Butter Archives - The Paleo Network

Posts

7 signs intolerant dairy lactose casein lactase allergic symptoms milk Paleo Network-min

7 signs you’re dairy intolerant

Dairy is a huge dividing issue in the paleo world. Strict paleo would omit dairy, but a lot of people take a more primal approach and include good quality dairy in their diet. My study showed most people who identify with paleo do in fact consume some dairy. The deciding factor here is if you are dairy intolerant or not. And how would you know?

Whilst not scientific, there are a few warning signs that will give you a pretty big clue you don’t tolerate dairy well. But what is it in the dairy that may not agree with you? Well, it’s not as simple as saying it’s the dairy, you could well have a reaction to the lactose, or the casein contained in dairy.

Today, I'm going to look at a Lactose Intolerance specifically, as this is the dairy component that seems to be most troublesome for so many people. Whilst Northern Europeans seem to tolerate lactose fairly well due to a long, long history of doing so, in other populations most people are lactose intolerant.

What does lactose intolerance mean?

Simply, this occurs when you stop making the enzyme lactase, which is required to digest lactose. Without lactase, bacteria will metabolise the lactose instead. Whilst not a serious condition, it is going to be uncomfortable and frustrating for the unwitting dairy consumer.

So what are the symptoms?

1. Symptoms are going to centre around your digestive system, so look out for:

2. Bloating

3. Gas…. Say no more

4. Crams and pains in your abdomen

5. How to put this nicely… loose bowel movements, sometimes very loose

6. Strange noises coming from your digestive system

7. In severe cases vomiting

8. Unexplained tiredness

Important to note is how soon they symptoms came on after consuming the dairy? And what type of dairy was it?

What next?

If you suspect you may be intolerant to dairy, you need to find out.

The best way to test this is by an elimination diet. No dairy whatsoever for 30 days. See how you feel, are the symptoms still there? If you've been symptom free, you can test this further by gradually introducing back in certain dairy products. I've heard some people will be fine with hard cheeses for example, but not soft cheese. Whatever you introduce, make sure it’s in isolation, and wait at least three days before bringing another dairy variable into the mix. You can experiment with raw dairy, fermented dairy, perhaps you’ll find clarified butter; ghee has a different impact on you.

Do you suspect you're dairy intolerant? Do you consume it?

Ask the Paleosphere is dairy paleo milk cheese lacto paleo-min

Ask the Paleosphere: What’s the Deal with Dairy?

2 Comments

It’s all very well reading the Paleo theory about why we should and shouldn't consume certain foods, but what I find most valuable is finding out how people actually eat – and how different foods affect them.

With over 79,000 followers on the Paleo Network’s Facebook page, it’s become a great place to ask questions. A lot of the questions I've been asking seem to resonate with a lot of people, so I thought it would be useful to share some of the questions here.

Dairy seems to be a source of a lot of controversy in the Paleo-sphere. Whenever I post about dairy, I get equally large numbers of people condemning me for mentioning it, as I do people who comment that they enjoy it regularly in their diet. I don’t agree with taking a dogmatic approach to “Paleo” – surely it’s more important to learn how you tolerate things like dairy and eat accordingly?

So when I asked my Facebook followers for their thoughts on dairy – what did they say?

Out of 218 people who left a comment, I counted 48% of people avoid dairy – and 52% of people do consume it. However, in almost all cases those who consume dairy seem to do so with quite limited constraints.

Limiting dairy

Of those who eat dairy, almost everyone said that they do so “in moderation”, with most people only eating a certain type of dairy, and avoiding others. Some of the responses included:

Fermented
Only cheese
Fermented
Yoghurt only
Raw & organic
Kerrygold butter only
Fermented full fat only
Butter & cheese minimal
Can’t do milk but eat cheese
I use cheese as a condiment on occasion
Only sour cream, aged cheese and buttah
Only raw dairy from grass-fed Jersey cattle
I can never give up fine cheese and ice cream!
Yes but only pure grass fed! Bio dynamic etc!
Only a bit in my Coffee, and only goat's milk
I love my cheese so allow a little as a treat and kefir
Butter and a very limited amount of special cheeses
Only organic butter and a tiny smidge of occasional cheese
Grassfed always – raw and local when possible. One serving a day.
I'll only ever have a tiny bit of white cheese that hasn't been processed a lot.

Why avoid it?

It seems that most of the people who avoid dairy, do so being aware that their bodies do not tolerate it well. Here are some of the reasons people gave as to why they don’t consume dairy:

No, it makes me sick
Cannot handle the casein.
My tummy doesn't tolerate it
Gives me pimples but I love it.
Gives me bloating & bad skin.
I break out with eczema and asthma.
It gives me Brain fog and belly aches!
My heart says yay, but my tummy says nay
Hot flashes stopped when dairy was eliminated!
My body does not like and it causes inflammation
Never did work well with me – since childhood.
I may love dairy, but it definitely sets off my auto immune disorders.
I dream of cheese but unfortunately the casein protein in it burns my GI tract
In very small amounts. It causes acne for me. I'm 40 and just figured this out!
Yay for me but nay for my 20 months old. Makes him as constipated as anything.
Allowed it to creep back in last year, felt crap and body composition/weight plateued.
Quitting dairy is the only thing that cured my skin condition I've had since childhood (keratosis pilarus)
I've learned the hard way after a dose of post surgery pancreatitis. It's extremely alarming that people would suffer like I have at their own hand.
I didn't worry about my normal no-dairy or no-grain for about ten days over Christmas and now my forehead and chin have lots of pimples. Yuck!

Alternatives?

Quite a few people commented on alternatives that they use instead of dairy, with the most common being:

Almond milk
Coconut milk/ cream
Coconut Yoghurt
Hazlenut milk
And, er, Soy (I think this person maybe didn't realise they were on a Paleo page?)

It’s not dairy…

There were also quite a few comments from people who only have almond milk, or eggs – and others pointing out that eggs aren't dairy – and that almonds don’t have udders…

I’d love to hear your perspective on dairy. Do you consume it – and why? Please share in the comments below. Also, if you have a question that you’d like a broader perspective on, please let me know and I’ll post it on Facebook.

Which Fats & Oils Do You Actually Use?

5 Comments

All of the Paleo blogs you read rave about Coconut oil – but is this the fat people really use? I asked the followers of my Facebook page The Paleo Network this exact question:

Which fat and oils do you use?

And with over 300 mentions of different fats and oils, guess which was the most popular?!

That’s right – Coconut Oil with 48% of all the votes!

