Vegan...Butter or Margarine?

Question

I was wondering does anyone know what the difference from butter and margarine is? & Is margarine vegan or something.. or does anyone know any brand of vegan butter at Wal-Mart? =]] Thank u!

Answer 1

I've never seen it at uncle Wally's but EarthBalance is worth hunting down!
If you have to buy at the big box check the label on squeeze Parkay and the light Parkay sticks. At least some of that stuff is accidentally vegan, but it depends on which factory made it.
A lot of Wal-Marts have Spectrum, but unless you're really desperate stay away!
It's been years since I've seen vegan Bluebonnet and Nucoa has a *nasty* habit of switching ingredients on their production lines so that the label on the sticks inside the box has different ingredient lists that what's shown on the outside of the box! Often the label on the stick will show dairy ingredients, D-3 and/or fish oil!!! The company that owns the brand appears to not actually make it, but instead has it made by other companies under license; that would explain why ingredients differ.

Answer 2

Earth Balance, Blue Bonnet, and Nucoa are three vegan margarines. While Blue Bonnet and Nucoa contain hydrogenated oils (trans fats), Earth Balance contains none of that. It's more expensive, but it's healthier and it actually tastes better.

Before I became a vegan, I bought only butter and never touched margarine. Yuck, it tastes terrible! I asked people here in Answers what a good margarine would be, but one that doesn't taste so awful. People suggested Earth Balance, and you know, they were right.

Keep in mind, this is not Smart Balance, that stuff is awful! This is Earth Balance, usually found in the refrigerated soy foods section. (At least that's where Ralph's keeps it.)

Answer 3

Margarine is a synthetic butter (butter is dairy).

Oddly however, many margarines contain butter... or cream or mono&diglycerides (animal fat.)

The best thing you can do is to read labels. Also, if you are having trouble finding a margarine, email the compainies and ask about their mono&di's. Many compaines are switching over to vegetable ones instead of animal because they have found it is cheaper. I have always gotten prompt responses to my questions.

I don't know if it is a Giant Eagle specific brand, but Value Time is vegan and costs only 40cents for 4-sticks. Oftentimes generic brands don't use animal ingredients.
You can find margerines that are labeled "vegan," but they are often more expensive; it's better to find accidentally vegan brands.

:)

Answer 4

Butter, of course, is not vegan---coming from cream. Some people think it is very unhealthy because of the cholesterol, but actually, in moderation, it is less bad for you than most margarine.
Margarine can be really terrible for your health--- much worse than butter-- if it has hydrogenated oils. Most ordinary margarine does--- You can buy some kinds in a health food store that do not. They are generally not as firm as the other kinds, because that's what the hydrogenation does--hardens the oils. But that also makes it stick to your arteries, and it is much harder for the body to get rid of than the natural fats found in butter, etc.

Answer 5

I recommend Earth Balance, but it's not likely to be found at Wal-Mart. I bet you can find Smart Balance Light Buttery Spread with Flax Oil (Its got to be the one with Flax Oil). I find that its a little better than the other margarines and is my second choice next to Earth Balance.

Answer 6

Butter is made from milk (generally cow´s) and margarine is made from vegetable oil. Vegetable oil is liquid so to stay hard it must go through a process that forms Tran-acids which are bad for you health. If you are vegan I guess you care for your health so look for margarine that say "free of trans-acids". And if you want to loose weight keep away from both.

Answer 7

Earth Balance is vegan and better then any other margarine in my opinion.

Answer 8

Butter is not vegan because it's derived from milk. Margarine may or may not be depending on whether animal products such as milk, animal derived vitamins etc. are in it.

Answer 9

There are vegan margarines. They do not have whey, butter or other dairy products in it. I do not know which would be at your WalMart.

Answer 10

Actually, margarine is made from herring fat, which involves the killing of herring. This is not vegetarian nor vegan. However, butter is made just from cows milk, which is vegetarian but not vegan. If you want a true vegan spread, try soy butter.