Manteca

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By Nikola · Precision Nutrition L1 · Updated 5 November 2026

Butter is the fat of cow’s milk in solid form: by USDA data it is about 81% fat and 16% water. 100 g gives 717 kcal and 51 g of saturated fat, and a 10 g portion (a thin layer on two slices of bread) gives 72 kcal and 5 g of saturated fat. Butter brings vitamina A and a lot of flavour, but WHO and EFSA both advise keeping saturated fat low, so the sensible place for butter is small amounts, not the default cooking fat.

Butter nutrition per 100 g and per portion

Nutritivo	Salted butter, 100 g	Unsalted butter, 100 g	Portion: 10 g salted
Energía	717 kcal	717 kcal	72 kcal
Fat	81.1 g	81.1 g	8.1 g
of which saturated	51.4 g	50.5 g	5.1 g
of which monounsaturated	21.0 g	23.4 g	2.1 g
of which polyunsaturated	3.0 g	3.0 g	0.3 g
Colesterol	215 mg	215 mg	22 mg
Proteína	0.9 g	0.9 g	0.1 g
Carbohydrate (incl. lactose)	0.06 g	0.06 g	0.01 g
Sodio	643 mg (about 1.6 g salt)	11 mg	64 mg (0.16 g salt)
Vitamin A (RAE)	684 µg (86% NRV)	684 µg (86% NRV)	68 µg (9% NRV)
vitamina e	2.3 mg (19% NRV)	2.3 mg (19% NRV)	0.2 mg
Vitamina D	0 µg	0 µg	0 µg

Source: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, “Mantequilla, salada” (FDC 173410) and “Butter, without salt” (FDC 173430), checked 5 November 2026. The 10 g portion is calculated. Salt is sodium × 2.5. NRV: EU nutrient reference value from Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex XIII (vitamin A 800 µg, vitamin E 12 mg). Vitamin D is listed as 0 in these records, so no vitamin D claim is made here.

The two records are almost identical. The real difference is salt: salted butter has about 60 times more sodium than unsalted. The amount of salt varies between brands, so the label on your pack is the figure to trust.

Glycemic index

The glycemic index does not apply: butter has practically no carbohydrate (0.06 g per 100 g) and does not raise blood sugar by itself. It does add a lot of energy to bread, potatoes or pasta.

Health benefits: what the evidence says

• A concentrated source of saturated fat. WHO advises that no more than 10% of total energy should come from saturated fat, for adults and children from age 2, and lists butter among the hard fats high in it, together with ghee, lard, palm oil and coconut oil. On a 2,000 kcal diet, 10% is about 22 g of saturated fat a day. A 10 g portion of butter uses almost a quarter of that. EFSA, in its reference values for fats, says saturated fat intake should be “as low as possible” within a nutritionally adequate diet.
• Swap rather than add. WHO recommends replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fat from plant sources, or with carbohydrate from fibre-rich foods. In the EU, the authorised health claim reads: “Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats in the diet contributes to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels” (Regulation (EU) No 432/2012). In practice: aceite de oliva or another plant oil for everyday cooking, butter where its taste matters.
• Vitamin A. 100 g of butter has 684 µg of vitamin A, 86% of the EU reference value. Because portions are small, a 10 g portion gives about 9%, so butter is a minor source, not a reason to eat more of it.
• Salt. WHO advises adults to keep salt below 5 g a day. Salted butter adds about 0.16 g per 10 g, which matters mainly when it is spread thickly on salty bread or cheese.

Butter is a normal food in moderate amounts. The evidence summarised here is about how much, and what it replaces, not about banning it.

How to eat it

• Measure it: 10 g is roughly two thin pats, and a level tablespoon is about 14 g (USDA). Weighing it once or twice helps you see how much you really use.
• Use it for flavour: a small knob melted over steamed vegetables, stirred into risotto or pasta at the end, or in baking where it is essential.
• Everyday cooking: for frying and roasting, use extra virgin olive oil most of the time.
• Salted or unsalted: unsalted butter lets you control the salt in cooking and baking.
• Storage: keep it wrapped and closed in the fridge, away from strong-smelling foods, and use it by the date on the pack.
• Browned butter: heating butter until the milk solids turn golden gives a nutty flavour, so a smaller amount goes further. Clarified butter is covered in our ghee entry.

Who should be careful

• High LDL cholesterol or heart disease. If your doctor has advised you to reduce saturated fat, butter is one of the first places to cut, and plant oils are the usual replacement.
• Milk allergy. Butter is made from milk, and milk (including lactose) is one of the 14 allergens that must be declared on EU labels (Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex II). Even with very little protein, it is not safe to assume butter is fine with a milk allergy; ask your allergist.
• Lactose intolerance. USDA lists 0.06 g of carbohydrate per 100 g, so a normal portion contains very little lactose. MedlinePlus notes that most people with lactase non-persistence keep some lactase activity and can handle varying amounts of lactose, so many tolerate butter; check your own response.
• Salt-restricted diets. Choose unsalted butter if you have high blood pressure or have been told to limit sodium.
• Weight management. At 72 kcal per 10 g, generous spreading adds up fast.

Traditional view (Ayurveda)

In Usha and Vasant Lad’s food guidelines, butter is favourable for Vata; for Pitta unsalted butter is favourable and salted is best avoided; for Kapha it is best avoided, with unsalted butter acceptable rarely. This is a traditional system, not evidence from clinical studies.

Related entries and articles

• Ghee – clarified butter, even more concentrated
• Extra virgin olive oil – the everyday plant fat to cook with
• Coconut oil – another hard fat high in saturated fat
• Grasas de alta calidad
• Parmesan – another dairy food rich in saturated fat and salt
• All about high-quality fats

FAQ

Is butter bad for you?

Not in small amounts. Butter is mostly saturated fat, and WHO advises keeping saturated fat below 10% of daily energy, about 22 g on a 2,000 kcal diet. A 10 g portion has 5 g, so a little butter fits, but it works best as a flavour, with plant oils as your main fat.

Is butter healthier than margarine?

It depends on the product. Butter has about 51 g of saturated fat per 100 g, and margarines and spreads differ widely from brand to brand. Compare the “of which saturates” line on the labels and choose the lower one for daily use.

How much butter per day is OK?

There is no official amount for butter itself. The limit that matters is saturated fat from all foods together, about 22 g a day on a 2,000 kcal diet by WHO’s advice. One 10 g portion of butter uses about a quarter of that and two use almost half, and cheese, meat and baked goods count too.

Sources

1. USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy: Butter, salted (FDC 173410). fdc.nal.usda.gov
2. USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy: Butter, without salt (FDC 173430). fdc.nal.usda.gov
3. World Health Organization: Healthy diet, fact sheet. who.int
4. World Health Organization: WHO updates guidelines on fats and carbohydrates (2023). who.int
5. EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (2010). Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for fats. EFSA Journal 8(3):1461. efsa.europa.eu
6. Regulation (EU) No 432/2012, Annex: list of permitted health claims (replacing saturated fats). legislation.gov.uk
7. Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex II (allergens) and Annex XIII (reference values). legislation.gov.uk
8. MedlinePlus Genetics: Lactose intolerance. medlineplus.gov
9. Lad U, Lad V. Food Guidelines for Basic Constitutional Types, from Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing, 2nd ed. The Ayurvedic Institute. ayurveda.com

This page is for information only and is not medical or dietary advice.