Unsurprisingly, Olive Oil was the second most popular at almost 12%, followed by butter, Ghee, Bacon Fat, Avocado, Lard, Tallow then Duck Fat. Less popular, with a few mentions were Grape Seed Oil, Walnut, Dripping, Macadamia Oil, Chicken Fat, Hemp Oil, Oil, Rice Bran and Safflower Oil – see the full list below:

Coconut Oil 48.0%
Olive Oil 11.7%
Butter 9.0%
Ghee 7.7%
Bacon Fat 7.0%
Avocado Oil 5.3%
Lard 3.0%
Tallow 2.0%
Duck Fat 1.3%
Grape Seed Oil 1.0%
Walnut 1.0%
Dripping 0.7%
Macadamia Oil 0.7%
Chicken Fat 0.3%
Hemp Oil 0.3%
Palm Oil 0.3%
Rice Bran 0.3%
Safflower Oil 0.3%

Temperature?

A lot of people were quick to point out that they are very careful to choose their oil/ fat carefully depending on temperature (for instance, saying that they only use olive oil at low temperatures or over salads, and use coconut oil for cooking at higher temperatures)

• Organic cold pressed Coconut high temps and anything lower than 350 I use olive oil
• Coconut, ghee, bacon fat, and at low temps (like my oven roasted tomatoes) I use flavoured olive oil.
• Don't cook with olive oil at high temps!!
• Coconut oil for cooking olive oil for salads
• Don't use anything that is liquid at room temperature as when it gets heated to a certain temperature they turn into hydrogenated fat… Use anything that is solid at took temperature as the compounds are more stable… Use raw organic coconut oil or organic butter
• Coconut oil and ghee depending on what im cooking Olive Oil for salads.
• Is grape seed oil acceptable? I like it as an alternative for high temps.

Experimentation

There were also a lot of you who have a favourite oil, but expressed an interest in trying a new oil, or even rendering your own:

• I'm going to try ghee
• I might try some goose fat
• Heard of walnut but haven't tried it yet.
• I do want to try making ghee.

Quality

Quality is clearly a high priority to everyone, pretty much everyone pointed out they use grass-fed butter, or Extra Virgin Olive Oil. There were a lot of comments like this one:

• All either organic or from pastured/free range animals.

Taste

A lot of people just hate the taste of coconut oil too… it’s definitely worth trying it in different dishes, and also trying other brands. Whilst refined coconut oils don't have the coconutty taste – they are refined oils, so not ideal…

• My partner dislikes coconut flavor. Does it taste very coconutty?
• Is there a coconut oil that doesn't have a strong flavour or does all coconut oil make everything you're cooking coconut flavoured …. ?
• I don't like coconut but coconut oil doesn't really taste of it. I don't mind chicken fish or eggs with coconut oil but not red meat

The Right Fats for the Right Job

It’s clear from the poll that coconut oil dominates Paleo kitchens—but there’s a much bigger conversation to be had about fats and oils. Not all fats are created equal, and depending on how you’re cooking, storing, or sourcing them, they can either support your health or become a hidden cause of inflammation. Knowing the differences between these fats—how they behave under heat, how they’re processed, and what nutritional value they bring—is essential for a truly optimal Paleo approach.

Smoke Points: Why Temperature Matters

One of the most important factors in choosing a cooking fat is its smoke point. This is the temperature at which the oil begins to break down, releasing harmful compounds and creating a burnt or bitter taste. Oils high in polyunsaturated fats (like sunflower or safflower oil) have relatively low smoke points and are prone to oxidation, which is why they’re avoided in Paleo cooking altogether.

Coconut oil: Smoke point around 175–200°C depending on refinement. Great for medium to high heat cooking and baking.
Ghee: Very high smoke point (~250°C). Perfect for frying, sautéing, and roasting.
Olive oil: Extra virgin has a smoke point around 160–190°C. Best for drizzling over cooked foods or low-heat applications like slow roasting.
Avocado oil: Exceptionally high smoke point (up to 270°C). One of the best all-purpose fats for high-heat cooking.
Butter: Moderate smoke point (~150–175°C). Adds excellent flavour to pan-cooked dishes, but can burn easily.

Understanding when and how to use each fat can help maximise flavour and nutrient retention while avoiding the harmful effects of overheating fragile oils.

Animal Fats: Rediscovering Traditional Wisdom

In pre-industrial times, people cooked primarily with rendered animal fats—like lard, tallow, duck fat, and dripping. These fats are highly stable, rich in fat-soluble vitamins, and align well with a Paleo or ancestral eating template. Plus, they’re a sustainable choice if you’re nose-to-tail eating and rendering fats from animals you already consume.

Lard: Rendered pork fat, mild in flavour, ideal for frying or making flaky crusts (for primal pies!).
Tallow: Rendered beef fat, perfect for deep frying or roasting root vegetables.
Duck fat: Decadent and delicious, duck fat is perfect for crisping up roast potatoes or cooking greens.

When sourcing animal fats, the same rule applies: quality matters. Always choose fats from pastured or grass-fed animals to avoid residues from hormones, antibiotics, and poor diets.

Cold-Pressed vs Refined Oils

Another key distinction is how your oil is extracted. Cold-pressed or unrefined oils are mechanically pressed without heat or chemicals, preserving their nutritional integrity. Refined oils undergo high-heat and chemical processing, often bleaching, deodorising, and stripping the oil of antioxidants and flavour.

That said, some refined oils—like expeller-pressed avocado oil—are relatively stable and suitable for cooking. But in general, the more natural and less processed, the better. Choose oils in dark glass bottles to protect against oxidation, and store them in a cool, dark place to extend their shelf life.

Balancing Omega-3 and Omega-6

It’s not just about which fat, but about your overall fat profile. The modern diet is overwhelmingly skewed towards omega-6 fats (from vegetable oils and processed foods), which promote inflammation when not balanced by sufficient omega-3 intake. The Paleo diet, when followed properly, helps restore this balance by prioritising omega-3-rich foods like grass-fed meat, wild-caught fish, and certain fats like flaxseed and walnut oil (used raw).

For everyday use, prioritise monounsaturated and saturated fats like:

Coconut oil
Olive oil (for cold use)
Avocado oil
Ghee and butter (if tolerated)

And aim to limit or completely eliminate:

Soybean oil
Canola oil
Corn oil
Safflower and sunflower oils (unless cold-pressed and used raw)

Flavour, Preference & Flexibility

Let’s not forget the importance of flavour. Some fats—like coconut oil—have strong taste profiles that don’t work in every dish. This is where having multiple options can be useful. Avocado oil is nearly flavourless, making it ideal for baking or when you don’t want to affect the dish’s overall taste. Ghee has a rich, nutty flavour that complements Indian, Middle Eastern, and roasted vegetable dishes beautifully. Duck fat is luxurious but might overpower delicate ingredients.

