Healthy vegan alternative to butter?

ladyA

Can anyone recommend some sort of healthy vegan alternative to butter?
Most of the spreads seem to have large amounts of vegetable oil which are said to be terrible for your health.
I don't generally eat soy products and think that most soy spreads are highly processed.
Any other alternatives out there? Getting tired of dry bread at this stage.

Stark

ladyA wrote:

Most of the spreads seem to have large amounts of vegetable oil which are said to be terrible for your health.

Hydrogenated vegetable oil is terrible for your health. Normal vegetable oil is good for your health. You could try Flora pro active. It has a small bit of hydrogenated vegeteble oil, but the cholesterol lowering ingredients are said to compensate.

Or just dip your bread in olive oil like they do on the continent.

ladyA

Thanks for the info but flora isn't vegan.

Peanut

Peanut butter is pretty awesome :-p

But if you're looking for something vegan without vegetable oils in it???
Going to be difficult. Wouldn't worry about the veg. oils too much (although some of the palm oils have a lot of saturates), the olive oil is a good suggestion also.

That or other spreads like humous, bruschetta/olive pastes, vegan pesto..

Gadgie

I don't think you're going to find any butter alternatives that aren't made with either vegetable oils or soya.

I use Pure organic spread. I'm not vegan though, I just like the taste.

ladyA

Ya tried that pure spread, but was worried about the veg fats but perhaps I was not quite so informed on them as I thought and it isn't too bad? So might just stick with it I suppose.
Yeah all that hummous and vegan pesto is great but would have me shovelling down loaves of bread if I buy them as I have little resistance/control powers.

rockbeer

Olive oil ftw

vibrant

How much are you ingesting that you're worried about the fats? If you're taking more than a tablespoon a day, I'd say that you're right to be worried, but surely putting a spread on one or two slices of bread isn't enough to worry about?

That said, I remember Marks & Spencer did a vegan olive oil based spread a few years ago. I haven't noticed it in their supermarkets recently so I don't know if it's still being made.

sweet-rasmus

Suma sunflower spread. I always use it. you can get a low fat version too, but it is more pricey. http://www.suma.co.uk/BrandSpreads_css.html
I've purchased it in The Health Store, Stillorgan, Dublin, or Evergreen and Healthwise in Galway. Impossible to buy in Dun Laoghaire. Nourish might have it in Dublin City centre.

flikflak

I too normally use the Pure organic spread but am just back from the states with a tub of Earth Balance mmmmm just like butter on my toast!!

viggi-tea

Pure spread doesnt have any hyrogenated vegetable oils in it

http://www.puredairyfree.co.uk/choosepure.php

AND you can buy the Soya one at most supermarkets. Its also pretty cheap WAAAY! The Suma one tastes nicer, but can be harder to get and is more expensive too I think...