The heavily industrialized frankenfood known as Smart Balance should more aptly be named Stupid Balance when you examine the ingredients list!
I’ve had it. Everyone has her limits and I’ve reached mine. If one more person who claims to eat healthily tells me that he/she uses Smart Balance or any of those health robbing butter substitute “spreads”, I think I’m going to scream. This includes other pseudo-foods like Egg Beaters too.
A loud, obnoxious, ear piercing, wine glass shattering SCREAM!
You see, there is nothing remotely “smart” about Smart Balance unless of course, you happen to be a shareholder of the company. In that case, you would be very happy with the cheap, rancid, genetically modified vegetable oils used to manufacture substitutes for butter resulting in a very low cost of production and handsome profit margins.
Don’t think for one moment that Smart Balance could possibly be made in the comfort of your own kitchen the way lovely yellow butter can easily be churned from cream in a bowl with a hand mixer.
No way! A frankenfood as complex as Smart Balance or any of the many other “spreads” on the market requires synthesis in a factory in all its high tech, food denaturing glory. Smart Balance and margarine spreads like it is chemistry experiments, not food!
Get a load of the catchy marketing on the Smart Balance website:
It’s funny how these margarine manufacturers always talk about “using it” and “loving it” like butter.
Why would people do that anyway?
Mmmm. Maybe because these folks need some healthy fats like REAL butter perhaps??
I know a die-hard vegetarian who once told me that every now and again when she craves a big, thick juicy steak, she gives in and eats one.
Smart gal. Cravings can tell us a lot about ourselves – if we’ll only listen – from the state of our gut as in the case of craving sugar and having a gut imbalance problem to craving a steak due to the complete proteins only animal foods can provide (soy is NOT a complete protein, by the way. Don’t even get me started on that one).
So, when that craving for all things buttery comes over you, it is always best to get some Real Butter and slather it on anything that seems remotely feasible at the moment.
A vegan community in South Florida suffering from severe dental decay issues likes to eat raw butter straight out of the tub with a spoon, I’m told. Now, that’s a serious craving for the “buttery taste”!
What Exactly is in Smart Balance?
Let’s take a look at the ingredients in Stupid, er – I mean, Smart Balance:
When this post was originally published, here were the ingredients in Smart Balance (original):
Natural oil blend (soybean, palm fruit, canola, and olive oils), water, contains less than 2% of whey (from milk), salt, natural and artificial flavor, vegetable monoglycerides and sorbitan ester of fatty acids (emulsifiers), soy lecithin, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, Vitamin D, dl-a-tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E), lactic acid, beta carotene color, and potassium sorbate, and calcium disodium EDTA (to preserve freshness).
Ingredients Analysis
Shall we analyze this rather long list of ingestibles?
- The soybean and canola oils are almost certainly genetically modified. Frankenfood at its finest!
- The olive oil isn’t even extra virgin olive oil and is likely cut with cheap vegetable oils like most olive oil on the market. Can we say cheap, cheap, CHEAP?
- Natural and artificial flavor – this must be where that “buttery taste you crave” part comes in. Excellent stuff if you dig tricking your taste buds (newsflash, you won’t trick your tummy though. At least not for long. You’ll be craving that “buttery taste” soon after and more than likely sticking your head in a big bowl of ice cream by 9 pm).
- Soy lecithin – yet another genetically modified ingredient.
- Vitamin A palmitate – the synthetic form of vitamin A – the kind that is dangerous. Since there’s not much natural about Smart Balance in the first place, “fortification” with synthetic vitamins seems logical!
- Vitamin D – the label doesn’t even specify what type, but I can pretty much guarantee it’s synthetic D2, which won’t help at all in avoiding vitamin D deficiency symptoms. Is this the wondrous, natural vitamin D3 everyone – even Oprah – raves about? Brilliant marketing and wishful thinking don’t make it so.
- Beta carotene color – the normal color for factory-produced margarine like Smart Balance is a very unappetizing grey, so the color is definitely needed here to fool the masses. Don’t be fooled that this beta carotene adds natural Vitamin A either. Beta carotene is not true vitamin A!
- Potassium sorbate – a supposedly safe food preservative that inhibits microbial growth. Safe at least until they find it isn’t. Three cheers for being a guinea pig!
- Calcium disodium EDTA – an organic pollutant which breaks down in the environment into ethylenediamine triacetic acid and then diketopiperazine. Diketopiperazine is a persistent organic pollutant, similar to PCBs and DDT. Not only does Smart Balance pollute the bodies of those who eat it, but it also pollutes the environment too!