And of course, personal preference matters. Some people simply don’t enjoy the taste of certain fats. If you’re struggling with coconut oil, try a deodorised version (but not hydrogenated), or use it in recipes with strong flavours like curry or chilli where the coconut note is less noticeable.

Rendering Your Own Fats

One of the most empowering things you can do in the kitchen is render your own fats. Not only does this ensure the quality of the fat, but it also supports a more sustainable, less wasteful way of eating. You can render tallow from beef suet, lard from pork back fat, or even chicken fat (schmaltz) from leftover skins and trimmings. Store your rendered fats in glass jars in the fridge and use them as needed—they’ll last for months.

Tips for Fat Success in a Paleo Kitchen

Rotate your fats for nutrient variety.
Use ghee or tallow for high-heat cooking like frying or roasting.
Use extra virgin olive oil or walnut oil for salad dressings and dips.
Store oils in dark bottles in a cool place to prevent rancidity.
Always avoid hydrogenated or highly processed vegetable oils.

Final Thoughts

Whether you're a coconut oil devotee or just branching out into tallow and ghee, understanding the roles of different fats can take your Paleo meals to the next level. It’s not about sticking to one “perfect” fat—it’s about matching the right fat to the job, prioritising quality, and making flavour and nutrition work together in your kitchen.

So, what fats are your go-to staples—and which are you curious to try? Let us know in the comments below!

The Paleo Guide to Cooking Oils which coconut oil olive lard tallow vegetable sunflower canola healthy-min

The Ultimate Paleo Guide to Cooking Oils

3 Comments

In the Paleo world, we’re not scared of fat. Quite the contrary – we embrace healthy fats and encourage liberal consumption. We worship the health giving properties of coconut oil, olive oil and grass fed ghee. At the same time, we understand the danger of rancid seed oils with a scarily high Omega 6 content. All the information about fats can be somewhat confusing – so do you know what oil to use, and when to use it?

Coconut Oil

My personal favourite – and perhaps the all-round king of cooking oils, coconut oil really is a product that no Paleo kitchen is complete without. It’s shelf stable, rich in healthy medium chain triglycerides and doesn’t oxidise easily. It’s perfect for using in baked goods, for frying, for roasting vegetables – or just eating by the spoonful. Many people also use it as a natural moisturiser, hair product or lip balm. It’s also been proven to have antibacterial effects and is excellent for improving your gut health, boosting your immunity and improving your metabolism. If you’d rather not stock up on lots of different oils, coconut oil has to be the first on your list.

Make sure you buy the unrefined ‘extra virgin’ kind – it’s solid at room temperature and liquid at around 24 degrees C (76F). It can be pretty expensive compared to things like olive oil, which is why I buy mine in bulk!

Ghee

Ghee always throws up a bit of confusion for us Paleo folk, not least because it’s a form of dairy and dairy isn’t part of the Paleo framework. Yes, Ghee is clarified butter – but the process that makes it removes the problematic casein and lactose content. If you don't tolerate other forms of dairy, you'll probably still be ok with ghee. I’ve recently started including it in my diet, with excellent results – and it tastes amazing too!

It has a great omega 3 : omega 6 ratio (roughly 1:1) and is rich in vitamins A, D, E and K2. It’s one of the most stable fats for cooking at high temperatures, so is great for frying and roasting. However, it is expensive, and if you can’t buy it grass fed, you’re probably better off without it altogether.

Palm Oil

Similar to coconut oil in that it is shelf stable and rich in healthy saturated fats, palm oil is generally more expensive and harder to find. It also draws about controversy because of its sustainability and the impact palm oil farming is having on Orang-utan populations. If you can find it from a verified, sustainable source, and you can afford it – then use it much as you would in coconut oil (except in baking). If you can’t, stick to the good stuff above.

Olive Oil

Probably the most popular and well known healthy oil – olive oil is one of those that you can enjoy with your conventional wisdom friends without getting into an argument about the health benefits of saturated fats. It stands up fairly well to heat, so makes a decent oil for light pan frying – but it’s much better as a dressing, drizzled liberally onto salads, meats, or used in pesto. You’ll find lots of different flavours and colours of olive oil on the shelves; just make sure you always buy ‘Extra Virgin’ and ideally organic. In my experience, the darker the colour, the tastier it will be.

Animal Fats

Animal fats are much maligned in conventional wisdom, but why so?

Avocado Oil, Walnut Oil and Macadamia Oil

Experiment with these as dressings and enjoy their unique flavours – but don’t attempt to cook with them. They’re not the most heat stable, and besides, they’re expensive so why would you want to? Buy them in dark bottles where possible to minimise oxidation.

Storage Matters: Keeping Your Oils Fresh

Even the healthiest Paleo cooking oils can become harmful if they’re stored incorrectly. Oxidation is a real issue — especially for oils that are sensitive to light, air, or heat. If your olive oil is sitting in a clear bottle by the stove, it’s probably well on its way to rancid. Make sure you always:

Store oils in dark glass bottles (or stainless steel) away from sunlight
Keep lids tightly sealed to reduce air exposure
Avoid storing oils near the oven or other heat sources
Buy smaller quantities if you don’t use oil quickly — freshness is key

As a general rule, saturated fats like coconut oil, ghee, and tallow are more stable and less prone to oxidation, whereas oils like walnut or macadamia are far more delicate.

What About Smoke Points?

If you’ve ever wondered why some oils are better for high-heat cooking while others are only suited for drizzling, it comes down to their smoke point — the temperature at which oil begins to break down and produce free radicals. Here’s a quick guide for common Paleo oils:

Oil/Fat	Approx. Smoke Point (°C)	Best Use
Coconut Oil	177–232°C	Frying, roasting, baking
Ghee	250°C	High-heat cooking, sautéing
Olive Oil (Extra Virgin)	160–190°C	Dressings, light pan-frying
Avocado Oil	270°C	Grilling, frying, searing
Tallow	200–250°C	Deep frying, roasting
Duck Fat	190°C	Roasting, shallow frying

Choosing the right oil for the right purpose isn’t just about taste — it’s also about health. When oils are overheated past their smoke point, they degrade, releasing harmful compounds and destroying beneficial nutrients.

