Quick: Smart Smart Balance

Got to keep 'em short this week.

So I'm sure that if you have read any of my homemade dishes you might have noticed me refer to using Smart Balance quite often in places where most people would use butter, margarine or oil. Savvy buyers probably are aware of Smart Balance, as it has exploded to overtake much of the butter section of most grocery stores. But isn't it just some lousy margarine or butter substitute that's actually not good for us? Well, I am not a nutritionist or a doctor, but from everything I've heard, it is not. Rather than being derived from hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils (a.k.a. trans fats/ saturated fats) like many butter substitutes, Smart Balance is made from a combination of several heart healthy fruit oils, including extra virgin olive oil, canola, flaxseed and even fish oil for added Omega 3 benefits. Don't worry vegetarians; there is a low-salt fish-oil-free version available too. There is also a version that is a little heavier on the Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for those who particularly like the health benefits of EVOO.

So, is this stuff healthier? Yes. It is low in fat, saturated fat and sodium, with no trans fat and almost no cholesterol. According to Oprah's health specialist Bob Green, who has approved these spreads for his Best Life Diet, the combination actually works to raise good cholesterol and lower bad cholesterol. There is even a light version that is extremely low in all fats, while still maintaining the great combination of oils. Sounds good to me. So does this stuff replace butter functionally? Yes, it melts like butter (except for the light type), it spreads like margarine, you can use it to thicken and even in baking. Julia's even been successful with it in baking. And does it taste good? It tastes divine – like butter, better than margarine, with quite a bit less guilt. Once again, sounds good, right? That's probably why I use it a lot in my cooking now and even on toast. I sometimes even prefer it to using olive oil because it adds more flavor and adds less fat. So next time you need butter or margarine or oil, give Smart Balance a whirl. It could make you a little happy, and that's the number one thing a great food should do.

Pop That Snack

It is always in my mission to discover healthy foods that are comforting as well. This can be even harder with snacks, as snacks theoretically should be limited in calories and fat, but typically contain quite a lot of calories, in order to feel comforting. When you snack, you want something munchy and crunchy and salty and tasty. And I want exactly that without the huge impact on the rest of my day. I discovered a great one that all you know about – popcorn. Air popped popcorn, sans extra fat and salt. The key here is to strip down this typically unhealthy, over-processed snack to its base – a whole grain, with fiber! Then, build it back up with healthier alternatives than butter or trans fat laden flavoring found in movie and bagged popcorn. Drizzling a little extra virgin olive oil and a little salt will allow you to control the fat, processed ingredients and sodium and still have it taste good. Or you could try melting some Smart Balance instead of butter – it tastes like butter or margarine but is made from olive oil and is actually pretty low in fat and cholesterol. But you want the number one thing to do with popcorn? One that will taste the best and add zero fat and zero calories to your lightly popped whole grains? Dijon mustard! Yes, you heard me right. Mix a healthy amount of any kind of spicy, horseradishy Dijon into the popcorn afterward and use your fingers or a spoon to incorporate it well into the popcorn. It already contains just the right amount of salt, moisture and flavoring to add to popcorn just what it needs to be a perfectly comforting snack. The taste is actually more interesting than butter or oil and really goes well. Once I tried it, I couldn’t stop eating it. And all I had to think about was a little fiber and a little salt. Not too bad for a snack, right? I know you want some now, so go air pop some popcorn and dress it up with mustard. And snack away, sans the guilt!