Healthier Spreadable Butter

I was looking at the labels on different butter spreads the other day and realizing that I could not pronounce most of the ingredients listed. This is a HUGE red flag for me. I am really starting to believe that we need to be aware and pro-active in what we put into our mouth. Just because the product is low calories or screams other such marketing from it's colorful packaging. You really just need to turn it around and read!
To give an example: here are the ingredients from two butter spreads I used to use all the time:

INGREDIENTS: WATER, VEGETABLE OIL BLEND (LIQUID SOYBEAN OIL, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL), NONFAT YOGURT* (CULTURED NONFAT MILK), SALT, GELATIN, VEGETABLE MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, SOY LECITHIN, (POTASSIUM SORBATE, CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA) USED TO PROTECT QUALITY, LACTIC ACID, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, VITAMIN A (PALMITATE), BETA CAROTENE (FOR COLOR).

NATURAL OIL BLEND (PALM FRUIT, SOYBEAN, CANOLA, AND OLIVE OILS), WATER, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF SALT, WHEY (FROM MILK), VEGETABLE MONOGLYCERIDES AND SORBITAN ESTER OF FATTY ACIDS (EMULSIFIERS), SOYBEAN LECITHIN, POTASSIUM SORBATE, LACTIC ACID (TO PROTECT FRESHNESS), NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, VITAMIN B6, VITAMIN B12, VITAMIN D, VITAMIN E (DL-α-TOCOPHEROL ACETATE), BETA-CAROTENE COLOR


Here are the ingredients for butter: Cream, Salt


Why would I put all of those other ingredients on my toast! Butter has gotten a bad rap in the past. But you can't argue that at least you know what it's ingredients are! The problem with butter is it is hard to spread so I did a little research and found that if you blend real butter with some healthy oil- canola or olive oil. It makes a spreadable butter, right from the fridge AND you are cutting the saturated fat in half. 


So now I am making my own butter spread. I still have to practice some self control- since I have a weakness for butter but I think this is a much better, whole, real food product! And that is what I am all about these days. Real food, eating things my great grandmother would recognize and not being deceived by all the food marketing mumbo jumbo!


Enough Rambling... Here are the easy directions!


To make your own. Take 1 cup real butter and 3/4 - cup canola or olive oil. Blend in blender, food processor or with a hand mixer. It will be a sloppy runny mess. Pour this into a container with a lid and refrigerate. Soon the butter will re harden and you will be left with  yummy spreadable butter with ingredients you can pronounce!