Healthy substitutes of butter that you need in your kitchen

It is uncanny how much flavour butter adds to your food, even though it is quite plain and bland when eaten by itself. Be it for baking a cake, needing a spread for your slice of toast, or to cook scrambled egg, butter is an integral part of most kitchens. There are a few reasons, however, that might make someone consider replacing butter with more suitable alternatives.

- Butter is high in fat and calories, so those who veer towards health consciousness or those looking to lose weight might want to consider replacing it.

- Butter is not a suitable option for vegans, since it is made from milk.

- Many health concerns come into light when speaking about butter. Lactose intolerance is most prevalent of the health concerns. Not being able to digest lactose, a main ingredient of milk, leads to this problem.

- A less prevalent but equally distressful health concern is milk allergy, where casein and whey, two main proteins found in milk, cause an allergic reaction.

Fear not, as the food industry has got your back. With the advent of more health conscious consumer demands, there are many alternatives that can be used as healthier and more viable substitutes for butter. These alternatives have more or less the same taste enhancing effect like butter does, only a lot more healthier. So without further ado, let’s take a look at some butter substitutes you should consider stocking in your kitchen.

Ghee is a great substitute for butter, especially for baking, with the nutty taste enhancing the taste of baked foods like cookies and bread. Ghee provides more moisture than butter, so you get the same enhanced flavour as butter with half the quantity. It is also a healthy and tasty addition to your dry and boring roti. The best thing about ghee is that it is easy to make at home.

Olive oil is packed with healthy monounsaturated fats that are good for the heart, skin, hair, and for weight loss. It is best used for sauteing vegetables or garnishing salads. However, the use of olive oil is not always suitable for baking, as some recipes require the fat to remain solid for purposes like creaming.

Coconut oil has a distinct taste that can completely alter the taste of many baked foods. Apart from adding a tropical flavour to food, coconut oil offers many health benefits. It boosts liver health, digestion, energy, and helps with weight loss. This oil is best suited for those who want a unique flavour in their food.

Just like peanut butter is made by grinding peanuts to form a paste, nut butter is made by grinding a variety of nuts like cashews, hazelnuts, almonds, and pistachios. It is a great substitute for butter for baking, as it adds a more rich and nutty flavour, and it also makes the baked food more dense and heavy, helping with satiety. Although packed with a heavy dose of nutrition, nut butter is high in calories, so it must be consumed cautiously.

This one is less popular than the other substitutes on this list, but is equally healthy if not healthier. Pumpkins are rich in vitamins like A and C which provide many benefits like boosting the immunity and better eyesight. It is perhaps the best butter substitute when it comes to making desserts because of its sweet taste.