McDonald's Looks To Make McMuffin 'Healthier' By Adding Real Butter, But Will That Really Make A Difference?

McDonald’s has never been associated with a healthy diet, but they’ve been putting in an effort recently, right? The fast food juggernaut has a new strategy for attracting customers with a healthier mindset and it involves switching out the margarine used to make its English muffins, biscuits, and bagels for real butter.

"We're proud to cook breakfast items on the grill with real butter and we toast our English Muffins, biscuits, and bagels with real butter too," read one sign at a McDonald’s location in Manhattan.

This isn’t the first time McDonald’s has tried to healthy up its breakfast menu, specifically its signature McMuffin. Back in 2013, the company released the Egg White Delight, a healthier spin of its famous breakfast item complete with two egg whites, white cheddar, and Canadian bacon on a whole grain English muffin. At 250 calories, it's most certainly a healthier option compared to other menu items.

McDonald's recent decision to switch to real butter after its liquid margarine supply runs out will clearly affect its customers with lactose intolerance, but is it really a healthier change or are they just swapping out one unhealthy ingredient for another? Well, when it comes to the great margarine vs. butter debate, sides are still split as to which one is considered “healthier.”

On one hand, we have margarine, which is made from vegetable oils, meaning it's high in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, also known as “good” fats. Margarine is often associated with better heart health due to the effect it has on reducing LDL or “bad” cholesterol. Butter is made from animal fat, which means more saturated fat.

Although most heart health experts, including the American Heart Association, condemn butter due to its high saturated fat and cholesterol content, not all margarine is created equal. Solid margarines tend to contain more trans fat than tub margarine. Like all things, deciding if butter or margarine is better for you comes down to nutritional facts.