Butter

Butter contains at least 82% fat, about 16% water and traces of protein and lactose. Per 100 g that works out to roughly 750 kcal, 83 g of fat, 0.7 g of protein and 0.6 g of carbohydrate, with no fibre at all. It is almost purely a fat food, one of the most calorie-dense items in your fridge, at 9 kcal per gram of fat.

More than half of that fat is saturated, around 50 g per 100 g, along with some cholesterol. Butter also supplies vitamin A, a little vitamin E and vitamin D, as well as butyric acid, a short-chain fatty acid typical of dairy fat. These micronutrients do not justify eating a lot, but they explain its taste and nutritional appeal at small doses.

Unsalted butter contains less than 0.5% salt, lightly salted butter between 0.5 and 3%, and salted butter more than 3%. For everyday cooking and baking, unsalted lets you control the seasoning, which matters if you watch your sodium. Lightly salted is pleasant on toast, but its salt adds to your daily total.

Light butter, at around 41 to 65% fat depending on the product, contains more water: it melts poorly and suits spreading best. Clarified butter, or ghee, has had its water and proteins removed and tolerates high temperatures better. Always pick an 82% fat butter for cooking and baking, and check the label.

Butter starts smoking around 150 to 175 °C because its proteins and lactose brown and then burn. Blackened butter tastes bitter and forms unwanted compounds. To sear meat or fish over high heat, prefer clarified butter, olive or rapeseed oil, or add the butter at the end of cooking for flavour.

For sauces, gentle pan cooking, scrambled eggs and steamed vegetables, a small knob is enough to bring flavour. In site recipes such as beef lasagna, the béchamel classically relies on butter, flour and milk: measure the amount instead of adding it by eye, because a few extra grams quickly change the calorie total.

When bulking, butter is an easy way to add calories to a dish without adding volume: 10 g is roughly 75 kcal. A knob in rice, pasta or potatoes can help you reach your surplus, provided the rest of your diet stays rich in protein, carbohydrate and whole foods.

When cutting, however, you must weigh it: a 5 g teaspoon is 37 kcal, but a generous layer on toast quickly passes 15 g, meaning over 110 hidden kcal. Do not ban it on principle, simply reduce the dose or sometimes swap it for olive oil. Its protein contribution is negligible: it does nothing for your muscle goal.

Butter is rich in saturated fat, which official guidance suggests keeping below 10% of total calories. Eaten in small amounts within a varied diet it is not dramatic; the real problem is the accumulation of fatty products, processed meats and industrial dishes. Replacing part of the butter with unsaturated plant oils is a favourable choice.

If you have high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease or a family history, discuss your intake with your doctor. For a healthy athlete, what matters is the overall picture: fibre, oily fish, vegetables, olive oil and measured amounts. A good-quality butter used sparingly has its place, without guilt.

Keep butter in the fridge, well wrapped, because it absorbs odours easily. An opened block keeps several weeks if protected from air and light. You can also freeze it for up to six months in portions. Butter turns rancid with time: a sour smell or sharp taste means it should be thrown out.

To spread easily, take out the day's portion a little before the meal instead of leaving the whole block at room temperature. Choose a butter made from pasteurised cream, with a clear date and identified origin. Also do not confuse it with peanut or almond butters: they have a different nutritional profile, much richer in protein.

On the site, several recipes such as the oat, banana and peanut butter porridge, the banana and peanut butter protein smoothie or the banana and peanut butter toast use peanut butter, not dairy butter. Peanut butter supplies around 25 g of protein per 100 g and mostly unsaturated fats, whereas dairy butter is almost protein-free.

In banana and whey overnight oats or in a mass-gainer shake, you do not need to add dairy butter: the oats, milk and banana already deliver the energy. Keep butter for savoury dishes and gentle cooking, and choose peanut butter when you want calories, protein and satiety at once.