Dairy Archives – Choosing Nutrition

There's no argument that plant-based diets are good for you. Plant-based foods contain more fiber, nutrients, and less saturated fat compared to animal products. A vegan diet is the most strict plant-based diet, avoiding animal-derived products altogether. Just because you're on a vegan diet doesn't mean you have to miss out on the taste and versatility of butter. Most Country Crock products are vegan because they don't contain any animal-derived ingredients. The exceptions are the Original Baking Sticks (both salted and unsalted) which contain whey, a cow's milk-based ingredient. The best vegan alternatives to Country Crock are Earth Balance Soy-Free Buttery Spread, Miyoko's European Style Cultured Vegan Butter, and Pure Blends Avocado Oil Plant-Based Butter. How can a plant-based product look and taste similar to butter? Are plant-based buttery spreads good for you? For the answers to these questions and more, read on! What is Country Crock? Country Crock is a brand of plant-based spreads meant to replace butter. Country Crock used to make margarine which was made with partially hydrogenated oils. Partially hydrogenated oils are a source of trans fat which has since been banned by the Food and Drug Administration due to their harmful effects on health. What's in Country Crock? Country Crock makes two types of spreads: Original and Plant Butter. Some of the main ingredients in these spreads include: 1. Soybean Oil Soybean oil is a prevalent ingredient in Country Crock products. This oil is rich in polyunsaturated fat which is considered heart-healthy. However, soybean oil is rich in omega-6 fatty acids which can be pro-inflammatory compared to omega-3 fatty acids. 2. Palm Kernel and Palm Oil Palm oil and palm kernel oil are both extracted from palm fruit. The palm kernel oil comes from the inner part of the fruit and palm oil is extracted from the outer part of the fruit. These oils are popular for dairy-free spreads because they are high in saturated fat similar to butter. High saturated fat oils stay solid easier than other plant-based oils. 3. Soy Lecithin Soy lecithin is an additive used to emulsify fats. When fats are emulsified it keeps them from separating from other ingredients. 4. Vegetable Oil Blend The Plant Butter line of Country Crock contains a blend of vegetable oils including avocado, olive, almond, and canola oils. What are the benefits of Country Crock? While it isn't as healthy as certain pure vegetable oils, Country Crock products have some benefits. Most are vegan-friendly Excluding the salted and unsalted Original Baking Sticks (which contain milk ingredients), all Country Crock products are vegan. Lower in saturated fat compared to butter Compared to butter, Country Crock spreads are lower in saturated fat. For reference, one tablespoon of cow's milk butter contains 7 grams of saturated fat, or 35% of the daily recommended amount. Diets high in saturated fat can contribute to elevated cholesterol levels which is a risk factor for heart disease. Added nutrients Most types of Country Crock have vitamin A and vitamin D added, as well as a special version with added calcium. What are the drawbacks of Country Crock? Palm oil/saturated fat While it's lower in saturated fat compared to butter, palm oil and palm kernel oil are higher in saturated fat compared to many plant-based oils. Sustainability issues There are environmental concerns regarding the harvesting of palm oil. Palm oil is the most consumed edible oil in the world, which means more land is being used to plant oil palm trees. Contain soy Most Country Crock products contain soybean oil and soy lecithin so wouldn't be suitable for those allergic or sensitive to soy. Country Crock Nutrition Information Country Crock Original Spread Ingredients: Purified Water Soybean Oil Palm Kernel And Palm Oil Salt Lecithin (Soy) Vinegar Natural Flavors Vitamin A Palmitate Beta Carotene (Color) Vitamin D3 Nutrition facts (per 1 tbsp.): Calories: 50 Total Fat: 6 g Saturated