Rendered Animal Fats: Rediscovering the Old Ways

While tallow, lard, and duck fat may have fallen out of favour during the low-fat craze of the 80s and 90s, they’re making a comeback in the Paleo community — and for good reason. These traditional fats are:

Stable at high temperatures
Rich in flavour
Loaded with fat-soluble vitamins (especially if grass-fed or pasture-raised)
Inexpensive to make at home from leftover cuts

If you roast meat regularly, don’t throw away the drippings. Strain and store them in a glass jar in the fridge — they make amazing roast potato fat or can be used in pan-frying savoury dishes. Homemade tallow (from beef) and lard (from pork) are especially good for stir-fries, frying eggs, or crisping up vegetables. Duck fat, in particular, is revered for its unmatched flavour when roasting root vegetables or making confit.

Sourcing Paleo-Friendly Oils

When buying fats and oils, the source is everything. Not all ghee is grass-fed. Not all coconut oil is cold-pressed. Not all olive oil is even real! Look for the following to get the best quality:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Cold-pressed, dark bottle, ideally Australian, Spanish, or Italian with harvest date on label
Coconut Oil: Organic, cold-pressed, virgin (avoid refined unless deodorised for a specific purpose)
Ghee: Grass-fed, cultured if possible
Tallow & Lard: Grass-fed and pasture-raised, ideally homemade from clean animal fat
Avocado & Macadamia Oils: Cold-pressed, sold in dark glass bottles, no additives

With so many oils diluted or blended with cheaper alternatives, it pays to read labels carefully. If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Flavour First: Cooking Oils as Ingredients

In Paleo cooking, oils aren’t just functional — they’re part of the recipe. Each one brings its own distinct character to a dish. Use ghee to create nutty depth in your scrambled eggs. Roast pumpkin in duck fat for a rich, velvety texture. Drizzle macadamia oil over grilled zucchini for a slightly sweet, Australian bush-tucker edge.

The secret is to match the oil to the mood. Coconut oil adds a tropical twist to curries or baked sweet potatoes, while olive oil is perfect for Mediterranean-style dishes. And if you’re lucky enough to get your hands on homemade tallow? Roast up a big tray of carrots, parsnips, and beets and let the flavour do the talking.

Summary: Choose Wisely, Cook Boldly

Fats are foundational to the Paleo diet — not feared. They provide satiety, help absorb nutrients, and bring essential flavour to our meals. By choosing heat-stable, minimally processed, nutrient-dense oils, you’ll get all the benefits without any of the downsides of modern processed fats.

Still using vegetable oil “just to finish off the bottle”? Do yourself a favour and toss it. Stock your pantry with oils that your great-grandparents would recognise — and your body will thank you.

🥥 What’s your go-to Paleo cooking fat these days? Tried duck fat on roasted cauliflower yet? Let me know what you’re cooking with in the comments below!

Is Coffee Anti-Paleo?

3 Comments

There are a lot of things that draw controversy amongst the Paleo community – High fat dairy, ‘paleo-fied’ baked goods, potatoes, white rice, and of course, coffee. Coffee is part of a daily ritual for so many people around the world, but whilst it provides many of us with the ‘get up and go’ required to face the day, many have questioned whether it fits the make-up of a successful Paleo diet.

But… Is Coffee Paleo?

Coffee is made by brewing the roasted ‘bean’, of the Coffea, or coffee tree. Whilst beans are not Paleo, the ‘coffee bean’ is technically a seed, and therefore, if we’re going to get technical, allowed. However, many commercially farmed coffee beans are often sprayed with artificial chemicals and pesticides, so if you do choose to drink coffee, it’s important that you buy organic. Many people naturally find that they no longer get the cravings for coffee they used to on a Paleo diet, as they have much more consistent energy levels throughout the day.

Granted, coffee contains antioxidants – but do we really drink it for that? It has also come in for some criticism from some very well respected health sources. A high consumption of coffee has been linked to problems with the adrenal system, sleep disturbances, and impaired insulin sensitivity. Trouble is, it’s a hard habit to break. If only there was a way to make it healthier…

Enter Bulletproof Coffee

Bulletproof Coffee TM is a brand founded by Dave Asprey, and requires a specific formula to brew. This includes specially prepared coffee beans, which are devoid of problematic mycotoxins, along with grass fed butter (or ghee) and MCT oil. Buying the specialist MCT oil can be quite expensive; so many people have taken to using coconut oil instead. The result? A creamy, delicious coffee loaded with healthy fats – which has been proven to provide an easily metabolised form of energy. It’s also supposed to be great for fat loss and minimising food cravings. If you don’t tolerate dairy well – give ghee a try instead. Ghee is stripped of all of the problematic proteins associated with dairy intolerance, so many people who struggle with other forms of dairy are perfectly fine with grass fed ghee. If it still doesn't work for you, then substitute with an extra spoonful of coconut oil.

All in all, coffee might not be as Paleo as a grass fed porterhouse steak or an organic sweet potato – but many of us accept that it is one of those ‘sensible indulgences’ we just couldn't live without. I’d recommend giving Bulletproof Coffee a try, but as with anything, it’s about what’s right for you. I’d also recommend having at least one day off drinking coffee each week, to avoid any sort of caffeine dependency.

I’d love to know, what’s your take on coffee? Are you a regular drinker? And have you tried Bulletproof Coffee, or your own version of something similar?

Recipe paleo ginger bread men gingerbread man no flour grain free gluten free-min

Festive Paleo Gingerbread Men You’ll Love

7 Comments

10 (and a Half) Ways to Add More Fat to Your Diet paleo diet LCHF low carb high fat-min

Smart Ways to Add More Healthy Fat to Your Paleo Diet

3 Comments

A big factor in my own weight loss and controlling my hunger has been increasing my fat intake. I find that when I eat more fat, I am full for far longer, don’t feel hungry, feel more energetic and have much better weight loss results.

So many foods are actually high in protein, not fat. As excess protein is converted into glucose, I'm careful to not eat more protein than I need to – which makes it even more important to increase fat intake.

Exactly how do you add more fat to your diet?

Dairy is a popular source of fat, so a key factor is how well you tolerate fat. You may be better on a strict Paleo diet, with no dairy – or on a lacto-Paleo (or Primal diet), which allows the inclusion of dairy. Weston A Price is also an approach which includes dairy. Instead of being strict about it for the sake of being strict, I think it’s far more important to learn how your body tolerates (or does not tolerate) dairy. I used to avoid all forms of dairy, recently however, I've been experimenting with dairy, specifically butter, which I’ve been eating with most of my meals. If you do decide to have dairy, make sure it’s good quality, perhaps you can have raw dairy, where you live.

