What is healthier, oil or butter?

When cooking Many people try to choose ingredients that enhance the flavor of their food while also preventing it from sticking to utensils. Among the most common options are butter and oil. Although they are often used for similar purposes, their nutritional composition is different.

Which has more calories: oil or butter?

Both products come in different versions that vary in flavor, ingredients, and effects on the body. According to the specialized website MyFitnessPal, these are the approximate calories per tablespoon:

Olive oil: 119 calories
Avocado oil: 40 calories
Vegetable oil: 120 calories
Butter: 27 calories
Salted butter: 100 calories
Sweet cream butter: 100 calories

Both oil and butter are composed of fats and contain a high caloric density. For this reason, it is recommended to consume them in moderation, as excessive consumption can raise LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease.

Read also: How healthy is it to consume coconut oil? Which is healthier?

According to the medical portal MedlinePlus, Butter and other products derived from animal fats can be harmful to your health. It also suggests avoiding margarines and hydrogenated ingredients, due to their high trans fat content, which is associated with cardiovascular problems.

Instead, he recommends opting for vegetable oils, especially those extracted from seeds like olive oil.

Specialist Mariana Isabel Valdés Moreno, in an interview for UNAM Global, also agrees that oils represent a better alternative:

"The difference in their composition is what gives them advantages or disadvantages compared to other products. The healthiest ones would be the oils."

Although both ingredients have valuable culinary uses, It is more advisable to use vegetable oil —especially olive or avocado— instead of butter, always in moderation.

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