Smart Balance and the like?

I keep hearing and seeing ads for a margerine-like spread called "Smart
Balance" and I've seen other "heart healthy" spreads in the supermarket as
well. They claim to have no trans fats and be better for you than
margerine or butter. I switched from using margerine to using butter when
all the bad publicity about trans fats came out, but I grew up with
margerine and prefer the taste. Does anyone else use these non-butter,
transfat-free spreads? Are they really better for you and do they taste ok
and work well in cooking stir-fry and eggs?

--
-Michelle Levin (Luna)
http://www.mindspring.com/~lunachick
http://www.mindspring.com/~designbyluna

I am trying to remember which one I tried once awhile back but cannot.. I do
know it didn't seem to be all that good for frying as it doesn't heat to
high temps very well and if you look at the labels, they have a very high
percentage of water compared to fats. The tastes in them vary alot too from
what I have read about them. I would put it all to personal taste.
The article I have linked even contains a warning about not exceeding the
daily amount of some of these products..

http://www.fitnessandfreebies.com/food/margarine.html

Teeb

"Luna" wrote in message
...
I keep hearing and seeing ads for a margerine-like spread called "Smart
Balance" and I've seen other "heart healthy" spreads in the supermarket as
well. They claim to have no trans fats and be better for you than
margerine or butter. I switched from using margerine to using butter when
all the bad publicity about trans fats came out, but I grew up with
margerine and prefer the taste. Does anyone else use these non-butter,
transfat-free spreads? Are they really better for you and do they taste
ok
and work well in cooking stir-fry and eggs?

--
-Michelle Levin (Luna)
http://www.mindspring.com/~lunachick
http://www.mindspring.com/~designbyluna

Thanks for the info!

In article , "Teeb"
wrote:

I am trying to remember which one I tried once awhile back but cannot.. I do
know it didn't seem to be all that good for frying as it doesn't heat to
high temps very well and if you look at the labels, they have a very high
percentage of water compared to fats. The tastes in them vary alot too from
what I have read about them. I would put it all to personal taste.
The article I have linked even contains a warning about not exceeding the
daily amount of some of these products..

http://www.fitnessandfreebies.com/food/margarine.html

Teeb

"Luna" wrote in message
...
I keep hearing and seeing ads for a margerine-like spread called "Smart
Balance" and I've seen other "heart healthy" spreads in the supermarket as
well. They claim to have no trans fats and be better for you than
margerine or butter. I switched from using margerine to using butter when
all the bad publicity about trans fats came out, but I grew up with
margerine and prefer the taste. Does anyone else use these non-butter,
transfat-free spreads? Are they really better for you and do they taste
ok
and work well in cooking stir-fry and eggs?

--
-Michelle Levin (Luna)
http://www.mindspring.com/~lunachick
http://www.mindspring.com/~designbyluna

I use Smart Balance everyday, as does my wife, Kristen. It tastes like
butter, but no bad stuff. If a recipe calls for butter, we use butter. But
for sandwiches Smart Balance works. We are really off the trans fat road
and Smart Balance works for us.

Rich R.
"Luna" wrote in message
...
I keep hearing and seeing ads for a margerine-like spread called "Smart
Balance" and I've seen other "heart healthy" spreads in the supermarket as
well. They claim to have no trans fats and be better for you than
margerine or butter. I switched from using margerine to using butter when
all the bad publicity about trans fats came out, but I grew up with
margerine and prefer the taste. Does anyone else use these non-butter,
transfat-free spreads? Are they really better for you and do they taste
ok
and work well in cooking stir-fry and eggs?

--
-Michelle Levin (Luna)
http://www.mindspring.com/~lunachick
http://www.mindspring.com/~designbyluna

Hi Luna, I tried Smart Balance and also Benecol to lower my cholesterol. It
may have helped a tiny bit but I use butter right now and my numbers are
even lower. I grew up on butter but spent more than half my life trying
butter substitutes. Nothing tastes and feels like the real stuff to me.

Nancy J


"Luna" wrote in message
...
I keep hearing and seeing ads for a margerine-like spread called "Smart
Balance" and I've seen other "heart healthy" spreads in the supermarket as
well. They claim to have no trans fats and be better for you than
margerine or butter. I switched from using margerine to using butter when
all the bad publicity about trans fats came out, but I grew up with
margerine and prefer the taste. Does anyone else use these non-butter,
transfat-free spreads? Are they really better for you and do they taste
ok
and work well in cooking stir-fry and eggs?