Top 10 ½ ways to add more fat to your diet:

1. Avocados

Avocados are a great source of fat – and very versatile. You can eat them on their own with a spoon, or sliced up alongside your dinner. Or you can get inventive and cook a curry with avocado, or even make a smoothie or mousse with avocado.

2. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is such a good oil – and being stable at high temperatures, great to cook with. When you cook in coconut oil, be generous with your serving – and if you've cooked meat for example, pour the remaining oil over the meat before you serve it.

3. Coconut Milk

If you like the taste, coconut milk or cream is a good base for many meals and smoothies. In fact, coconut is a great source of fat generally, get some coconut flakes to snack on!

4. Animal Fats

Perhaps the best fat sources, lard, tallow, mutton fat, bacon fat and even goose fat (though careful with the omega ratio) are great to cook in.

5. Butter (and ghee)

Butter is my current favourite. I add a generous wedge of butter to all of my vegetables just before I serve them. Many of the nutritional goodness of vegetables is fat soluble, so adding fat to your veggies is a good way of making sure you get the maximum nutritious benefit. Butter can be added to almost anything – and it tastes great.

6. Olive Oil

Whilst I wouldn't cook with it, olive oil is fantastic to dress a salad in. Sprinkle on a few nuts, add a boiled egg, some meat, avocado and perhaps some cheese and you can make a big improvement to the fat content of a salad.

7. Pork Crackling

Not only does pork rind taste great, it’s another good source of fat. A word of caution though – it’s really important with pork to ensure it’s high quality – ideally pasture raised and organic.

8. Eggs

Eggs are a great fat (and protein) source. Just make sure you eat the yolk! If I make cauliflower rice I often stir in an egg just before I finish cooking it as a hidden boost.

9. Bones

Ok, so I'm not suggesting chewing on bones, but some good quality grass-fed bones make a great bone broth full of good fat.

10. Nuts

Whilst you have to be careful with nuts as they can have a poor Omega 3/ Omega 6 ratio – and they can be easy to over indulge in – they are a great fat source. I prepare a small serving of nuts to take to work with me, making sure I have a good mix to ensure I get the different nutritional benefit each type gives.

10 ½. Nut Butters

On a similar thread, nut butters such as almond, cashew and macadamia are also good, with the same note of caution about the Omega balance.

I’d love to hear your views on eating more fat. How much fat would you estimate you eat, and what are your top sources?

Why Adding More Fat to Your Paleo Diet Matters

When you're following a Paleo or LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) lifestyle, increasing your fat intake isn't just allowed — it's encouraged. Fat is a dense source of energy that helps keep you full, supports brain function, and allows for better absorption of fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K. Many people transitioning from a standard low-fat or high-carb diet find that adding more healthy fat can be a game-changer for energy levels, mood, and even weight loss.

But not all fats are created equal. That’s why focusing on nutrient-dense, whole-food sources of fat — like avocado, coconut oil, ghee, eggs, and fatty cuts of pasture-raised meat — aligns perfectly with the Paleo template.

The trick is to make small, intentional changes to each meal. Instead of trying to add a huge portion of fat all at once, think about layering it in: drizzle olive oil over roasted veggies, cook your breakfast in bacon fat, or stir some coconut milk into your post-workout smoothie. These simple shifts can make a big difference over time.

If you’re not used to a higher fat intake, build up slowly and observe how your body responds. Everyone’s tolerance and optimal levels vary — and that’s completely fine. Remember, this way of eating is about nourishing your body in a way that feels sustainable.

Are you eating enough fat on your Paleo diet? Let me know your favourite sources of healthy fat in the comments below — I’d love to try some new ideas.

Fat Isn’t the Enemy — It’s a Paleo Superpower

One of the biggest mindset shifts when going Paleo is learning to embrace fat as a friend, not a foe. For many Australians following a low-carb or ancestral diet, adding more healthy fats isn’t just about flavour — it’s about satiety, stable energy, better focus, and even improved results with fat loss and hormone health.

The key is quality over quantity. Choosing fats from grass-fed animals, wild-caught fish, unrefined oils, and whole food sources like avocado and nuts gives your body the fuel it needs — without the inflammatory load of processed seed oils or trans fats.

If you’ve been wary of increasing your fat intake, try easing it in: sauté veg in ghee, top your salad with olive oil and crushed walnuts, or blend MCT oil into your morning brew. You might be surprised just how much better you feel.

What are your go-to ways to add fat to your meals? Drop your favourites in the comments — I’d love to discover some new ideas from the community.

The Butter Guilt Trip: Is It Justified?

10 Comments

Here in Australia a commercial that I find particularly irritating, is for a brand of Margarine, MeadowLea. Their advert is centred on concerned mothers promising to switch from butter to margarine. If the product was pixelated out and the words replaced, you could easily think the mothers were pledging to give up hard drugs for the sake of their families – such is butter vilified in the advert.

The MeadowLea website explains how Saturated Fats are bad fats which increase cholesterol in the blood and should be limited. They list fatty meats, butter, chicken skin, cream, full cream milk, cheese, coconut oil and palm oil in the danger category. (I wonder how much longer until the lipid hypothesis is finally laid to rest?)

The monounsaturated and polyunsaturated categories – which they say can be included in “everyday healthy eating”, include margarine spreads, canola oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, soybean oil and cottonseed oil. So basically they pretty much recommend the complete reverse to Paleo, as you’d expect from a company making money from selling margarine.

Think of the Children!

Their new campaign is to encourage Australian families to improve their diet by swapping butter for (their brand of) margarine – and once enough people make the pledge* they will plant seed gardens in children’s hospitals in Australia.

From a corporate perspective, it’s actually a pretty smart campaign. They know mothers tend to procure the families groceries and therefore control the family diet. They also know mothers are concerned about their families’ health. Tying the campaign in with children’s hospital almost puts an extra pressure on mothers; it almost feels as though if families don’t stop eating butter, they won’t be helping out children’s hospitals – how selfish. I also think tying the campaign in with hospitals will make people subconsciously associate their choice of butter or margarine, with ill health – particularly the ill health of children. “Swap butter for margarine and we’ll build an animal rescue centre” just wouldn't have the same emotional pull, would it?