Fat: 1.5 g Sodium: 100 mg (4% DV) Total Carbohydrate: 0 g Protein: 0 g Vitamin A: 15% DV Vitamin D: 8% DV Country Crock Light Spread Ingredients: Purified Water Soybean Oil Palm Kernel And Palm Oil Salt Mono And Diglycerides Natural Flavors Lecithin (Soy) Vinegar Vitamin A Palmitate Beta Carotene (Color) Vitamin D3 Nutrition facts (per 1 tbsp.): Calories: 35 Total Fat: 4 g Saturated Fat: 1 g Sodium: 90 mg (4% DV) Total Carbohydrate: 0 g Protein: 0 g Vitamin A: 15% DV Vitamin D: 8% DV Country Crock Churn Style Spread Ingredients: Purified Water Soybean Oil Palm Kernel And Palm Oil Salt Lecithin (Soy) Vinegar Natural Flavors Vitamin A Palmitate Beta Carotene (Color) Vitamin D3 Nutrition facts (per 1 tbsp.): Calories: 50 Total Fat: 6 g Saturated Fat: 1.5 g Sodium: 100 mg (4% DV) Total Carbohydrate: 0 g Protein: 0 g Vitamin A: 15% DV Vitamin D: 8% DV Country Crock with Added Calcium Ingredients: Purified Water Soybean Oil Palm Kernel And Palm Oil Tricalcium Phosphate Salt Mono And Diglycerides Xanthan Gum Lactic Acid Lecithin (Soy) Potassium Sorbate (used to protect quality) Natural Flavor Vitamin A Palmitate Beta Carotene (Color) Vitamin D3 Nutrition facts (per 1 tbsp.): Calories: 45 Total Fat: 5 g Saturated Fat: 5 g Sodium: 95 mg (4% DV) Total Carbohydrate: 0 g Protein: 0 g Vitamin A: 15% DV Vitamin D: 10% DV Calcium: 8% DV Country Crock Salted Baking Sticks Ingredients: Vegetable Oil Blend (Soybean Oil, Palm Oil, Sunflower Oil, Palm Kernel Oil) Water Salt Whey (Milk) Soy Lecithin Distilled Monoglycerides Potassium Sorbate and Calcium Disodium EDTA (used to protect quality) Citric Acid Natural Flavor Vitamin A Palmitate Beta Carotene (Color) Nutrition facts (per 1 tbsp.): Calories: 100 Total Fat: 11 g Saturated Fat: 3.5 g Sodium: 85 mg (4% DV) Total Carbohydrate: 0 g Protein: 0 g Vitamin A: 15% DV Vitamin D: 0% DV Country Crock Unsalted Baking Sticks Ingredients: Vegetable Oil Blend (Soybean Oil, Palm Oil, Sunflower Oil, Palm Kernel Oil) Water Whey (Milk) Soy Lecithin Distilled Monoglycerides Potassium Sorbate and Calcium Disodium EDTA (used to protect quality) Citric Acid Natural Flavor Vitamin A Palmitate Beta Carotene (Color) Nutrition facts (per 1 tbsp.): Calories: 100 Total Fat: 11 g Saturated Fat: 3.5 g Sodium: 0 mg Total Carbohydrate: 0 g Protein: 0 g Vitamin A: 15% DV Vitamin D: 0% DV Country Crock Unsalted Baking Sticks Ingredients: Vegetable Oil Blend (Soybean Oil, Palm Oil, Sunflower Oil, Palm Kernel Oil) Water Whey (Milk) Soy Lecithin Distilled Monoglycerides Potassium Sorbate and Calcium Disodium EDTA (used to protect quality) Citric Acid Natural Flavor Vitamin A Palmitate Beta Carotene (Color) Nutrition facts (per 1 tbsp.): Calories: 100 Total Fat: 11 g Saturated Fat: 3.5 g Sodium: 0 mg Total Carbohydrate: 0 g Protein: 0 g Vitamin A: 15% DV Vitamin D: 0% DV Country Crock Plant Butter Tub with Avocado Oil Ingredients: Blend of plant-based oils (palm fruit, canola, and palm kernel oil) water sea salt pea protein sunflower lecithin natural flavor citric acid calcium disodium EDTA (to protect freshness) vitamin a palmitate beta carotene (color)May contain soy Nutrition facts (per 1 tbsp.): Calories: 100 Total Fat: 11 g Saturated Fat: 4 g Sodium: 105 mg (5% DV) Total Carbohydrate: 0 g Protein: 0 g Vitamin A: 10% DV Vitamin E: 2% DV Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks with Sea Salt Ingredients: Blend Of Plant-Based Oils (Soybean, Palm Kernel, Avocado, And Palm Fruit Oil), Water, Salt, Faba Bean Protein, Soy Lecithin, Lactic Acid, Natural Flavor, Calcium Disodium Edta (To Protect Freshness) Vitamin E Acetate Vitamin A Palmitate Beta Carotene (Color) Nutrition facts (per 1 tbsp.): Calories: 100 Total Fat: 11 g Saturated Fat: 5 g Sodium: 105 mg (5% DV) Total Carbohydrate: 0 g Protein: 0 g Vitamin A: 10% DV Vitamin E: 2% DV Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks with Olive Oil Ingredients: Blend of Plant-Based Oils (Palm Fruit, Palm Kernel, Canola and Avocado Oil) Water Salt Pea Protein Sunflower Lecithin Citric Acid Vitamin A