Is Butter Healthier Than Margarine?

Short answer: No — a modern soft spread usually wins on saturated fat. The margarine spread in our base has about 17 g of saturated fat per 100 g versus 53 g in butter, and fewer calories. Butter's advantage is a short ingredient list; if you use it, use a thin layer.

Nutrition side by side

Per 100 g	Butter	Margarine
Calories	748 kcal	544 kcal
Protein	0.5 g	0.3 g
Fat	82 g	60 g
incl. saturated	53 g	17 g
Carbohydrates	0.8 g	0.8 g
incl. sugars	0.8 g	0.5 g
Fiber	0 g	0 g
Salt	0.1 g	0.9 g
Nutri-Score	E	E

Rounded averages from food composition tables (USDA FoodData Central and others) for the foods as eaten; brands and recipes vary.

Which wins, and when

Less energy: Margarine — 204 kcal less per 100 g than butter.
Less saturated fat: Margarine — 36 g less per 100 g than butter.
Less salt: Butter — 0.8 g less per 100 g than margarine.

In short: for fewer calories or less saturated fat, look at the “less” lines; for staying full longer, protein and fiber matter most. Goals like lower sugar, more protein or more omega-3 can be set in the diary, and swaps there are ranked for that goal.

Portion tips

Butter: a typical serving (on bread, 10 g) is 75 kcal — about 24 min of easy walking for a 70 kg (154 lb) person.
Margarine: a typical serving (on bread, 10 g) is 54 kcal — about 18 min of easy walking.

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.

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.