Imagine the outcry if a cigarette company promised to build hospital wards, if enough people converted their families from non-smokers to smokers? Surely there is enough information in the public domain now, for substantial objection to the health claims of a margarine manufacturer? Yet they are allowed to guilt-trip mothers into making ill-informed decisions into the nutrition of their families.

Mainly Natural Sources

In case you wondered, the ingredients for MeadlowLea are:

Vegetable Oils 65% (containing 52% Canola & Sunflower Oil), water, salt, <1% (emulsifiers (soy lecithin, 471), preservative (202), food acid (lactic)), milk solids, maltodextrin, natural colour (beta-carotene), vitamins A & D, flavour.

I'm very curious as to what the mysterious 13% of vegetable oils is, that isn't listed? Their site and labelling seem very coy on this. But hey, “99% of the ingredients in MeadowLea are from natural sources” – so it must be good! Using that logic, it must be positively healthy to add Petroleum to lunch, given that it’s a natural product from natural sources.

The typical ingredients in butter:

Cream, water.

People only seem to eat margarine because they buy into the health claims – I'm yet to hear of anyone who actually prefers the taste. Once the mainstream come to accept they've been mislead on fats, I can’t see how companies making products like margarine will be able to survive. Campaigns like this are perhaps an inevitable part of the companies’ frantic journey through the unwinding of the lipid hypothesis.

Have you seen the advert yet? Did you feel similarly irritated by it?

*If you happen to look at their website and see the number of people who have made the promise, reduce the number by one. I accidently clicked the promise button – and they don’t have a button for un-promise’s. As much as I don’t like breaking promises, this is one I will take pride in breaking – starting with lots of animal fat for dinner.

The Real History of Margarine

It’s worth taking a step back and looking at where margarine actually came from. Originally developed in the 19th century as a cheap butter alternative for the French military, margarine was never intended to be a premium or health-promoting food. Early versions were made from beef tallow and skim milk. Later, as vegetable oils became more accessible and industrial seed oil processing was developed, margarine evolved into the highly processed spread we know today.

During World War II, rationing pushed margarine into more homes, and over time, food manufacturers promoted it heavily as a modern, scientific upgrade from butter. This narrative aligned perfectly with the emerging lipid hypothesis of the mid-20th century, which incorrectly blamed saturated fat for heart disease — a claim that has since been widely challenged, if not debunked, by modern nutritional research.

So it’s rather ironic that something with such artificial roots is now sold to us as a health-conscious choice. The food industry didn’t start making margarine to improve health — they made it to maximise profits. That hasn't changed.

Understanding Industrial Seed Oils

Margarine’s primary ingredients — canola, sunflower, soybean, cottonseed, and corn oils — are all industrial seed oils. These oils are not cold-pressed or naturally extracted. Instead, they undergo intensive processing involving high heat, chemical solvents like hexane, deodorisation, and bleaching to make them palatable and shelf-stable.

This process strips the oils of any nutritional value and makes them prone to oxidation, which can cause inflammation and oxidative stress in the body. Some margarines are hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated, creating trans fats — now widely recognised as harmful and banned in many countries, though still present in trace amounts in ultra-processed foods.

Even the so-called “non-hydrogenated” versions are problematic due to their high omega-6 content. In excessive amounts, omega-6 fatty acids can promote inflammation when not balanced with omega-3s — something virtually impossible on a modern processed-food-heavy diet.

What About the Cholesterol Argument?

Many people still avoid butter due to its cholesterol and saturated fat content. However, new research has shown that dietary cholesterol has minimal impact on blood cholesterol levels for most people. In fact, the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans removed the long-standing recommendation to limit dietary cholesterol, stating it’s “not a nutrient of concern for overconsumption.”

Moreover, saturated fat plays a vital role in hormone production, brain function, and the integrity of cell membranes. Demonising it based on outdated and flawed studies does a disservice to those trying to make informed decisions about their health. Naturally occurring fats from quality animal sources — including butter — provide fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K2, all essential for long-term health.

Why Butter is the Ancestral Fat

Butter has been a staple fat in traditional diets around the world for centuries. Whether it’s clarified into ghee in Indian cuisine or simply churned from raw cream in Europe, butter is as close to a whole food as you can get in the fat category. It’s naturally rich in nutrients, especially when sourced from grass-fed animals.

Grass-fed butter contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which has been linked to fat loss and improved metabolic health. It also boasts higher levels of vitamin K2, a nutrient critical for directing calcium to the bones and teeth, rather than soft tissues like arteries. None of these benefits exist in margarine — and they certainly weren’t added by MeadowLea.

Marketing Over Meaning

What’s perhaps most concerning is how much sway food marketing continues to have over public health narratives. Colourful labels, wellness buzzwords, and emotionally manipulative ad campaigns often distract consumers from the actual ingredient list. It becomes about what a product represents — not what it is.

The butter guilt trip plays into fears and outdated science, instead of empowering families to embrace real food. Encouraging parents to swap a traditional fat like butter for an industrial spread based on flawed cholesterol science isn’t just misleading — it’s irresponsible.

Choosing Health Over Hype

If you’re still unsure whether to choose butter or margarine, here’s a simple way to decide: look at what your great-grandparents would have eaten. Margarine didn’t exist in their kitchens — butter, tallow, lard and other traditional fats did. These fats have stood the test of time. They didn’t need health claims or hospital tie-ins to be considered food — they just were.

So rather than being guilted into giving up butter, perhaps we should be questioning how margarine ever gained such a health halo in the first place. Health is not found in chemically altered, plastic-like spreads — it’s found in nutrient-dense, minimally processed foods that our bodies recognise and thrive on.

🧈 Have you made the switch back to real fats like butter? Do you notice a difference in how you feel? I'd love to hear your story in the comments below!

Another Margarine or Butter “Health” Article

4 Comments

I was reading the Summer 2012 edition of “Woman’s Weekly Health” earlier, when I came across this double page spread debating whether Margarine or Butter is better for your health. Fighting the corner for butter was a cook, Fran Abdallaoui. Arguing the case for margarine was Barbara Eden, Nutrition Manager at National Heart Foundation of Australia. I'm not sure how pitching a cook against a nutritionist (especially one representing the national heart foundation) is a balanced debate. I don’t think they want their readers to side with butter, do you?

Eden says “It comes down to your health and that’s the main factor your (SIC) considering when choosing between margarine and butter, there’s really no choice to make”. She also tells readers that “A regular butter is made up of… more than four per cent trans fat”, which I find frustratingly misleading, since natural, completely inert trans fats – as found in animal products – are completely different to the harmful trans fats found in many processed foods.