Smart Balance 7 Years Later
Let’s analyze the ingredients again 7 years later. Smart Balance has, in the interim, gotten significant press on its “pledge” to remove GMOs from its ingredients. Has it happened yet? Apparently not. Don’t hold your breath on that one. Not much improvement here despite an outcry from consumers to do better.
- Vegetable oil blend (canola, olive, and palm oil)
- Water
- Contains less than 2% salt
- Pea protein
- Natural and artificial flavors
- Sunflower lecithin
- Vitamin A Palmitate
- Beta-carotene (color)
- Vitamin D
- Monoglycerides of vegetable fatty acids (emulsifier)
- Potassium Sorbate
- Lactic acid
- Calcium Disodium EDTA
Let’s analyze the (few) changes.
Little Improvement in Smart Balance Ingredients
First, the GMO soybean oil has been removed. While this is a positive, unfortunately, GMO canola oil is still in there as the primary vegetable oil.
Second, pea protein has replaced the whey protein from before. This is apparently an effort to make Smart Balance dairy-free. Is pea protein any healthier than whey protein? Unfortunately not. All protein powders are highly processed and not a healthy choice.
The GMO soy lecithin has been replaced with sunflower lecithin. This is a solid improvement and a step in the right direction.
Two new ingredients include lactic acid and monoglycerides of vegetable fatty acids. While lactic acid is not really a problem, it could be from a GMO source. The originating food for lactic acid is not specified. Similarly, the vegetable oil that is used to derive the emulsifying fatty acids is not specified. In those situations, I’ve learned to pretty much assume the worst … they are most likely of GMO origin. If they were nonGMO you can be sure Smart Balance would trumpet as much on the label like they have identified the source of the lecithin as nonGMO sunflower.
Everything else appears to be the same.
All in all, Smart Balance has improved from a grade of “F” to a “D-” in seven years. Is it healthy to use? Nope. It’s still frankenfood and not a good choice for those who understand the critical importance of natural, healthy fats in the diet.
Butter is Always Best!
Nothing manufactured in a factory can ever beat the simple, natural, whole nutrition of plain BUTTER and other whole traditional fats. No genetically modified, artificial flavors or organic pollutant preservatives needed. Loads of natural form of vitamins A, D, and E that really will boost your immune system unlike the synthetic versions in margarine spreads like Smart Balance.
Be sure not to buy butter from cows fed genetically modified feed, however, like Kerry Gold is rumored to do.
Grass-fed butter is what you are looking for (quality sources)!
Butterfat is far superior to the rancid, highly processed vegetable oils in Smart Balance. While not hydrogenated, the edible oil processing, called interesterification, is still very much denaturing and is arguably worse for cardiovascular health than transfats.
On the other hand, butter, particularly grass-fed butter, is one of the richest sources of vitamin K2. Vitamin K2 is the magical X-Factor written about by Dr. Weston A. Price which is known to prevent arterial calcification which is a very strong (if not the strongest) predictor of cardiovascular disease risk, NOT cholesterol levels. Natural cholesterol in the diet supplied in forms such as grass-fed butter and eggs are extremely beneficial to health!
Folks with low cholesterol suffer from heart disease at the same rate as those with high cholesterol. Don’t tell that to the folks in the marketing department at Smart Balance, though. They’re doing really well with that catchy marketing slogan that associates the use of Smart Balance with “healthy” cholesterol levels.
What if You Have a Dairy Allergy?
For those with dairy allergies, natural and truly healthy butter substitute spreads made with unrefined traditional oils are now becoming available. This one is my favorite which blends virgin coconut oil and that anti-oxidant powerhouse, red palm oil without any additives, fillers, GMOs or destructive processing.
Once you get past the marketing hype, it sure seems that the more appropriate name for Smart Balance would be “Stupid Balance”, don’t you think?
References
Interesterification of Vegetable Oils, by Dr. Mary Enig
Whole Health Source, Butter, Margarine, and Heart Disease
LOVE this! You’re fantastic!
I was just ranting to a friend about this a couple weeks ago, calling it nothing more
than a bucket of GMOs.
When I was doing a research on it, I came across smug vegans bragging
about how much more they care about their bodies and their health than everyone
else and how much Smart Balance they ate.
If I was a diplomatic person, I would have left a comment, but I’m not.
I just cried a little inside.
