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Your resource of health knowledge, tips and facts for a healthier lifestyle

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Three Healthy Alternatives to Cooking with Butter

healthy alternatives

Who doesn’t love fried food?  Cover something with butter and it automatically tastes a thousand times better.  At the same time, butter also makes healthy foods considerably less healthy. Eating raw vegetables every day versus eating veggies dripping in butter makes a big difference.  If you are looking to live a healthy lifestyle, eating less butter and therefore less fat can be quite beneficial. Here are three healthy alternatives to butter you can use while you cook.

1. Olive oil

Olive oil is still rather high in fat, but it is monounsaturated fat.  This is better for you than the saturated fat found in butter. It also has less cholesterol than butter.  Olive oil is a good thing to have around if you are trying to switch to healthy eating.

Olive oil is a good substitute for butter when cooking on the stove.  You can easily use olive oil to cook vegetables or meat in a pan. You should use a little less oil than you would use butter.  It is not a great substitute for baking. This is because olive oil is more of a liquid than butter is, so it does not solidify when the baked goods cool.

2. Coconut oil

Coconut oil has gained popularity and is used in a variety of ways, from cooking to hair treatments to teeth whitening.  It is a great substitute for butter in baking because both go from a liquid when warm to a solid when cooled. Some people notice the taste of coconut in their food when they use it as a healthy alternative to butter.  Others don’t mind the taste. If you get more refined coconut oil, it will taste less coconutty.

If you are avoiding dairy as part of your healthy lifestyle, coconut oil is a good way to go.  However, it is quite high in fat. Because of this, the oil should be used in moderation, just like butter would be.

3. Applesauce

Applesauce has been a popular butter, oil, and egg substitute in baking for decades.  It is significantly lower in fat than butter or any kind of oil. It also makes whatever you are baking fewer calories than it would be with butter and oil in it.  Unsweetened applesauce is best for baking so that it does not add extra sugar or flavor. Other sweeteners in the recipe can also be reduced because of the added sugar content in the fruit.

If you are substituting applesauce for oil, you can use the same amount called for in the recipe.  Some people use applesauce to cut the amount of butter they use in half instead of completely replacing it.  For example, if a recipe called for a cup of butter, you could use a half cup of butter and a half cup of applesauce.  Feel free to experiment and figure out what works best in your favorite baked goods.

Does healthy eating seem like too much of a challenge?

Forget substituting butter – maybe you feel like you need an entire healthy lifestyle overhaul.  Starting a meal plan is a great way to begin healthy eating.  Z.E.N. Foods can help you with that.  Their Healthy Lifestyle Program delivers delicious, nutritious meals right to your door every day.  It’s never been easier to choose a healthy alternative. You even get tasty desserts on their meal plan.  Call (310) 205-9368 for more information or to order. You can also order Z.E.N. Foods’ meal plans online on their website.

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