This is all because Eden believes “It’s the saturated fat and trans fat in our food supply that elevates your blood cholesterol levels which increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, and that’s one of the leading causes of death in Australia”

The article also adds “there is the convenience factor of the immediately spreadable product with a longer shelf life” as another reason we should go for margarine instead of butter. Well, using that argument, shouldn't we all have frozen pizza for dinner – it’s a lot more convenient and has a far longer shelf life than whole food…

In a “health” magazine, readers are going to place much more confidence in a nutritionist (especially one representing the national heart foundation) than they would a cook. If they really want to present a debate, surely they should present both sides, equally? Or better still, finally run an article about how wrong they've had it for the past few decades. I must stop reading “health” magazines – they raise my cortisol levels more than almost anything else and that’s definitely not good for my health!

Butter vs Margarine: Looking Beyond the Label

At face value, it seems like a simple choice — opt for the spread that has fewer saturated fats and a longer shelf life, right? But when you dig deeper into the origins, composition, and long-term health implications of both butter and margarine, it’s anything but simple. And yet, mainstream media continues to present the argument in binary terms, usually casting margarine as the sensible, science-backed choice and butter as an indulgent relic of a less informed era. Let’s dismantle that narrative.

The Origins of Margarine: A Processed Solution

Margarine was invented in the 1800s as a cheap substitute for butter. Over time, it became a Frankenstein’s monster of hydrogenated oils, colourants, emulsifiers, and synthetic vitamins — all engineered to resemble butter while undercutting it in cost. Early margarine was rich in industrial trans fats, which numerous studies have since linked to inflammation, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular disease.

Even though many manufacturers have reduced or removed trans fats in modern margarine, the product is still made by highly processing seed oils, often through chemical extraction and deodorisation — not something your great-grandmother would have recognised as food. In contrast, butter is made by churning cream. That’s it.

The Demonisation of Saturated Fat

One of the pillars of margarine’s marketing success lies in the demonisation of saturated fat. For decades, saturated fat was blamed for rising heart disease rates, based largely on flawed observational studies. Yet more recent research, including meta-analyses, has challenged this narrative. The relationship between saturated fat and heart disease is not as clear-cut as once believed.

Butter contains saturated fat, yes. But it also offers conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K2 (especially from grass-fed sources), and a natural fatty acid profile that humans have consumed for millennia. Margarine, by contrast, may be artificially fortified, but it simply doesn’t compare in terms of nutrient bioavailability or synergy.

The Role of Seed Oils in Inflammation

Many margarine products are made using vegetable oils such as canola, soybean, and sunflower oil. These are rich in omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). While omega-6 is an essential fatty acid, excessive intake relative to omega-3 can tip the balance toward systemic inflammation — a key player in many chronic diseases.

Modern diets are heavily skewed toward omega-6, thanks to the widespread use of industrial seed oils in processed foods. Butter, on the other hand, offers a more balanced fatty acid profile, with less potential for disrupting the body’s natural inflammatory responses.

Marketing vs Real Nutrition

The margarine vs butter debate often hinges on one key phrase: “heart healthy”. That label has been stamped on numerous low-fat, processed products over the years — many of which are far from nourishing. The real question is: who decides what qualifies as heart healthy?

Organisations like the Heart Foundation have historically relied on industry funding and outdated dietary guidelines. Their views on fat have slowly evolved, but they remain rooted in a model that favours products fitting a certain nutritional profile on paper — low saturated fat, high unsaturated fat — without always considering the real-world impact of ultra-processed replacements.

Whole Food Wins Every Time

If your primary goal is health, it’s hard to beat food in its natural state. Butter is a whole food — minimally processed, nutrient-rich, and easily recognisable as such. Margarine, no matter how it’s reformulated, remains a product of food science — not nature. This matters.

Our bodies evolved consuming fats from animals and plants in their natural form. Introducing chemically altered versions designed for cost-efficiency or shelf life doesn’t support optimal health. In fact, it raises a bigger question: how many chronic diseases are driven not by dietary fat itself, but by the kind of fat we’re consuming?

Butter in the Context of a Balanced Paleo Diet

For those following a Paleo-inspired approach, the choice between butter and margarine is crystal clear. While strict Paleo purists may exclude dairy altogether, many modern interpretations include ghee (clarified butter) due to its lactose-free profile and traditional roots.

Butter from grass-fed cows can be a fantastic source of nutrients — and it supports satiety, hormone production, and fat-soluble vitamin absorption. Used in moderation, it can be part of a deeply nourishing, anti-inflammatory way of eating. Compare that to margarine, which serves no purpose other than to mimic something better than itself.

Why Butter Is Still Under Fire

So why do health magazines and public health campaigns still push margarine? It often comes down to lingering dogma, commercial interests, and an unwillingness to challenge outdated paradigms. Once a narrative takes hold — “saturated fat equals heart disease” — it’s remarkably difficult to reverse, even in the face of new evidence.

It also doesn’t help that margarine is often cheaper and more profitable than butter, especially at scale. It’s easier to mass-produce, tweak to hit target fat ratios, and promote as part of heart-healthy “lite” diets. But none of those factors make it the better nutritional choice.

Don’t Be Fooled by Convenience

Convenience is another red herring in this debate. Sure, margarine spreads straight from the fridge and lasts for months, but that’s not a good enough reason to consume something that may compromise long-term health. Butter may require a bit of softening before spreading, but it’s a small trade-off for something real.

Real food isn’t always the most convenient option. Neither is prioritising your health. But when the long-term benefits include reduced inflammation, better metabolic health, and a lower toxic load, it’s hard to argue that convenience should win.

The Bottom Line

The truth is, no matter how “improved” margarine becomes, it will always be a product designed to imitate something nature got right the first time. Butter, especially when made from the milk of healthy, pasture-raised cows, is a naturally nourishing fat with a track record spanning centuries.

Rather than buying into a narrow, fear-driven debate about saturated fat, let’s zoom out. The real issue isn’t about butter vs margarine. It’s about real food vs ultra-processed food. It’s about tuning out the noise of marketing and trusting what our bodies have thrived on for generations.

So next time you find yourself reading a health magazine that sings the praises of margarine, remember this: just because something spreads easily, doesn’t mean it should be spread on your toast.

Margarine or Butter paleo diet primal health nutrition-min

Margarine or Butter? Seriously?

14 Comments

I couldn't help myself. I read through October's Issue of “Good Health” magazine today. Our ideas on what constitutes good health couldn't be much further apart.

