Is Butter Healthier Than Margarine?

Short answer: The selected soft spread is 60% fat, not every margarine. It has less saturated fat than unsalted butter. Check current packaging for fat level and partially hydrogenated oils; this older composition record cannot establish the ingredients of a current brand.

Selected foods: Butter and Soft vegetable-oil spread, 60% fat, salted. These specific preparations are compared below.

Which to pick for your goal

If you want	Better pick	The numbers
Fewer calories	Margarine	533 kcal vs 717 kcal per 100 g
Less saturated fat	Margarine	12 g vs 51 g per 100 g
Less salt	Butter	0 g vs 1.5 g per 100 g
More omega-3	Margarine	about 2,670 mg plant omega-3 (ALA) per 100 g
Overall (Nutri-Score)	Margarine	D vs E

Small differences count as a tie: a few calories or a few tenths of a gram won't change your day.

Nutrition side by side, per 100 g

Per 100 g	Butter	Margarine
Calories	717 kcal	533 kcal
Protein	0.9 g	0.2 g
Fat	81 g	60 g
incl. saturated	51 g	12 g
Total carbohydrates	0.1 g	0.9 g
incl. sugars	0.1 g	0 g
incl. fiber	0 g	0 g
Salt	0 g	1.5 g
Omega-3	—	2670 mg ALA
Nutri-Score	E	D

Rounded values from exact USDA records (see * Data and sources below). Different brands, cuts and recipes can have different values. Diary food cards and the alternative versions below retain their own typical recipes.

For the same amount: 50 g

Equal amount	Butter	Margarine
Calories	359 kcal	267 kcal
Protein	0.4 g	0.1 g
incl. saturated	25 g	6.1 g
incl. sugars	0 g	0 g
incl. fiber	0 g	0 g

In a typical serving

One serving	Butter	Margarine
Serving	on bread, 10 g (0.4 oz)	on bread, 10 g (0.4 oz)
Calories	72 kcal	53 kcal
Protein	0.1 g	0 g
Saturated fat	5.1 g	1.2 g
Easy walking to burn it*	23 min	17 min

* For a 70 kg (154 lb) person; the app works it out for your weight and your activities.

Portion size usually moves the numbers more than the choice between two similar foods: a heaping serving of the “healthier” one can easily outweigh a modest serving of the other.

Other versions: typical diary estimates

The first two rows repeat the selected USDA records; other rows are typical diary estimates, without an exact source-record match. The cut, fat level or recipe can change the result. Per 100 g:

Per 100 g	Calories	Protein	Sat. fat	Sugars	Nutri-Score
Butter	717	0.9 g	51 g	0.1 g	E
Margarine	533	0.2 g	12 g	0 g	D
Olive oil	884	0 g	14 g	0 g	B
Rapeseed (canola) oil	884	0 g	7.4 g	0 g	B

*Data and sources

Butter, without salt — USDA FDC 173430 (SR Legacy; published 4/1/2019).
Margarine-like, vegetable oil spread, 60% fat, tub, with salt — USDA FDC 173582 (SR Legacy; published 4/1/2019).

Retrieved 2 October 2026. USDA composition is per 100 g; drink values per 100 ml use the record’s measured household weight, with the USDA customary cup of 236.6 ml. Displayed cup servings remain 240 ml. Carbohydrate includes fiber on this US site; salt is sodium × 2.5. The food records are historical reference values, not current brand guarantees.

WHO guideline on free sugars: honey, syrups and fruit-juice sugars count as free sugars. WHO guideline on saturated and trans fats: consider replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat.

FAQ

Which has fewer calories, butter or margarine?

Margarine: 533 kcal vs 717 kcal per 100 g. In a typical serving that's 72 kcal for butter (on bread, 10 g) and 53 kcal for margarine (on bread, 10 g).

Is butter or margarine better for weight loss?

No single food makes you gain or lose weight — the day's total does. Gram for gram, margarine is the lighter pick (533 kcal vs 717 kcal per 100 g). The portion usually matters more: a typical serving of butter (on bread, 10 g) is 72 kcal, of margarine (on bread, 10 g) 53 kcal.

Which is better for your heart, butter or margarine?

On saturated fat, the nutrient heart-health guidelines ask us to limit, margarine comes out ahead: 12 g vs 51 g per 100 g. It's also worth watching salt: butter has less (0 g vs 1.5 g per 100 g).

Does this comparison apply to every brand or recipe?

No. The main table uses the two specific USDA foods named and linked on this page. Fat level, ingredients, trimming, cooking and water content can change the result. Use the same amount for a fair comparison and check the label for the product you actually eat.

Log it and see your day

In Calories Not Count every food gets a Nutri-Score grade, a sugar–salt–fat–fiber traffic light, fair same-calorie swaps and the minutes of movement it costs for your weight and your activities — no scale needed. Goals like lower sugar, more protein or more omega-3 can be set in the diary, and swaps there are ranked for that goal.