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Many people think that you should never cook with butter because alternative cooking fats are better for your health. But the truth is that there is nothing wrong with cooking with butter – usually. Butter is a natural ingredient and isn’t much higher in fat than alternative oils. However, there is one common mistake you might be making when you pick your butter, and it may be harming your health.
When you buy butter, there are always two main options: salted or unsalted. This one distinction can make a world of difference in the health of your overall meals.
You should always pick unsalted butter when you’re buying butter to cook or bake with. Many people tend to opt for the salted option because it ends up tasting better, but the amount of salt you end up adding to your food can be detrimental to your health.
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The daily recommended intake of salt for most adults is around six grams, or one teaspoon. When you think about the amount of salt that is in everything you eat, you start to realize that you should be cutting down your sodium intake wherever you can. Too much sodium in your diet may lead to headaches and can put you at risk of heart disease, stroke or kidney disease.
This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t eat salt at all - you should just take control of how much salt you’re getting in your diet. Next time, buy unsalted butter and add your own salt to your foods so you can have better control of your intake.
