My husband recently underwent open heart surgery for a couple of congenital heart defects. Before we were discharged from the hospital, I attended a class that was about the recovery at home. One huge element is diet. The nutrition specialist was stressing a low sodium, low fat diet.
Now, my husband has NO coronary artery disease which is virtually unheard of with all of the open heart patients. When I say “no” I mean that all of the tests revealed that he has absolutely NO plaque build up anywhere in his body. So, I was given to green light to not be quite as concerned about his fat intake with two exceptions: NO transfats and limit the saturated fats in the diet.
One of the food items that they were stressing was the use of Benecol spread instead of butter. In our house, we avoid margarine products and so I asked if I could create my own butter/olive oil spread to use in lieu of Benecol and I was given the go-ahead. So, here’s what I whipped up for my sweetie.
Heart Healthy, Low Sodium Soft Spreadable Butter
Here it is spread on a piece of low sodium Ezekiel bread. Doesn’t it look absolutely delicious? You only need two ingredients to make some of this amazing goodness for your family.
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (or light olive oil if you want a more delicate spread)
- Place your softened butter in a mixing bowl and mix to begin the “creaming” process. Add about 2 Tbsp of your olive oil and mix again. It will look clumpy.
- If you have a whipping attachment for your mixer, replace the mixing paddle with this attachment. On the highest speed continue to whip your butter while slowly drizzling in the remaining olive oil. Your new soft butter will be a smooth, creamy consistency.
I love this new spread….no more tearing bread while trying to spread on my butter! Oh, and I absolutely LOVE the flavor of the butter/olive oil combo! More importantly, my hubby loves it too!
Store your new “healthy butter” in the refrigerator. There are no preservatives….just butter and olive oil! Remember, if you are watching your saturated fats or total fats, then enjoy this spread in moderation!
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