Ok, maybe a little snarky laugh escaped my lips at first.
I am reading all this about 5 yrs too late! As I have been eating earth balance for about that whole time :(. 2 weeks ago or so I asked my husband to get me real butter along with the earth balance and the real butter is sooo good. I am the only one who eats it right off of the knife? My son does too I call him butter mouth lol. He always asks for some when I am using it..
I hope you will see this comment as I need some advice and didn’t want to post on your FB page as my husband will see it. I am trying so hard to make our diet better but it all costs money. Is there anything you can think of that would help someone with a very tight budget? He says we can’t afford good meat :(. And it sickens me to think of what we are eating.
I have been trying to get him to put down the 50$ on a herdshare for almost a yr now so we can get raw milk. If we could just do that it would be so much more inexpensive per month then what we spend on goat milk. I just can’t seem to get over that initial 50$ spending with him.
The thing that really upsets me is he spends probably about 6$ a day or every couple of days on cigarettes. I could get a pound of good ground beef for 6$. I told him today for every pack of cigarettes he buys I am getting a pound of beef but he holds the money so it is very doubtful that will happen. Any suggestions for a mama who has no extra money to eat well? Thank you so much!
No, you aren’t the only one!!! I love butter when it’s ice cold and I do eat it off the knife!!!
You have my sympathy, Sally. Unfortunately, if you can’t get your husband to stop smoking, you and your children won’t live long enough to worry about Alzheimer’s, etc. My grandfather never smoked, but my grandmother smoked like a chimney. Both his parents lived into their 80s and 90s, while he died at 73. He didn’t take the best care of himself, but the smoking didn’t help. My parents also smoked; my father died of cancer at 40, while my mother died of a heart attack at 67. Cigs robbed them of so many years. My siblings and I all suffer from terrible allergies, which I don’t doubt were related to all that second-hand smoke.
Here’s a tip: butter freezes beautifully, and with spring just around the corner, it’s great to stock up on raw butter from cows grazing on lush green spring grass. You can also do this in the fall and be set for the winter. The deep yellow indicates high levels of nutrients like true vitamin A — and high levels of deliciousness!
ElizaBeth,
While Earth Balance appears to be better (definitely soy free is better), there is still canola oil in the ingredients. I’m thinking making your own “unbutter” like one of the posters mentioned would be better.
About the egg substitute: I think the previous poster was talking about the “fake eggs” in cartons: where you have egg whites plus some color for those who want a cholesterol free product. I say why bother buying it? Can you use it in baking? Probably not. Egg replacer can be used in baking – I think it’s flaxseed? Chia might work, too.
Magda,
Again, this is incorrect. As the link the other poster provided will answer for you (in its comparison of products), the extra virgin olive oil one does not contain canola as the canola is replaced by the additional extra virgin olive oil.
Do you mean the one called Olive Oil (http://earthbalancenatural.com/product/olive-oil-buttery-spread/)? It states canola oil right on the side of the label, under ingredients….
It states:
Ingredients:
Natural oil blend (palm fruit, **CANOLA**, soybean, extra virgin olive and flax), filtered water, etc…….
Olive Oil:
Toxic Ingredients = GMO Canola, GMO Soybean, Natural Flavor (GMO corn derived), Lactic Acid (from GMO Sugar Beets)
Eco Destructive Ingredients = Palm Fruit Oil
I’m surprised you lumped Earth Balance with Smart Balance. Earth balance IS non-GM and you can buy it soy free and organic too! For those allergic to dairy this is the best alternative. You should check it out sometime!(And those with egg allergies need egg substitute too.) http://www.earthbalancenatural.com/#
Earth Balance claims GMO-free but they are NOT GMO free….
It is made with Soy, Canola oil, Sugar Beets, Palm Fruit Oil, and Agave Syrup….
