Oil or butter? There is indecision…

This article will address an effective issue that is creating confusion among people: Oil or butter? In fact, that is an essential question that many people ask themselves whenever they have to choose between the two of them. In particular, when cooking, we tend to use more butter than oil both as a matter of taste and for the ‘texture’ of the recipe. But why prefer oil instead of butter? What differences exist between the two? There are many reasons for making this kind of choice: here are the most important ones.

Nutritional properties:

From a nutritional point of view, oil and butter differ in the quantity and quality of the fats they contain: evo oil consists of 99.9% lipids, whereas butter contains a fraction of water which reduces the amount of lipids (84%). Despite the lower quantity, most of the lipids in evo are unsaturated fats, which are beneficial for the body, whereas in butter we find mainly saturated fats. In addition, cholesterol is completely absent in evo oil (because it is only present in foods of animal origin), while in butter it is found in high quantities (250 mg/100 g; when the reference intake levels of the total daily cholesterol intake value should be of <300 mg). Also, it is important to remember the ‘good’ energy of evo: oil and butter are calorie-rich foods, but choosing the right fats and not consuming too much of them makes all the difference.

Advantages in cooking:

What about cooking? Butter has a very low smoke point, i.e. it becomes unstable at low temperatures (around 130°C), forming acrolein, a compound that is carcinogenic to the body: this is why it is not suitable for cooking at high temperatures, let alone frying. Therefore, due to its very high smoke point, evo is excellent for frying. However, frying requires a lot of oil: being an expensive foodstuff with an intense flavour, it is little used in frying. And in desserts? Contrary to many prejudices, confectionery was born with olive oil. Oil in desserts together with honey, milk and dried fruit gives softness and crispness.

The choice between oil or butter

To conclude, which one should you choose between olive oil or butter? The advice is to favour oil over butter. However, there is no reason to banish butter completely from your table (10 g a day is tolerated). As a result, the key words remain the same: physical activity, balance and taste without resorting to deprivation!

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