Smart Balance Calories for Crohn's Diet

Understanding Smart Balance Calorie Counts

When scanning nutrition labels, you may have noticed the term Smart Balance used to describe certain cooking oils and spreads. But what does this actually mean? And how many calories are in Smart Balance products?

Smart Balance aims to provide healthier oil blends by using oils that provide added benefits beyond just calories. Lets break down what exactly Smart Balance oils are, their calorie counts, and how they can fit into healthy eating.

The Smart Balance Oil Blend

The original Smart Balance blend contains a mix of oils chosen specifically for their nutritional characteristics:

• Canola oil - Provides omega-3 fatty acids
• Olive oil - Provides omega-9 fatty acids
• Soybean oil - Plant-based protein and vitamin E
• Palm fruit oil - Antioxidants like carotenoids and tocotrienols

By combining oils with various nutrients and plant compounds, Smart Balance aims to promote well-rounded nutrition from fat sources.

Calories in Smart Balance Butter and Margarine

Smart Balance makes a few different butter and margarine spreads. Heres how the calories stack up in their main products:

• Smart Balance Original Buttery Spread: 50 calories per 14g serving (1 Tbsp)
• Smart Balance Light Butter Spread: 35 calories per 11g serving (1 Tbsp)
• Smart Balance Olive Oil Spread: 45 calories per 12g serving (1 Tbsp)
• Smart Balance Light Margarine Spread: 25 calories per 8g serving (1 Tbsp)

With ranges from 25 calories up to 50 calories per serving, Smart Balance spreads provide fewer calories than typical butter, which has about 100 calories per tablespoon.

Choosing Oils and Fats for a Healthy Crohns Diet

If you're living with Crohns disease, the foods you eat can play an important role in managing gastrointestinal symptoms. When it comes to fats, pay special attention to these guidelines for a Crohns-friendly diet:

Limit Saturated Fats

Diets high in saturated fat can trigger chronic inflammation, which may worsen Crohns flares. Limit fat sources like:

• Red meat
• Whole milk dairy
• Coconut oil
• Palm kernel oil
• Baked goods with butter, lard or cream

Check labels and pick fats with no more than 2g saturated per serving.

Avoid Partially Hydrogenated Oils

Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils contain trans fats, which promote inflammation and may contribute to Crohns flares. Avoid margarines, baked goods, fried foods, and any items with partially hydrogenated oils on the ingredients label.

Incorporate More Unsaturated Fats

Focus on unsaturated fats from vegetables, nuts, seeds and oil. Great options include:

• Olive oil
• Avocado oil
• Walnut oil
• Sunflower oil
• Nuts and nut butters
• Seeds like chia and flaxseeds

These provide anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids to help relieve Crohns symptoms.

Use Oil Moderately

While oils have a place in healthy cooking, portion control is key. Stick to just 1-2 Tbsp of oil per meal or snack.

Cooking and Baking Substitutions for Crohns-Friendly Fat Intake

Adjusting recipes and cooking techniques can help cut down on inflammatory fats. Try these easy substitutions:

Replace Butter with Healthy Oils

When baking, substitute an equal amount of canola, olive or avocado oil for solid fats like butter or shortening. The texture may be slightly different, but nutrition will improve.

Use Oil Misters for Sauting

Spray pans lightly with olive oil using an oil mister instead of pouring large puddles of oil. This cuts oil use by about half.

Swap Cream with Broths

Replace cream-based soups or sauces with lower fat broths and stocks. Light coconut milk or soft tofu blended can provide creamy textures with less saturated fat and calories.

Accent with Avocados and Nut Butters

Boost smoothies, oatmeal and dips with fiber-rich unsaturated fats from avocado slices or dollops of almond or sunflower seed butter instead of oils, cream or cheese.

Understanding Portion Sizes for Oils and Fats

Consuming healthy fats as part of a Crohns diet is beneficial but portions still matter. Get smart guidelines on reasonable oil serving sizes with these visuals and tips:

1 Teaspoon of Oil

Whether drizzled over a salad or used to grease a pan, aim for just 1 teaspoon of added oils for things like sauting veggies or making dressings.

1 Tablespoon of Nut Butters

Nut butters and tahini are great for adding creaminess and plant protein to smoothies, sauces or snacks. Stick to about 1 tablespoon at a time.

1/4 Medium Avocado

Just 1/4 of an avocado provides all the richness needed for most servings of guacamole, sandwiches or bowls. The other 3/4 can go back in the fridge.

1 ounce of Nuts or Seeds

Nuts and seeds make handy high-calorie snacks, so an ounce is a reasonable portion. Thats about 24 almonds or 14 pecan halves.

Incorporating Exercise to Manage Calories for Crohns

Along with diet, an active lifestyle is key for Crohns management. Staying active can help motivate healthy eating habits too. Aim for 150 minutes of moderate activity per week, along with some resistance training. Some great options include:

Walking

Low-impact walking helps improve cardiovascular health, mood and digestion without taxing the body. Work up to 30-60 minutes daily.

Yoga

Gentle yoga builds core strength and flexibility while reducing stress. Look for beginner YouTube videos to start.

Strength Training

Use resistance bands, weights or bodyweight moves like squats to maintain muscle mass, which revs metabolism to help burn more calories.

Tai Chi

Tai chis flowing movements coupled with focused breathing provide gentle activity with big impacts on controlling inflammation.

So in summary, Smart Balance products can be part of healthy eating when used in moderation alongside unsaturated plant fats. Combine sensible fats with regular activity to keep Crohns symptoms at bay.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.