Butter Buds, a better butter alternative!

While eating at a local hospital one afternoon, I noticed some packets lying on the table that were alternatives to real butter. They are called ‘Butter Buds’ and are made by a company of the same name located in Racine Wisconsin.

The package I checked out contained two grams of product. The instructions indicated the granules could be sprinkled on hot moist foods such as a freshly baked potato and which promised real butter taste. Calories per serving was just a 10, with no fat or cholesterol. The sodium was also low at 75 mg. While they are not cheap, they do provide a good substitute for the real thing and may be better for you than margarine.

For my taste test I elected to go with a baked Russet potato where I also used fake salt and real pepper. Following is a nutritional breakout of key ingredients that show the before and after effects of subbing fake for real on a 238 gram potato.

Potato with real condiments                              w fake 1 pat of butter and dash of salt

Gram wt              238 g                                                   238 g

Calories               160                                                     196  

Cholesterol          0 mg                                                   11 mg

Sodium                0 mg                                                  184 mg

Carbs                 41.8 g                                                   41.8  g

Actually, the overall taste was pretty darn good. And, just take a look at the reduction in the sodium, fat and cholesterol! The fake salt I used was actually potassium chloride which takes a bit of time to get used to.