At least the last couple of decades throughout the world, disputes about what fats - animals or vegetable are useful for the body, and indeed useful at all - do not cease. It was declared that butter is a terrible harm. It suddenly became clear that the vegetable was not any better. And to the margarine, a product, in theory, representing a cross between the two, the attitude has changed over this time several times. Therefore, many mistresses, still coming to the store, painfully pondering, standing in front of the counter: what to buy in the house, so that it is tasty and useful for the whole family?
NOT TOO FAT?
To begin with it is worthwhile to understand the following: the nutritional value of oils and fats can not be underestimated. After all, fats, as a class of nutrients, are just as necessary for the human body as proteins with carbohydrates. First, fats are a source of energy, they slow down the aging process, help to maintain immunity. And how do you think, due to what our hair and skin look charming and attractive? That's right, at the expense of fats!
Secondly, a growing body without fats can not properly develop. Especially the brain. And, thirdly, it is the fats that help the body to break down and assimilate many useful substances, in particular, vitamins. That is, you can not exclude them from your diet at all.
YES HONOR OF NATURAL!
Natural butter has been used by mankind since ancient times. The myth of his exceptional harmfulness was born not so long ago. And it arose in many respects, because there are oil people have become much more often, guided solely by their own gastronomic predilections, and by no means church norms, as before. But the schedule of fasting and fast days in the year did not arise from scratch. It is based not only on some dogmatic ideas about this world, but also on the oldest knowledge about the preservation and maintenance of the health of the human body. So it's much more sensible to talk not about the dangers of oils as such, but about their excessive consumption. A measure is always necessary and in everything.
With an objective look at butter, the picture is as follows. In natural butter contains many vitamins, amino acids and other nutrients, without which the body can not function fully, and which are not found in other foods. Its nutritional value is very high. Although with regular use this product does not have the best effect on the digestive tract, in particular, the liver, vascular system, etc. However, some experts argue that most of the health problems that are attributed to butter, only occur if the product is prepared with a violation of technology or when it is stored incorrectly.
The conclusion from all these considerations begs simple. Firstly, there is butter to be not too often and little by little. And, secondly, it's worthwhile to choose it in the store with special care.
WHAT IS WHAT?
If you take for the axiom that butter is not very welcome every day on the table, a legitimate question arises: what should you then spread on a traditional sandwich for breakfast, put in a dough (if you often bake pies), add it in mashed potatoes and porridge? After all, vegetable oil (a product that is certainly no less useful than a creamy one) is far from being a substitute in all cases. There after all there are no "necessary" fats. And that's where the idea of combined butter products, which we usually call margarines, comes to mind. The most useful of them are products, which are a combination of skimmed milk and vegetable oil.
However, from the specialists' point of view, only products made from natural vegetable oils are considered margarines in the full sense of the word. In modern margarines often add dairy products, vegetable proteins, water, various vitamins and other healthy nutrients. The fat content is not less than 40 percent. Cholesterol is little or no. There are even dietary types of margarines, specially designed for the prevention of certain types of diseases.
But the problem is that on the shelves of shops you can find a whole series of products, externally and in properties very similar to margarine, but differing in composition. For example, combinations of creamy and refractory vegetable oils (palm, coconut, etc.), butter with animal fats. Unfortunately, the market sometimes gets "pirated" products, that is, manufactured in small underground enterprises. What ingredients are used by unscrupulous producers, what is the nutritional value of such products - one can only guess. This can be artificial fats, prepared by chemical processing of cheap or overdue vegetable oils, and fats of marine animals or fish. Yes, you never know what other "craftsmen" can add to that!
And it's not even that buying a margarine of doubtful origin, the buyer immediately gets to the hospital with acute food poisoning (this is happening quite rarely). The fact is, how useful is this or that food product. There are such combinations that are extremely undesirable to eat, for example, to children or people suffering from certain chronic diseases.
Abroad, there is much less chance of buying an oil product of unknown origin. There, on this score, there are fairly strict standards, which must adhere to the producers. And for non-observance of such laws, very serious measures are envisaged, up to and including the revocation of the license. So, according to European standards, oil can only be considered a product containing at least 82.5 percent of fats derived from cow's milk without the use of any chemical treatment. Oil products for the preparation of sandwiches or bakery have their own names, for example spreads, mixts, etc. The label must contain an indication of the nutritional value of oils and fats, a list of ingredients and often their percentage. Therefore, the buyer can easily navigate and select the product of the desired quality.
In Russia, unfortunately, even the all-powerful GOST is not capable of completely protecting the consumer. Clear rules and rules that meet world standards are under development. Therefore, while it is worth more carefully study the packaging of purchased products and remember some tricks.
MEMORY OF THE BUYER
✓ If the butter on the counter on top is clearly more yellow than inside, or on the cut you notice layers, divorces of a different color than the bulk - refrain from buying.
✓All the oil you buy should not be eaten if: you have felt a musty or salty smell. A bitter, greyish or stern aftertaste also indicates the inedible nature of the product. If the check is preserved, you can try to return the goods to the store, no - discard, because there is no benefit to the body from any such oil, except harm.
✓ Packed butter is best purchased in foil, rather than in parchment packaging. And remember: even in a vacuum package, butter completely retains its properties for no more than 3 weeks.
✓ It is advisable not to put the thawed oil back in the freezer, otherwise it will lose its useful properties.
✓ The word "oil" on the label (or in advertising) does not always mean that it is inside. The real butter must definitely cost much higher than the products for making sandwiches and baking. The presence of a long list of ingredients (especially if there are notorious E-preservatives there) and fat content of less than 82.5 percent is a clear signal to you that there is a certain combined product, rather than butter.
✓ The conscientious Russian producers of combined oil products indicate the packaging category and (or) the composition of the goods produced by them, but in small letters and not on the front of the label, but somewhere on the side or below. Therefore, before you buy a new kind of margarine, take the goods in hand and carefully study all the inscriptions.
✓ Remember that these margarines are sandwiches, dining rooms - for baking and universal. This information should also be present on the packaging. But in any case should be marked fat. This is important, since a product with a fat content below 70 percent for frying is not suitable. Soft - liquid, in plastic jars, and not hard in a bar - margarines are most often suitable for any of these purposes. But only if you really have margarine before you, and not another fatty product.
✓ In the present margarine there should be no divorces and layers. To taste these products somewhat resemble butter.