*** SPREADS ***
Original:
Toxic Ingredients = GMO Canola, GMO Soybean, Natural Flavor (GMO corn derived), Lactic Acid (from GMO Sugar Beets)
Eco Destructive Ingredients = Palm Fruit Oil
Olive Oil:
Toxic Ingredients = GMO Canola, GMO Soybean, Natural Flavor (GMO corn derived), Lactic Acid (from GMO Sugar Beets)
Eco Destructive Ingredients = Palm Fruit Oil
Soy Free:
Toxic Ingredients = GMO Canola, Natural Flavor (GMO corn derived), Lactic Acid (from GMO Sugar Beets)
Eco Destructive Ingredients = Palm Fruit Oil
Soy Garden:
Toxic Ingredients = GMO Soybean, GMO crushed Soybeans, Natural Flavor (GMO corn derived), Lactic Acid (from GMO Sugar Beets)
Eco Destructive Ingredients = Palm Fruit Oil
Organic Whipped:
Toxic Ingredients = GMO Canola, Lactic Acid (from GMO Sugar Beets)
Eco Destructive Ingredients = Palm Fruit Oil
*** SOY MILK ***
Soy (Toxic):
Soy in all of Earth Balance’s Soymilk does not follow the slow stringent fermentation process necessary to make soy non-toxic. Consequently the entire Soymilk product line is toxic by their primary ingredient.
Carrageenan (Toxic):
The entire Soymilk line also contains Carrageenan, which acts as an emulsifer and stabilizer. All Carrageenan is typically extracted using powerful alkaline solvents. Even at low doses, it has been found to destroy human cells and is linked to various human cancers and digestive disorders. Carrageenan has also been found to impair and depress cell-mediated immunity and cause the proliferation of tumour growth. The mechanism responsible for carrageenan-induced immune suppression is believed to be its selective degenerative effect on white blood cells.
*** DRESSINGS ***
All Dressings contain GMO Canola
*** BAKING STICKS ***
Shortening:
Toxic Ingredients = GMO Canola
Vegan Butter Sticks:
Toxic Ingredients = GMO Canola, GMO Soybean, Natural Flavor (GMO corn derived), Lactic Acid (from GMO Sugar Beets)
*** NUT BUTTERS ***
All Nut Butters contain:
Toxic Ingredients = Agave Syrup
Eco Destructive Ingredients = Palm Fruit Oil
*** CULINARY SPREADS ***
Organic Coconut:
Toxic Ingredients = GMO Canola Oil, Lactic Acid (from GMO Sugar Beets)
Eco Destructive Ingredients = Palm Fruit Oil
Organic Sweet Cinnamon:
Toxic Ingredients = Crushed Soybeans, Soybean Oil, Soy Lecithin
Eco Destructive Ingredients = Palm Fruit Oil
Organic Sweet Cinnamon:
Toxic Ingredients = Crushed Soybeans, Soybean Oil, Soy Lecithin
Eco Destructive Ingredients = Palm Fruit Oil
After reviewing all of the above, is this a company that takes the health of our planet just as serious as they do health and wellness? They do not protect the environment or source ingredients from agricultural methods that work in harmony with nature. They do not uphold their Non-GMO commitment and they continue to use toxic emulsifiers and sweeteners.
Earth Balance should be ashamed of their misrepresentation and I urge you to help educate others by sharing this information with as many health conscious consumers as possible. The only way we will stimulate a call for action and bring a greater sense of integrity to the health food industry is by exposing companies like Smart Balance and their subsidiary Earth Balance.
Surprising that you need to write a long post for something that should be obvious. Nevertheless, I guarantee you’ll scream. Repeatedly…
Great post! I am getting so fed up with all these fake, low fat products that everyone is buying into. I have had people over at my house being totally shocked that I didn’t have any low fat products at home, they refused to eat any of my products… I used to mix butter with flax oil, olive oil, or and/or fish oil for a great spread and my kids loved it.
When are people going to realize that the pharmaceutical companies are deciding what is the “correct” level of cholesterol so that they can sell more medications.
Don’t get me started on the egg substitutes in cartons at the store…
Just wanted to share my healthy homemade spread recipe. Take 1 stick of real butter and let it get soft at room temp using my stick blender I blend in 1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil until mixed. I store it in the frig but it spreads pretty easily. Just FYI. New to this site and am learning a lot! Thanks!
Welcome Laura! Thank you for sharing your healthy spread recipe! Sounds wonderful 🙂
I do this with coconut oil and butter instead of olive oil. Lately, every time I purchase EVOO it smells really rancid. Doesn’t seem to matter what brand, it all smells rather rancid. Maybe I’m just tired of it and need a break! I make my own homemade butter most of the time, so the only time I add coconut oil to it is if I’m running out and need it to go farther. Otherwise, I leave my butter alone!
Ah! I just posted my recipe for this as well before seeing yours! I use more like a 1 to 1 ratio. It makes it more spreadable, but yours would utilize more butter.
Great article. My parents still eat this stuff. No matter how many times I tell them it’s not good for them they don’t listen.