--
-Michelle Levin (Luna)
http://www.mindspring.com/~lunachick
http://www.mindspring.com/~designbyluna

"Luna" wrote in message

I keep hearing and seeing ads for a margerine-like spread called
"Smart Balance" and I've seen other "heart healthy" spreads in the
supermarket as well. They claim to have no trans fats and be better
for you than margerine or butter.
snip
Are they really better
for you and do they taste ok and work well in cooking stir-fry and
eggs?

I don't know about that specific brand but read the fine print carefully on
any 'no transfat' margarine you're considering. I can't remember the brand
but one I looked at had "0 Trans Fats" in big letters on the front but when
I read the fine print on the back it said something like hydrogenation
introduces an insignificant amount of transfats. So it seems they're allowed
to round down to zero just like they can with anything else on the label.

I'm not saying they're all like that. It's just a warning to be aware and
careful.

I like Smart Balance a lot. It really does have 0 trans fats and the
ingredients don't say hydrogenated anywhere. (I don't know how the
other ones get away with saying 0 trans fats--to me that's lying pure
and simple.)

The one place where Smart Balance doesn't hold up is on popcorn,
because it does contain a minimal amount of water. Makes it soggy.
Other than that, you can bake with it, fry with it, whatever you want.
Good stuff.


"Jeri" wrote in message . ..
"Luna" wrote in message

I keep hearing and seeing ads for a margerine-like spread called
"Smart Balance" and I've seen other "heart healthy" spreads in the
supermarket as well. They claim to have no trans fats and be better
for you than margerine or butter.
snip
Are they really better
for you and do they taste ok and work well in cooking stir-fry and
eggs?

I don't know about that specific brand but read the fine print carefully on
any 'no transfat' margarine you're considering. I can't remember the brand
but one I looked at had "0 Trans Fats" in big letters on the front but when
I read the fine print on the back it said something like hydrogenation
introduces an insignificant amount of transfats. So it seems they're allowed
to round down to zero just like they can with anything else on the label.

I'm not saying they're all like that. It's just a warning to be aware and
careful.

Luna wrote in message .. .
I keep hearing and seeing ads for a margerine-like spread called "Smart
Balance"

This is the product that is recommended, by name, in the South Beach
Diet book, and is included in many of the recipes. I've never tried it
(give me butter or give me death), but friends of mine have, and they
think it tastes pretty good.

Lee

In article ,
(Lee) wrote:

Luna wrote in message
.. .
I keep hearing and seeing ads for a margerine-like spread called "Smart
Balance"

This is the product that is recommended, by name, in the South Beach
Diet book, and is included in many of the recipes. I've never tried it
(give me butter or give me death), but friends of mine have, and they
think it tastes pretty good.

Lee

Cool! I'll try it then. Going shopping today, I'll add it to the list.
Most of the time I cook with olive oil anyway, but I miss the flavor of
margerine sometimes. Like I said before, I grew up with margerine because
at the time it was considered "healthy" compared to butter, so that's what
my mom used, so I actually prefer it to butter.

--
-Michelle Levin (Luna)
http://www.mindspring.com/~lunachick
http://www.mindspring.com/~designbyluna

It's the same way with counting carbs and everything else.. depending on how
much less than a gram.. will either say *zero* or *less than one*... Some
of the better companies will at least say *a trace* if it's less than half
even though they can legally say *zero*..

Teeb

"Dave Dumanis" wrote in message
om...
I like Smart Balance a lot. It really does have 0 trans fats and the
ingredients don't say hydrogenated anywhere. (I don't know how the
other ones get away with saying 0 trans fats--to me that's lying pure
and simple.)

The one place where Smart Balance doesn't hold up is on popcorn,
because it does contain a minimal amount of water. Makes it soggy.
Other than that, you can bake with it, fry with it, whatever you want.
Good stuff.


"Jeri" wrote in message
. ..
"Luna" wrote in message

I keep hearing and seeing ads for a margerine-like spread called
"Smart Balance" and I've seen other "heart healthy" spreads in the
supermarket as well. They claim to have no trans fats and be better
for you than margerine or butter.
snip
Are they really better
for you and do they taste ok and work well in cooking stir-fry and
eggs?

I don't know about that specific brand but read the fine print carefully
on
any 'no transfat' margarine you're considering. I can't remember the
brand
but one I looked at had "0 Trans Fats" in big letters on the front but
when
I read the fine print on the back it said something like hydrogenation
introduces an insignificant amount of transfats. So it seems they're
allowed
to round down to zero just like they can with anything else on the
label.

I'm not saying they're all like that. It's just a warning to be aware
and
careful.