The Supermarket Sleuth | Butter substitutes

By GIGI LEHMAN

glehman@MiamiHerald.com

JOHN VANBEEKUM / MIAMI HERALD STAFF

Smart Balance Light Buttery Spread (16 oz), $1.82

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Time for a confession: The Sleuth's guilty pleasure is . . . butter. Sweet cream butter, no salt, slathered on crusty bread.

But butter started getting a bad rap a few decades ago for its saturated fat, so diligent diners turned to margarine -- until it was discovered that margarine's trans fats are worse than butter's sat fats.

But the latest tubs of butter substitutes are getting the trans-fat thing right, so we tested three for taste. And unless you're super concerned about the calories, going to a fat-free spread isn't necessary -- unsaturated fats help lower LDL (''bad'') cholesterol.

Smart Balance Light with Flax Oil

Cost: $1.82 per 16-ounce tub.

The label says: Now with flax oil to achieve an ideal 4 to 1 ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3! Non-hydrogenated. 300 mg Omega-3. Endorsed by Professional Chefs. Non-Dairy. Vegan.

Nutrition: Per tablespoon: 50 calories, 5 g fat (8 percent of daily value); 1.5 g sat fat (8 percent daily value); 0 g trans fat; 1.5 g polyunsaturated fat; 2 g monounsaturated fat.

The verdict: Before we get to taste, a word about the label. There's a mass of info here, but we're only going to address the statement about flax oil and the ''ideal 4-to-1 ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3.'' Several studies have suggested that such a ratio is ideal for cardiovascular health, but it's important to note that it's the ratio of such fats in the entire diet, not just in a single product.

Also, a 2008 Mayo Clinic report notes that evidence is mixed about the cardiovascular benefits of flaxseed oil; it may not have the same benefits as Omega-3 from fish oil.

Taste: Tasters could not find any buttery flavor here, though texture was fine and the taste was not unpleasant.

Grade: B-

I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Light

Cost: $1.79 per 15-ounce tub

The label says: Made with nutritious oil; 0 g trans fat per serving; 50 percent less calories and fat than butter: good source of Omega 3 ALA.

Nutrition: Per tablespoon: 50 calories; 5 g total fat (8 percent daily value); 1 g saturated fat (5 percent daily value); 0 g trans fat; 2.5 g polyunsaturated fat; 1 g monounsaturated fat.

The verdict: The ''nutritious oil'' is soybean oil, which contains the ''better for you'' Omega-3 fatty acids as well as the not-so-good Omega-6s.

Taste: Three of our four tasters said the ''buttery'' taste was fake and too pronounced; one taster ranked it as her favorite. Good texture and spreadability.

Grade: C

Promise Light

Cost: $1.59 per 15-ounce tub

The label says: Helps maintain a healthy heart. 550 mg Omega-3 ALA per serving.

Nutrition: Per tablespoon: 45 calories; 5 g total fat (8 percent daily value) 1 g saturated fat (5 percent daily value); 0 g trans fat; 2.5 g polyunsaturated fat; 1.5 g monounsaturated fat

The verdict: The facts support the heart-healthy claim in a product fact sheet: ``A healthy balance of omega-3 ALA and omega-6 fats help maintain healthy cholesterol levels when a similar amount of saturated fat (such as butter or margarine) is replaced and when there is no increase in total daily calories.''

Taste: Three tasters said this was their favorite, with good, buttery flavor; one ranked it last for ''fakeness.'' Like all the others, it had good texture and spreadability.

Grade: A

The bottom line: All of these products can help maintain or improve your cardiovascular health if used instead of sat-fat or trans-fat products.