Palmitate Natural Flavor Beta Carotene (Color) Nutrition facts (per 1 tbsp.): Calories: 100 Total Fat: 11 g Saturated Fat: 5 g Sodium: 110 mg (5% DV) Total Carbohydrate: 0 g Protein: 0 g Vitamin A: 10% DV Vitamin E: 4% DV Country Crock Plant Butter Tub with Almond Oil Ingredients: Blend Of Plant-Based Oils (Soybean, Palm Kernel, Almond, And Palm Fruit Oil) Water Salt Fava Bean Protein Soy Lecithin Lactic Acid Natural Flavor Vitamin E Acetate Vitamin A Palmitate Beta Carotene (Color) Nutrition facts (per 1 tbsp.): Calories: 100 Total Fat: 11 g Saturated Fat: 4 g Sodium: 105 mg (5% DV) Total Carbohydrate: 0 g Protein: 0 g Vitamin A: 10% DV Vitamin E: 2% DV Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks with Avocado Oil Ingredients: Blend Of Plant-Based Oils (Palm Kernel, Canola, Palm Fruit, And Olive Oil) Water Salt Pea Protein Sunflower Lecithin Citric Acid Natural Flavor Vitamin A Palmitate Beta Carotene (Color) Nutrition facts (per 1 tbsp.): Calories: 100 Total Fat: 11 g Saturated Fat: 5 g Sodium: 110 mg (5% DV) Total Carbohydrate: 0 g Protein: 0 g Vitamin A: 10% DV Vitamin E: 4% DV Country Crock Plant Butter Tub with Olive Oil Ingredients: Blend Of Plant-Based Oils (Soybean, Palm Kernel, Olive, Palm Fruit, And Extra Virgin Olive Oil) Water Salt Fava Bean Protein Soy Lecithin Lactic Acid Natural Flavor Vitamin E Acetate Vitamin A Palmitate Beta Carotene (Color) Nutrition facts (per 1 tbsp.): Calories: 100 Total Fat: 11 g Saturated Fat: 4 g Sodium: 105 mg (5% DV) Total Carbohydrate: 0 g Protein: 0 g Vitamin A: 10% DV Vitamin E: 2% DV Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks with Almond Oil Ingredients: Blend Of Plant-Based Oils (Palm Kernel, Canola, Palm Fruit, And Almond Oil) Water Salt Pea Protein Sunflower Lecithin Citric Acid Natural Flavor Vitamin A Palmitate Beta Carotene (Color) Nutrition facts (per 1 tbsp.): Calories: 100 Total Fat: 11 g Saturated Fat: 5 g Sodium: 110 mg (5% DV) Total Carbohydrate: 0 g Protein: 0 g Vitamin A: 10% DV Vitamin E: 4% DV Other Vegan Alternatives to Country Crock Earth Balance Soy-Free Buttery Spread If you want a vegan-friendly buttery spread free of soy, this is a good alternative. Ingredients: Oil Blend (Palm Fruit, Canola, Safflower, Flax, and Olive Oils) Water Contains less than 2% of Salt, Natural Flavor, Pea Protein, Sunflower Lecithin, Lactic Acid (Non-Dairy), and Naturally Extracted Annatto (Color) Nutrition Facts (per 1 tbsp.): Calories: 100 Total Fat: 11 g Saturated Fat: 3 g Sodium: 110 mg (5% DV) Total Carbohydrate: 0 g Protein: 0 g Vitamin E: 10% DV Miyoko's European Style Cultured Vegan Butter Ingredients: Organic Coconut Oil Organic Cultured Cashew Milk (Filtered Water, Organic Cashews, Cultures) Filtered Water Organic Sunflower Oil Organic Sunflower Lecithin Sea Salt Nutrition Facts (per 1 tbsp.): Calories: 90 Total Fat: 10 g Saturated Fat: 8 g Sodium: 65 mg (3% DV) Total Carbohydrate: 0 g Protein: 0 g Pure Blends Avocado Oil Plant-Based Butter Ingredients: Purified Water Avocado Oil Soybean Oil Palm Kernel and Palm Oil Salt Soy Lecithin Monoglycerides Vinegar Natural Flavors Vitamin A Palmitate Beta Carotene (Color) Nutrition facts (per 1 tbsp.) Calories: 60 Total Fat: 6 g Saturated Fat: 2 g Sodium: 90 mg (4% DV) Total Carbohydrate: 0 g Protein: 0 g Related Questions Is Country Crock margarine? Country Crock isn't margarine. Margarine used to be made with trans fats which have since been banned by the Food and Drug Administration. Is Country Crock real butter? Country Crock is not real butter. It's technically a plant-based "buttery spread" because the texture and taste are meant to mimic butter. Is Country Crock bad for you? Country Crock isn't necessarily bad for you, but it's not healthier than many pure plant-based oils like olive, canola, and avocado oils. Compared to butter it's lower in saturated fat. Most versions are dairy-free and thus vegan, which are positive aspects for those with restricted diets. Related Guides Is Smart Balance Vegan? Is Ghee Vegan Friendly? Is Crisco Vegan Friendly?