Earth Balance buttery spreads have been on the plant-based market scene for a little while now and are readily available in both the tubs and now the buttery sticks that are targeted at meeting your baking needs…but how exactly do they stack up?? Let’s take a peak…
Taste Experience
If you’ve had Earth Balance from the tub, you can expect the same rich buttery flavor you’ve come to love. We already know that the tub of Earth Balance melts incredibly well on toast and spreads on room temperature foods too without getting hard butter globs on your food. The tubs come in multiple flavors like soy free, organic, European style, and original however the vegan Earth Balance sticks only come in the original, one flavor.
Now…when it comes to baking, we couldn’t tell a difference between the Earth Balance sticks and the Earth Balance tubs – the only difference is that with the sticks measuring out is easy to do when it comes to your baking needs! The Earth Balance vegan butter sticks brown, melt, and have all of the same chemical properties as butter in baking.
The Earth Balance vegan butter sticks may also be helpful for you if you are watching your calories as it is easy to see how much you are consuming, tablespoon by tablespoon. Check out Earth Balance Buttery Spread Sticks HERE.
Nutrition
Each tablespoon of Earth Balance Original Spread contains 100 calories from fat (after all, it is a buttery spread). There are no carbohydrates and no protein as it’s purely an oil/fat product with 11 grams of total fat. There are 3 grams of saturated fat, 2.5 grams of polyunsaturated fat, and 5 grams of monounsaturated fat. Now…what does all of that mean??
Well first – let’s take a look at the oil blend…palm fruit, canola, soybean, flax, and olive oils.
Monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fats are considered healthier than saturated fat and trans fat. Both mono and poly fats are liquid at room temperature and harden when cold – so think the canola and olive oils primarily in the Earth Balance Buttery Spreads. The flax and soybean oils would also be good sources of the mono and poly fats while the palm fruit is the primary source of the 3 grams of saturated fat per serving.
Speaking of fats, there are many vegans who do not consume palm fruit as it has been known to be disruptive and destructive to the rain forests. Because of this, many people following a vegan lifestyle would choose an alternative buttery spread. However, many people who simply eat vegetarian or vegan to include more plant-based foods in their diet, could consume and enjoy Earth Balance Buttery Spreads.
There is salt added to Earth Balance buttery spread and in one tablespoon, you’ll find 105mg sodium which is a considerable amount but would be comparable to salted butter which has about 90mg f sodium per tablespoon. Some people will find that it tastes salty but we find that the saltiness complements the rich creaminess of the fat. If you like salted butter, you’ll love Earth Balance Buttery Spread as a vegan, plant-based alternative.
In case you are curious, this is the nutrition panel and ingredient list for the plant-based, vegan buttery spread. I will also put the ingredients for the original spread below if the picture is too difficult to see for anyone.
Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread Ingredients:
NATURAL OIL BLEND (PALM FRUIT, CANOLA, SOYBEAN, FLAX, AND OLIVE OILS), FILTERED WATER, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF PURE SALT, NATURAL FLAVOR (PLANT DERIVED FROM CORN, NO MSG, NO ALCOHOL, NO GLUTEN), PEA PROTEIN, SUNFLOWER LECITHIN, LACTIC ACID (NON-DAIRY), AND NATURALLY EXTRACTED ANNATTO FOR COLOR.
Parting Thoughts
Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread Sticks are a great vegan, plant-based alternative to butter when it comes to your baking needs. If you like using sticks for precise measurements in your breads, cookies, or even just in your sautés, Earth Balance Buttery Spread Sticks are a great choice. They melt well, taste a bit salty like a lightly salted butter and is ultra creamy, rich and smooth made from plant-based ingredients. Find Earth Balance Buttery Spreads HERE.
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