“With enough butter, anything is good.” One of the many wise quotes from one of the most adored cooking personalities of all time – Julia Child.
It’s versatile. It’s decadent. You can spread it, melt it, cream it, layer it into pastries, and make sauces with it.
Butter can transform bland dishes into beautiful masterpieces. And while it often gets a bad reputation, butter continues to be a beloved staple in most kitchens. There are many reasons to love butter in all of its golden goodness – here are my top four:
1. It’s Versatile
Butter is quite possibly the most multi-talented workhorse in the kitchen. It often does triple duty by tenderizing tough cuts of meat, keeping foods from sticking to pans, and melding its flavor into dishes without overpowering other flavors.
Butter is a staple for sweets and a companion to all things savory and decadent. It accompanies most breakfast foods and breathes fresh life into vegetables. It can even go in your coffee!
2. It’s a Single-Ingredient Food
Think about the last time you went to the grocery store. As you walked the aisles, think of all the food and drink options you saw. How many of those were just one ingredient? Not many, right?
Single-ingredient foods are not what you typically find at a grocery store. They’re often located at the perimeter, leaving the aisles for all the processed choices. In a culture where processed foods abound, finding foods without additives is increasingly difficult.
Single-ingredient foods are free of chemicals and mostly unprocessed, making them a key component to a healthy lifestyle.
3. It’s Low in Lactose
If you’re lactose intolerant, you’re probably all too familiar with the unpleasant and uncomfortable side effects of sneaking in a dairy-filled treat. You also know the stress of trying to find suitable dairy alternatives – ones that you actually enjoy eating.
Since butter is made from milk, you might feel nervous or uncertain about including it in your diet. But I’ve got good news for you – unlike most dairy, butter contains only trace amounts of lactose.
This means that if you have a milder case of lactose intolerance, you should be able to eat butter without any digestive issues or bloating. However, despite it being nearly lactose-free, butter does have very, very low amounts of milk in it. So, if you have a more severe case of lactose intolerance, you may want to exercise some caution.
4. It’s Rich With Vitamins
It’s no secret that butter often gets a bad rap. But despite its high calories, butter has recently been making a comeback as a healthier food option.
Butter contains a range of fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin A, E, B12, and K. Of these, vitamin A and E are the most prevalent vitamins in butter.
Vitamin E supports your heart health and functions as an antioxidant to protect your cells. Vitamin A is necessary for immune function, skin health, and vision. And one tablespoon of butter contains about 11% of your Reference Daily Intake of vitamin A!
The Bottom Line With Butter
This list is just the tip of the butter iceberg. It doesn’t even go into the quality of butter from grass-fed cows, the superior benefits of raw butter, or the link between butter and reduced risk of obesity, heart problems, and diabetes.
With all the benefits of butter, it’s no wonder why it holds a beloved place in so many households. Next time you’re at the store, consider stocking up on this creamy staple and look for ways you can sneak some buttery goodness into your day.