Margarine Takes the Lead

Now that's been reversed. U. S. Department ofconcern has obviously led to the big increase in
Agriculture statistics cited by Ehrhart show that inblends a combination of butter and margarine.
1987, Americans averaged 10.5 pounds of margarineAnd the field is further crowded by what are called
and 4.6 pounds of butter. And despite the nearly $14"spreads." To be called margarine, a product must by
million a year spent by the Dairy Board to convincelaw be pretty much synthetic butter it must be 80
people to stick with butter, Chuck Timpko, thepercent fat, just like butter. But spreads can be just
board's manager of consumer research, notes that inabout anything they want, and what they tend to
1988 in home consumer use of butter droppedwant to be is lower in saturated fat. So spreads
another 6 percent. The reason: Besides being abouthave much higher percentages of pure vegetable oil
half the cost, margarine is viewed as being "healthier."unhydrogenated and thus even less saturated fat.
A tablespoon of butter has about 100 calories, I IThey're also easier to spread hence the name. In
grams of fat (about 7 grams saturated and 4fact, there are even spreads in bottles now, but
unsaturated), and 30 milligrams of cholesterol.even Ehrhart admits that "most people aren't used to
Margarine, manufactured from vegetable oils andpouring spread on their toast." Butter or margarine,
artificially flavored and colored to look like butter, hasspreads or blends? The bottom line: Moderate use of
no cholesterol and is low in saturated fats. (Of the 1 Iall of these products. For example, if you're worried
grams of fat in a tablespoon of margarine, usually 2about those weird fatty acids in margarine but you're
or 3 are saturated fat.) But it's not a hands downworried about your cholesterol too, you can have
victory for margarine. "Margarine has no nutritionalbutter just not very much of it. Likewise, if you
value all you get is fat," says Robin Bagby, M.Ed., R.D.,switch to margarine, you're not free of saturated
of the Penn State Nutrition Center. "The bigfats: Eat 6 table spoons of margarine and you may
misconception is that margarine has fewer calories.as well have had a couple of butter. You can even
So people use it liberally. For people on a diet, youmake your own blends in a food processor (try 60
have to watch your total fat intake." For those whopercent butter and 40 percent vegetable oil), as
believe margarine is just a manufactured collection ofsuggested by Dr. Green. So whether you favor your
undesirable artery clogging components, Michaeltaste buds, your wallet, your arteries, your fear of
Green, Ph.D., associate professor of nutrition sciencethe unknown, or any combination, there's a product
at the Pennsylvania State University, says that noon the shelves with your name on it. "If you're
study has conclusively linked any of margarine's fattyconfused," says Bagby, "there's always jelly.
acids to negative outcomes. But he notes that "this