It seems like butter is everywhere!
It is an integral part of breakfast toast and is used for countless delicious baked goods like cookies, muffins, and cakes.
However, is butter allowed for those of us on a special diet?
For example, can you have butter on keto?
The answer is yes!
Butter, primarily composed of saturated fat, can be a great way to add flavor and texture to meals while satisfying hunger and keeping hunger pangs in check.
High in fats and low or zero in carbs, butter is considered a “keto-friendly” food that fits into the lifestyle.
However, since butter is a source of saturated fats, you might want to limit your consumption to a minimum and opt for unsaturated fats instead.
Our understanding of the nutritional values of fats has changed as science has gradually revealed their intricate complexities.
We now know that not all fats are created equal, and it is essential to differentiate between saturated and unsaturated fats.
Saturated fats are found in certain animal products, such as red meat, cheese, and butter.
These tend to be solid at room temperature.
In comparison, unsaturated fats exist in various forms, such as those derived from nuts, avocados, and olive oil.
Unlike saturated ones, these are usually liquid, even when refrigerated.
In general, unsaturated fats play a more beneficial role in our health than their saturated counterparts due to their ability to lower cholesterol levels and improve blood flow.
Can You Have Butter With Keto Diet?
Butter is a classic comfort food that many are surprised to learn can still be enjoyed as part of a keto diet.
High in fats and low (or zero!) in carbs, butter can be an addition to any low-carb diet.
However, it consists of mainly saturated fats, so you might want to limit how much you use.
Butter consumption is a regular dietary habit for many people. However, few know the associated health risks of too much-saturated fat.
Overeating butter can lead to a host of metabolic diseases, including obesity and type-2 diabetes.
Higher saturated fat intake has also been connected to an increased risk of stroke and heart disease due to its ability to raise bad cholesterol (LDL) levels.
Remember that these health risks can be avoided by moderating your butter intake or switching to healthier alternatives such as olive oil and nut butter.
Can We Use Amul Butter In Keto Diet?
The short answer is yes, as long as you keep portion sizes and the meals you make with it in check.
Amul butter is an excellent source of fat, with over 80% of its caloric content coming from fats.
However, like most butter, Amul butter contains saturated fat, which can affect your health when consumed in large quantities.
Amul butter is considered one of the most famous butter brands in India, and its success is due to its high-fat content.
While this may seem a good thing initially, the saturated fat in Amul butter can harm human health if consumed regularly in large quantities.
Trans fats or saturated fats are associated with increased heart disease and stroke risk. Therefore, you need to make intelligent decisions when choosing your butter products and carefully consider the amount of saturated fat in your choices.
How Much Butter Is Too Much On Keto?
Butter contains high levels of fat and few to no carbohydrates, depending on whether sugar was added, so you can have a decent amount of butter on keto without breaking your state of ketosis.
However, butter is high in saturated fat, which can negatively affect your health if consumed excessively.
One tablespoon of butter weighing approximately 14 grams contains about 7 grams of saturated fat and 1.6 mg sodium.
Since we recommend a maximum of 2,300 mg of sodium daily, a tablespoon of butter wouldn’t put much dent in it, so it isn’t essential.
However, the problem arises when it comes to fat. Men should not eat more than 30 grams of saturated daily, while women’s number is even less at 20 grams.
A tablespoon of butter will take a big chunk of this allowance, and you’ll risk overconsuming fat in a day, leading to all kinds of problems like obesity, heart disease, and high cholesterol.
Saturated fat is dietary fat proven to be detrimental to your health.
Consuming saturated fats increases your risk for coronary heart disease and stroke, two of the leading causes of death in the US.
This can happen when too much-saturated fat accumulates in the bloodstream and adheres to arterial walls, narrowing them and reducing blood flow.
Saturated fat is also associated with increased LDL cholesterol levels, improving cardiovascular disease risk.
Ingesting saturated fat regularly increases your risk for obesity, high blood pressure, anti-inflammatory disorders such as arthritis, and even some cancers.
Considering all of this, it’s clear that saturated fats should only make up a tiny portion of your total daily caloric intake.
A balanced diet consisting primarily of unsaturated fatty acids from foods like avocados and nuts will go a long way toward ensuring good health.
What Can I Use Instead Of Butter On Keto?
High in fats and low in carbohydrates, if any, butter is keto-friendly but still should be consumed in moderation because of the high amount of saturated fat.
Many butter substitutes, including olive or avocado oil-based spreads, can still whet your appetite.
They are high in monounsaturated fat, which can lower cholesterol levels and benefit heart health.
For vegan recipes, look for plant-based margarine alternatives such as coconut cream, almond spread, or vegetable shortening.
These products contain no animal products and offer more nutritional benefits than traditional butter.
There are also non-dairy yogurt-based butter alternatives that offer a rich flavor without butter’s added fats or calories.
Healthy fats like coconut oil, olive oil, and avocado oil make excellent substitutes for cooking.
They have a similar consistency, won’t burn quickly at high temperatures, and will still provide the flavor you desire. Other tasty options include pureed almond butter or tahini.
If baking, try substituting applesauce for half the amount of butter called for in your recipe.
Macadamia nut milk is also a great substitute if you’re looking for something dairy-free!
I’m Chris Watson & the Founder of EatForLonger.com. I’m a food and wellbeing enthusiast researching and sharing foodstuffs and simple food-based concepts, such as fasting and clean eating.
I hope it inspires you to make tiny changes to what you eat and when you eat while optimizing your healthspan and all-around well-being.
Read more About Me here.