Have Your Butter—And Eat It Too!

We're constantly advised to cut the fat in our diets, but if you stay with the guideline of 10% of daily calories from saturated fat, there's no need to feel guilty about enjoying butter. It's often easier to think about how many grams of fat you're consuming in a day. For a 2000 calorie diet, an individual could consume 22 grams of fat (28 grams of butter) and stay within the guidelines.

Moderation, as usual, is the key. If you want to "have your butter and eat is too" here's some suggestions for cutting other, often overlooked sources of fat in your diet.

• Consume low or nonfat versions of dairy products such as milk, yogurt, sour cream, etc.
• Substitute low or nonfat dairy products in recipes calling for higher fat versions.
• Use low-fat cooking techniques such as steaming, broiling, grilling and baking.

Healthier Substitutions:

• Enjoy a baked potato with a pat of butter (179 calories, 4.0 grams of fat) vs. 15 French fries (237 cal., 124 g fat).
• Enjoy 1 cup air popped popcorn with a pat of butter (57 cal., 4.1 g fat) vs. 1/2 cup roasted peanuts (420 cal., and 35.7 g fat).
• Enjoy an ear of corn with a pat of butter (117 cal., 4.8 g fat) vs. 1/2 cup potato salad (179 cal., 10.3 g fat).