You’ve already limited your intake of bread, potatoes, pasta, beans, doughnuts, and chips, but there are actually far more carbohydrates in foods than you might think.
This is because carbs aren’t necessarily bad for you in small amounts.
Here’s where the problem occurs – not many people don’t know about the carb content in butter.
Butter is such a common ingredient in most foods, so whether you’ve put it in a curry or if you’re simply spreading it on toast, you’re probably wondering if butter is allowed in your low-carb diet.
So, does butter have carbs? Here’s everything you need to know about whether butter has carbs!
So, Does Butter Have Carbs?
Let’s set the record straight – yes, butter has carbs.
However, that doesn’t mean it’s time to panic about the amount of butter you’ve accidentally consumed if you’re on a low-carb diet.
While butter does contain carbohydrates, so do a bunch of other foods that are allowed on a low-carb diet, so there really isn’t anything to worry about.
This is because butter features a low concentration of carbohydrates.
It obviously depends on what type of butter you’re consuming, but in most cases, one tablespoon of butter amounts to about 0.1 grams of carbs.
In the grand scheme of things, this is a very low figure – especially if you’re simply spreading a bit of butter on some bread.
So, as the carb content in butter is actually surprisingly low, it’s important to not get it mixed up with the iconic Mean Girls quote.
No, butter is not a carb, but it does contain some carbohydrates.
Can I Have Butter On A Low-Carb Diet?
A common misconception about low-carb diets is that they completely restrict you from eating any carbs.
However, the clue is in the name with these diets, because so many foods contain carbs that are actually very good for you.
While butter does contain carbs, it’s such a low content level that it is generally allowed on a low-carb diet.
So, if you’ve spread some butter on crackers or rye bread, don’t be too mad at yourself!
In fact, most low-carb diets (such as keto or Atkins) will consist of low-carb and high-fat foods.
Butter is typically a very salty fat, meaning it’s not always the best option for weight loss.
Instead, there are a bunch of butter alternatives that you can have on a low-carb diet that are healthier forms of fat. These include:
Pressed avocado oil – This has no carbs, dairy, or gluten.
Organic ghee – This is a pure fat that contains no carbs, and works to combat inflammation and digestive problems.
Olive oil spread – This contains no carbs and features essential amino acids found in plants that are beneficial for heart health.
Vegan butter – This alternative contains no dairy, and therefore no carbs.
To put it simply: while butter is allowed on a low-carb diet, using it as your only source of fat will limit yourself from the other health benefits found in butter substitutes.
The key is to diversify your diet and not punish yourself from having a bit of butter, whether you’re on a strict low-carb diet or not.
It’s also important to not limit butter as your only source of fat.
Fats are great, but make sure to consume a nice range to make use of all the health benefits on offer.
Is Butter Unhealthy?
Butter is never really consumed in large amounts, which is why it’s not typically considered unhealthy.
However, while butter doesn’t have a high carb content, it’s not necessarily the healthiest fat source out there.
One of the biggest misconceptions about fat-rich foods like butter is that they are responsible for heart-related problems, but this actually isn’t the case.
While the excessive consumption of saturated fatty foods can lead to factors of heart disease (such as a heightened cholesterol), this doesn’t mean butter will lead to heart disease itself.
Butter has also been proven to not be related to other health problems, such diabetes and strokes.
Instead, maintaining a low to moderate consumption of butter isn’t going to leave any negative lifelong effects.
If you were to consume several pints of butter a day, however, you might gain some weight (don’t do that).
The key with butter is to enjoy it in small amounts, but it’s hardly as if people regularly chew on a stick of butter as a snack.
Instead, spreading butter on toast or cooking it in a frying pan isn’t going to be unhealthy. After all, life is short, and butter is delicious.
You’ve also got to consider what you’re eating the butter with.
Butter is very rarely eaten by itself, so its “healthiness” can also be related to whatever foods you’re eating it with.
For example, if you’ve had butter on bread, the most carby part of that meal was the bread, not the butter.
When butter is made from pasture-raised cows, it is subsequently filled with antioxidants and vitamins including vitamin A, which is great for improving vision and immunity.
However, there are certainly other healthier alternatives to butter.
Avocado butter, olive oil spread, organic ghee, and even vegan butter don’t contain any carbs, making them a slightly healthier option to butter.
The best part is that these alternatives don’t always taste too different from butter, so they’re great for substituting in a recipe.
Conclusion
So, there you have it! While butter does have carbs, it’s still allowed on a low-carb diet thanks to its low carbohydrate content.
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