Butter is a popular dairy product used for spreading, cooking, and baking. It adds richness and flavor to foods. However, like other high-fat foods, butter is high in calories. Understanding how many calories are in different amounts of butter can help guide your intake.
One of the most common ways butter is served is in small individual pats. These are the little squares or rectangles of butter you often get at restaurants with bread or rolls. But how many calories are actually in one of these tiny whipped butter pats?
In this article, we’ll break down the calorie count in whipped butter pats. We’ll look at the typical size of restaurant butter pats and calculate the calories. We’ll also discuss some tips for watching your butter and calorie intake.
What is Whipped Butter?
Before calculating the calories, it helps to understand exactly what whipped butter is. Whipped butter, sometimes called light butter, is a type of butter that incorporates air into it during processing. This aerating process makes whipped butter lighter and fluffier than regular butter. It also changes the texture, making it easier to spread.
To make whipped butter, regular butter is whipped vigorously as it cools after being churned. This whipping process incorporates tiny air bubbles into the butter. The air makes whipped butter about 25% air and 75% butter.
Besides the different texture, whipped butter has a slightly different nutrition profile than regular butter:
Nutrition Facts Per 1 Tbsp
| Nutrient | Regular Butter | Whipped Butter |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 100 | 75 |
| Total Fat | 11g | 8g |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 5g |
| Cholesterol | 30mg | 20mg |
As you can see, whipped butter is a bit lower in calories and fat than regular butter, since it contains air. However, it’s still high in saturated fat and fairly calorie-dense, since the majority is still pure butter.
Typical Size of Restaurant Butter Pats
Restaurant butter pats can vary in size, but are generally around 1/2 tablespoon or 4-5 grams. According to USDA data, the typical restaurant style butter pat weighs around 4.5g.
Some restaurants may serve larger butter pats, around 1 tablespoon or 14 grams. However, the standard pats are usually those small foil-wrapped squares about the size of a sugar packet.
When you receive a little plate with a foil-wrapped pat at a restaurant, it’s likely around 4-5 grams if it’s a typical size. This is good to know for calculating calories.
Calculating Calories in a Butter Pat
Now that we know the typical restaurant butter pat is around 4-5 grams, let’s calculate the calories:
* There are 102 calories in 1 tablespoon (14g) of regular salted butter.
* There are 75 calories in 1 tablespoon (14g) of whipped butter.
* If a pat is 4.5g, that’s roughly 1/3 of a tablespoon (14g).
* Using the unit rule, we can calculate:
* Regular butter pat: 102 calories x (4.5g/14g) = 34 calories
* Whipped butter pat: 75 calories x (4.5g/14g) = 25 calories
So a typical 4.5 gram restaurant butter pat contains about 34 calories if it’s regular butter, or 25 calories if it’s whipped butter.
This is a relatively small amount of calories on its own. But it can add up quickly if you use multiple pats of butter with bread, rolls, or other foods at a restaurant meal. Consuming 2-3 butter pats could add 70-100 extra calories.
Butter Pat Calorie Chart
Here is a quick chart with the calories in different sizes of butter pats:
| Butter Pat Size | Regular Butter Calories | Whipped Butter Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4 tbsp (3.5g) | 27 | 19 |
| 1/3 tbsp (4.5g) | 34 | 25 |
| 1/2 tbsp (7g) | 51 | 38 |
| 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 | 75 |
As you go up in butter pat size, the calories increase. Even a fourth of a tablespoon (3.5g) pat has nearly 30 calories if it’s regular butter. This demonstrates how calorie-dense butter is, given its small serving size but high fat content.
Butter Pat Alternatives
If you’re looking to reduce calories from butter, there are a few lower-calorie alternatives to traditional butter pats:
* Margarine – Some margarines have just 25-35 calories per pat. Look for lower-fat tub margarines.
* Low-fat spreads – Try a butter-flavored fruit or vegetable oil spread with no more than 25-30 calories per serving.
* Reduced-fat whipped butter – This has about 25% less fat than regular whipped butter.
* Olive oil – Drizzle a small amount of extra virgin olive oil instead of using butter. Much lower in saturated fat.
* Hummus – Chickpea-based hummus has healthier fats and can replace butter on bread or rolls.
* Avocado – Mash a quarter of an avocado and spread it instead of butter for creaminess with less saturated fat.
* Nut butters – Try a small amount of all-natural almond or cashew butter for nutty flavor and better fat profile.
When eating out, you may also want to ask for bread or corn bread without butter to further reduce your calorie intake. Order vegetables instead of starchy sides when possible for a healthier overall meal.
Tips for Managing Butter and Calorie Intake
Butter tastes delicious, so you may not want to eliminate it entirely if you enjoy it. But you can follow some tips to keep your butter and calorie intake in check:
* Use a small pat – Stick with only 1/2 to 1 tablespoon max at meals when eating out. Avoid taking 2-3 pats out of habit.
* Share butter – If cooking for others, leave the butter on the table for sharing rather than putting a pat on each plate.
* Use sparingly at home – When making toast or other foods, use a thin spread of butter or mix it with jam, honey or herbs to make it go further.
* Measure portions – Weigh or measure butter when cooking and baking to keep portions under control. Stick to recipes rather than eyeballing.
* Substitute when possible – Replace all or some butter in recipes with lower-calorie oils, applesauce, nut butters or other alternatives.
* Choose low-fat dairy – Pair bread with low-fat cream cheese or ricotta instead of butter for a protein boost. Top crackers or toast with plain yogurt rather than butter.
* Avoid butter-heavy dishes – Order meals without extra butter sauces or fried butter when dining out. Skip butter-drenched movie popcorn or rich croissants on occasion.
* Balance intake – If you really want to indulge in butter, balance it out by cutting back a bit at other meals and making sure to get exercise. Moderation is key.
Following these tips can allow you to enjoy the flavor of butter while keeping your overall calorie intake within healthy parameters. A little bit of butter here and there is unlikely to sabotage your diet when consumed in moderation and balanced with active lifestyle habits.
Conclusion
A typical restaurant style whipped butter pat contains around 25-35 calories. Regular butter pats have about 34 calories per 4.5 gram serving. This is a relatively small amount of calories, but can add up quickly if you use multiple pats at a meal.
There are also some lower calorie alternatives to try instead of butter pats. When dining out, use butter sparingly and be mindful of extra butter-laden menu items. Carefully managing your butter intake along with following an overall healthy diet and active lifestyle can help keep calories in check.