Best Butter for Weight Watchers
Butter can be part of a healthy diet, but not all butters are created equal. When counting points on Weight Watchers, it's important to choose a butter that provides nutrition without too many points.
Certain types of butter can fit into your daily or weekly points allowance while still offering flavor and satiety. Let's compare different butter options to determine the best butter for Weight Watchers.
Grass-Fed Butter
Grass-fed butter is an excellent choice on Weight Watchers. Benefits of grass-fed butter include:
- Higher in omega-3s than grain-fed butter
- Provides conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) for fat burning
- Rich in fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K
- Contains butyrate, a fat that benefits gut health
- Higher in antioxidants like beta-carotene
Grass-fed butter has slightly fewer calories and more healthy fats compared to conventional butter. Just one tablespoon of grass-fed butter has:
- Calories: 100
- Total fat: 11g
- Saturated fat: 7g
- Points on Weight Watchers: 3
With just 3 points per serving, grass-fed butter can easily be incorporated into your daily or weekly points budget.
Organic Butter
Organic butter comes from cows that eat organic feed and aren't treated with hormones or antibiotics. Benefits of organic butter include:
- No synthetic pesticides, hormones, or drugs
- Cows eat organic grasses when possible
- May have more nutrients like CLA, omega-3s
- Usually from smaller, more ethical farms
In terms of nutrition, organic butter is fairly comparable to regular butter. One tablespoon contains:
- Calories: 102
- Total fat: 12g
- Saturated fat: 7g
- Points on Weight Watchers: 3
While not significantly different in nutritional value, organic butter offers peace of mind and supports sustainable farming.
Regular Salted Butter
Regular salted butter is made from the milk of conventionally raised cows. Here are some key points about regular salted butter:
- Higher in saturated fat than grass-fed varieties
- Typically contains added salt
- Lower in omega-3s and antioxidants
- May contain pesticide residues
One tablespoon of regular salted butter contains:
- Calories: 102
- Total fat: 11g
- Saturated fat: 7g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Points on Weight Watchers: 3
While regular butter fits into daily points limits, grass-fed is more nutritious overall.
Whipped Butter
Whipped butter has air beaten into it, giving it a lighter texture. Keep these pros and cons of whipped butter in mind:
- Has 50% less fat than regular butter
- Lower in calories due to added air
- Not as nutrient-dense as regular butter
- Higher ratio of butter to air = more calories
One tablespoon of whipped butter typically provides:
- Calories: 36
- Total fat: 4g
- Saturated fat: 2.5g
- Points on Weight Watchers: 1
With just 1 point per serving, whipped butter is a budget-friendly option. But know that you're getting less nutrition.
Light Butter
Light butter has been modified to contain less fat and calories than regular butter:
- Fat content reduced by adding water
- Contains 1/3 less calories than regular butter
- May have modified milkfat to lower saturated fat
- Lower in some fat-soluble vitamins
Nutrition details for one tablespoon of light butter:
- Calories: 45
- Total fat: 5g
- Saturated fat: 3g
- Points on Weight Watchers: 1
With only 1 point per serving, light butter can fit well into your daily budget. But it may lack the richness of regular butter.
Unsalted Butter
Unsalted butter has no added salt. Here’s how it compares to regular salted butter:
- No added sodium
- Allows you to control salt
- Ideal for cooking and baking
- Less salty flavor
One tablespoon of unsalted butter contains:
- Calories: 102
- Total fat: 11g
- Saturated fat: 7g
- Sodium: 2mg
- Points on Weight Watchers: 3
With the same calories and points, unsalted butter gives you more control over sodium intake.
Butter Blends
Some butters blend dairy butter with plant-based oils:
- Lower in saturated fat
- May include oils like olive, avocado, almond
- Contains less dairy butter
- Points vary based on ingredients
For example, one butter blend contains:
- Calories: 70
- Total fat: 8g
- Saturated fat: 2.5g
- Points on Weight Watchers: 2
Blends allow you to get the flavor of butter with less saturated fat and points.
Ghee
Ghee is clarified butter with milk solids removed:
- Higher smoke point good for cooking
- Contains no lactose or casein
- Rich flavor good for spreading
- Still high in calories and saturated fat
One tablespoon of ghee has:
- Calories: 120
- Total fat: 14g
- Saturated fat: 9g
- Points on Weight Watchers: 4
With 4 points per serving, ghee should be used sparingly to keep within daily limits.
Margarine
Margarine is made from vegetable oils and has a similar consistency to butter.
- Tends to be lower in saturated fat
- Contains trans fats in some varieties
- Highly processed and less natural
- Typically more points than butter
One tablespoon of regular margarine contains:
- Calories: 100
- Total fat: 11g
- Saturated fat: 2
FAQs
Which butter is lowest in points on Weight Watchers?
Whipped butter and light butter tend to be lowest in Weight Watchers points at 1 point per tablespoon.
Is grass-fed butter allowed on Weight Watchers?
Yes, grass-fed butter fits into daily points limits at 3 points per tablespoon. It offers more nutrients than regular butter.
How many points is regular butter on Weight Watchers?
Regular salted butter is 3 points per tablespoon on Weight Watchers, same as grass-fed varieties.
Is margarine better than butter for Weight Watchers?
No, margarine is often higher in points than butter options. Butter provides more flavor and nutrition per point.
What is the healthiest butter for Weight Watchers?
The healthiest types of butter for Weight Watchers include grass-fed, organic, and unsalted butter. These provide more nutrients per point.
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.
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