Butter vs Coconut Oil page

[GaTo]

Just a quick question guys. I noticed the majority of the board tends to be a big supporter of Coconut Oil. To me it's alright but I much better prefer the taste of some nice salted sweet cream butter.

My question is am I hurting myself in the long run by making butter (with two ingredients sweetcream, salt) as a staple of my diet when it comes to cooking my meals. Or is butter one of those oils that don't do well with heat?

I'm willing to make the transition to Coco oil but if i'm not hurting myself with the butter then why make a change?

Also my goal is to drop some body fat (don't know if that changes anyones arguments)

thanks in advance,

-Gato

[shannon]

i used to use butter on EVERYTHING. i lost lots of weight also. it is one of the most nourishing foods out there. i switched to coconut oil recently and actually gained a few lbs. at first. eventually my metabolism caught up and i started losing again. i only gave up butter because i noticed that dairy just wasn't right for me anymore(post nasal drip, increased seasonal allergies etc.). that doesn't mean that it's not beneficial to others that can tolerate it. when you eat fat you will lose fat. cooking with butter is okay because it is very stable. check out nourishing traditions or eat fat lose fat by sally fallon. this lady has loads to say when it comes to healthy fats. it's your choice, but honestly i'd use both oils for cooking. you can get raw coconut oil by nutiva if it's the taste. for some reason the raw oil tastes a lot like butter and not coconut. kinda weird, huh? i'll use the reg. virgin oil if i want to add it to recipes where a coconut flavor would be good.

[PMAC]

I use both since both have great properties (assuming you are using grass fed butter). Alternate between the two and you get the best of both worlds.

[Grol]

I prefer butter but I make clarified butter for a higher smoke point. Regular butter has a pretty low smoke point. I am trying to get used to coconut oil and I like it for some uses, but it ain't butter when it come to flavor.

[cerebelumsdayoff]

Try making ghee. Its butter with all the milk solids removed. That way, you get a great tasting fat that is free of any dairy and even a higher smokin point than butter. Did i mentiom its delicious? I use both ghee and coconut oil depending on mood amd dish.

And save your bacon fat whenever possible!

[Darrin]

Butter is awesome! I eat great heaps of it. But it isn't so great for high-heat cooking. (I'm sure you've seen the milk solids turn brown when they've been heated too high.) For these times, coconut oil, lard, or ghee is best.

[maba]

If you are not intolerant to dairy, use butter. Throw in CO for variety and for the medium-chain triglycerides it contains. But I second the suggestion of making ghee/ clarified butter - pure fat with all the milk proteins removed. I *heart* ghee and to think that I'd been deliberately avoiding it all my adult life (as kids, my mom made sure we ate lots of ghee!) to avoid CVD makes me want to slap myself!

[Katie82]

I use both and I often mix them together in the pan.

[say_rahhh]

I'm partial to butter too. I will eat a spoonful of coconut oil just fine, or add it to a version of tuna salad or something, but I just don't think the coconut flavor would go well with eggs or my meaty dishes.

And about ghee.........am I the ONLY one who does not like the taste? I was stoked to try it but I bought a little jar at WF and, well, I think it tastes like rancid butter. And, no, I don't think it is actually rancid. In my fridge it sits....

[GaTo]

I keep seeing that word ghee... What does it stand for and how do you make it?