their high moisture content.

Butter nutritional content

Type per 100g Protein
(g)
Fat
(g)
Carbohydrate
(g)
Energy
(Kj)
Calcium
(mg)
Butter Salted 1.1 81.5 0 3036 776
Reduced Salt 1.1 81.5 0 3036 350
Unsalted 1.1 81.5 0 3036 10
Dairy Blend 0.5 82.4 0.6 3068 485
Reduced Salt 0.6 82.4 0.6 3068 292
Reduced fat and reduced salt 4.6 44.3 0.1 1713 365
Butter Nutritional Information | Butter Benefits & Types (2024)

FAQs

Butter Nutritional Information | Butter Benefits & Types? ›

While mainly composed of fat, it's also rich in many vitamins, especially A, E, D, and K2. However, butter is not particularly nutritious when considering its large number of calories. Due to its high saturated fat content, it has been blamed for increased risk for weight gain and heart disease.

What is the healthiest butter to eat? ›

Grass-fed butter offers some health benefits to counteract the health risks it poses. It appears to have lower levels of saturated fats and more unsaturated fats than standard butter. This is because grass-fed butter is made from the milk of cows that are allowed to graze instead of being fed high-grain diets.

Does butter have any health benefits? ›

There are a lot of fat soluble vitamins in butter, including vitamins A, E and K2. We all know about A and E; they are antioxidants that are also good for your eyes, skin and hair. If you're eating a healthy diet, including animal and plant foods, then you are probably getting enough of those already.

What is the best butter for high blood pressure? ›

We found an association of shea butter consumption with lower BP, which provides the rationale for investigation through rigorous study designs to evaluate the benefits of shea butter consumption for prevention of hypertension and improved cardiovascular health.

Is butter anti-inflammatory? ›

The elevated omega-3 to omega-6 ratio in grass-fed butter helps to reduce inflammation in the body, making it a wise choice for individuals with autoimmune conditions. Grass-fed butter is a rich source of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a fatty acid associated with potential anti-inflammatory properties.

What butter is best for your heart? ›

Butter can absolutely fit into a healthy diet, says registered dietitian Abbey Sharp, and grass-fed butter is the healthiest butter money can buy.

Is country crock better for you than butter? ›

Because we use plant-based oils, all our Country Crock® products contain less saturated fat than dairy butter, as well as zero cholesterol. Are Country Crock® products gluten-free? None of our products contain gluten ingredients. All Country Crock® products are tested as gluten-free.

What are the disadvantages of butter? ›

Although butter has many health benefits, it is chiefly composed of fats which can cause many undesirable problems if consumed in excess. These include obesity, hypertension, heart disease and cancer.

Is it OK to have butter everyday? ›

It's less processed than plant spreads but does contain saturated fats. Based on measurements of over 20,000 individuals, our scientists predict that for 64% of the people, it's OK to eat butter regularly — about every other day — but not every day, and large quantities may have a negative impact.

Which is better, cheese or butter? ›

What Are The Nutritional Differences? Cheese helps reduce the risk of osteoporosis because it has a higher percentage of calcium whereas butter helps to build healthier muscles. Butter exfoliates dead skin whereas cheese has properties that nourish the skin. Cheese contains less fat compared to butter.

What butter to avoid? ›

You should stay away from butter that has a high salt content, which can contribute to high blood pressure. Avoid buying margarine or butter substitutes that are made from processed vegetable oils and have other additives and preservatives that don't promote a healthy diet.

Which butter is good for wrinkles? ›

Shea butter has soothing and anti-aging properties that may make skin appear smoother and reduce aging. However, pure shea butter on your face could lead to breakouts. Even using some products that just contain a smaller percentage of shea butter may lead to acne.

What butter is best for lowering cholesterol? ›

You can help reduce your risk of high cholesterol by substituting foods for regular butter that are lower in saturated fat or have been shown to have less impact on heart disease risk, such as: grass-fed butter. Earth Balance spread, a vegan, soy-free, non-hydrogenated option.

What is the number one food that kills inflammation? ›

1. Avocados. Avocados are often sought after for their creamy texture and satiating taste. But they are also powerhouses when it comes to fighting inflammation.

Is butter good for arthritis? ›

Saturated fats, which are in foods like butter and red meat, are linked with inflammation. Limit those and get your fats from healthier choices, like nuts and avocados. Instead of butter, try olive oil, which may lower pain and inflammation.

Does butter heal the gut? ›

Butter contains butyrate, a type of fat that may improve digestive health, decrease inflammation, and support weight control according to human and animal studies.

Is I can't believe it's butter healthy? ›

The fact is, just because something is “real” does not necessarily make it good for you. The “real” ingredients that “I Can't Believe It's Not Butter” is touting are oils and salt. The ingredient list of “I Can't Believe It's Not Butter” reveals unhealthy ingredients like tropical oils and salt.

Which butter is healthiest salted or unsalted? ›

Other than that, these two butters are largely the exact same from a nutrition standpoint. If you're watching your sodium intake, we reccomend using unsalted butter because it gives you complete control over the amount of salt in your dish.

What brand of butter is real butter? ›

Challenge Butter has been a quality staple in kitchens since 1911. It's churned daily from two natural ingredients: the freshest 100% real pasteurized sweet cream and salt. That's it. Nothing artificial or synthetic.

What is the most unhealthy butter? ›

Margarine is the worst of all butters and spreads, as it is highly processed and loaded with pro-inflammatory Omega-6 fats and trans fats, which is considered the worst type of fat you can eat.” Gioffre says, “Trans fats raise your 'bad' cholesterol but also lowers your 'good' cholesterol, ultimately stressing your ...

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