I thought conventional wisdom was starting to come round to realising that natural, animal fat maybe isn't so bad after all. Clearly not.

So, let's compare the ingredients: –

Butter

Cream

Margarine (this example is Flora)

Water
vegetable oils (including sunflower oil) (so other vegetable oils are also in the mix, with a high omega 6 ratio)
plant sterol esters (12.5%) (this is an additive that reduces cholesterol, but interferes with absorption of fat soluble vitamins & hormones)
modified tapioca starch, salt (1.0%) (this is a chemically altered thickener)
buttermilk
Emulsifiers: Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, sunflower lecithin
Preservative: Potassium sorbate, citric acid, vitamin E, flavouring (often synthetic chemicals), vitamin B6, folic acid
Colour: Beta carotene, Vitamins A, D and B12

So, this article specifically mentions trans fats. Well, as Julianne Taylor clearly explains, “trans fat free” margarine doesn't sound too great either. And as for the trans fat in butter – natural trans fats are created in the stomachs of ruminants (like cows) – and have a completely different fatty acid profile to trans fats found in artificial foods. A lot of evidence suggests that these natural trans fats may actually be beneficial.

The Real Food Argument: Why Butter Still Wins

After comparing the minimalist ingredients of butter with the lengthy, chemical-laden list in margarine, the choice becomes glaringly obvious. Butter is a real, whole food. Margarine, on the other hand, is a synthetic product engineered to mimic something natural — and not very successfully at that.

What’s often overlooked in mainstream advice is that real food doesn’t need a health claim. Butter doesn’t come with flashy packaging or boast cholesterol-lowering promises — it simply nourishes. And unlike margarine, which is manufactured using industrial seed oils, butter comes from cream that has been churned, traditionally from pastured, grass-fed cows. No solvents, no mystery additives — just a natural fat that has been part of the human diet for thousands of years.

The Trouble With Plant Sterols

One of the most celebrated features of many margarine brands is the inclusion of plant sterol esters. These are promoted as heart-healthy due to their ability to lower LDL cholesterol. But here’s the catch: reducing cholesterol isn’t inherently a good thing. Cholesterol is essential for hormone production, brain function, and cell repair.

By interfering with cholesterol absorption, plant sterols may also impair the absorption of critical fat-soluble vitamins — like A, D, E and K2 — all of which play vital roles in immune function, bone health, and cellular metabolism. So, while margarine may lower a single biomarker, it may compromise broader health in the process.

Omega-6 Overload: The Inflammatory Downside

Most margarine products rely heavily on vegetable oils such as sunflower, soybean, and canola. These oils are high in omega-6 fatty acids — fats that are essential in small amounts but easily overconsumed in the modern diet. When omega-6 intake exceeds omega-3 intake by a wide margin (as is common today), it can tip the body into a chronic inflammatory state.

This imbalance has been associated with conditions such as cardiovascular disease, arthritis, and autoimmune disorders. Butter, especially from grass-fed cows, contains a more balanced fatty acid profile, including a small amount of omega-3 and beneficial saturated fats.

Natural Saturated Fat vs. Artificial Ingredients

Saturated fat continues to be demonised in many mainstream publications, yet the science behind this vilification has always been shaky. The human body is well adapted to using saturated fat as an energy source. It’s stable at high temperatures, which makes it ideal for cooking, and it supports structural integrity in cell membranes.

Meanwhile, margarine's complex cocktail of emulsifiers, thickeners, preservatives and colourings offers nothing that the body recognises as food. Rather than being metabolised and utilised, many of these synthetic additives must be processed and detoxified by the liver — a completely unnecessary burden for the body to carry.

What About the Vitamins Added to Margarine?

It’s true that margarine is often fortified with vitamins — but this is only because the original product has little to no nutritional value. These added nutrients are typically synthetic and may not be well absorbed. Butter, on the other hand, is a rich natural source of vitamins A, D, E, and K2 — especially when produced from grass-fed cows grazing on pasture.

These fat-soluble vitamins work synergistically. For example, vitamin D helps regulate calcium levels, while vitamin K2 ensures calcium is deposited in bones, not arteries. This delicate interaction is part of the brilliance of real food — something a laboratory simply cannot replicate.

Butter and CLA: The Unexpected Bonus

Butter from grass-fed cows is also one of the best dietary sources of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a type of fatty acid that has been linked to anti-inflammatory benefits, improved insulin sensitivity, and even fat loss in some studies. CLA is another naturally occurring fat that you won’t find in margarine.

Moreover, butter contains butyrate — a short-chain fatty acid that supports gut health, reduces inflammation in the digestive tract, and plays a role in energy metabolism. Once again, real food provides additional benefits that go far beyond calories and fat percentages.

Cooking With Confidence

If you've been cooking with margarine out of habit or perceived health benefits, it may be time to revisit your pantry. Butter, tallow, ghee, coconut oil and duck fat are all excellent for high-heat cooking and sautéing. They’re not only more stable and resistant to oxidation, but they also add delicious flavour and richness to dishes.

In contrast, cooking with margarine or vegetable oils can create harmful compounds when heated, including aldehydes and other oxidation products — particularly dangerous when reused or exposed to high temperatures.

Don’t Fear Real Food

The shift from butter to margarine was born out of 20th-century nutritional dogma, not long-term evidence. As more studies revisit the impact of dietary fats, it’s becoming clear that traditional fats like butter deserve a place back on our tables.

A Paleo perspective encourages you to ask better questions — not just “Is this food low in fat?” but “Is this food real?” and “How has it been processed?” When you answer those questions honestly, butter emerges as the clear winner.

Making the Switch

If you’re ready to replace margarine with butter in your everyday cooking, here are a few ideas to get started:

Spread it on veggies: Melt a knob of butter over steamed broccoli, carrots or zucchini for added richness and nutrients.
Bake with it: Use butter in your Paleo baking instead of margarine or vegetable oil for better flavour and stability.
Cook eggs in it: Scrambled or fried eggs taste infinitely better when cooked in butter or ghee.
Try ghee: If you’re sensitive to dairy proteins, ghee (clarified butter) is a great alternative that retains the benefits without the casein or lactose.

Final Thought: Margarine Has Had Its Day

Margarine was born from an industrial need and kept alive by outdated nutritional advice. Butter, by contrast, is a time-honoured, nutrient-dense fat that has earned its place in the kitchen. So next time you see a health magazine promoting the latest “heart-healthy” spread, take it with a grain of salt — and maybe a pat of grass-fed butter too.

Margarine, seriously?