Nutritionists name margarine as a big no-no on your breakfast plate. It contains ingredients that can do more harm than good to your body.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. After all, what you eat for breakfast jumpstarts your day. However, just because it is important does not mean you eat whatever is edible and presented to you on the table. It does not mean foregoing being health conscious.
Instead, breakfast is also an important meal to be mindful of what to put in your body. Breakfast food should pack nutrients, fiber, and protein to keep you energized and your metabolism working efficiently.
However, even the healthiest meal can turn harmful when incorporated with a simple ingredient like margarine. After all, it is one of people's staple when it comes to making pastries or even cooking breakfast with-- margarine is used to grease the pan when making eggs, pancake or waffles. It also appeals to the taste buds.
Regardless, fitness experts and nutritionists specifically warn people against consuming margarine in place of butter. They pegged it as the worst ingredient to cook with for breakfast or even spread on your toast.
Isabel Smith, MS RD CDN, founder of Isabel Smith Nutrition, points out that some margarine tubs or stick margarine contain trans fats. Trans fat increases blood cholesterol levels and the likelihood of heart disease. It also lowers the "good" cholesterol levels called high-density lipoprotein (HDL).
Moreover, margarines are mostly made from processed oils that may cause inflammation of the heart and arteries. Being that it is pro-inflammatory, margarine is greatly tied with obesity, diabetes, and cancer, among others.
Instead, Smith suggests using grass-fed butter when cooking breakfast to limit fat intake. She particularly recommends a butter called Earth Balance since it contains a mix of less processed oils.
However, for those who cannot afford butter or cannot part with their margarine, there is another alternative. Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D. of the Mayo Clinic, recommends using soft or liquid margarine instead.
Zeratsky advices to look for a spread that has the least amount of saturated fat and does not contain trans fats. She also reminds consumers to check the Nutrition Facts panel to know the grams attributed to each ingredient. Best of all, it always helps to be mindful of the calorie intake, which goes to say that it is better to limit its intake.
