Who is this choice for?

People preparing small meals for an older adult

When appetite is poor, butter can be considered as an addition to food if it fits the person’s dietary advice. Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust lists butter among food fortifiers.

Shoppers who need easier spreading

A tub may be more practical than a firm block for toast or sandwiches. Check the particular product’s directions: Sainsbury’s describes Kerrygold Spreadable 400g as spreadable straight from the fridge.

People comparing salt and saturated fat

Unsalted and lighter describe different attributes. Compare both salt and ‘of which saturates’ per 100g when either matters to the older person’s diet.

What should you check?

Start with how the butter will be used, then compare the nutrition label with any dietary requirements.

Priority What to check Your needs
Adding energy to meals Check whether adding butter to food fits the person’s dietary advice. Compare energy per 100g and consider how the product will be used in a small portion. I’m preparing small meals for someone with a poor appetite and want to add an ingredient without making the serving larger.
Ease of spreading Compare a block with a spreadable tub. Check whether the specific product is described as spreadable straight from the fridge and follow its storage directions. For toast or sandwiches, I’d rather not wait for a firm block to soften.
Saturated fat Compare ‘of which saturates’ per 100g for the exact variants. Lurpak lists 20g for Lighter Slightly Salted Spreadable and 35g for its regular Slightly Salted Spreadable. Lowering saturated fat matters here, so I need the label figure rather than an assumption based on whether the product is salted.
Salt Read salt per 100g on the current pack. Check saturated fat separately: an unsalted spread can still have a substantial saturates figure. I’m looking for less salt but don’t want to mistake ‘unsalted’ for ‘lower in saturated fat’.
Milk and pack details Check the current allergen statement, best-before date and storage instructions, especially when changing product or pack size. If the person has a milk allergy, I need to check the ingredients of butter blends as well as blocks.

Common buying mistakes

  • Looking for ‘pre-grated’ butter

    ‘Pre-grated’ describes a cheese format, not the block-versus-tub choice that matters when shopping for butter.

    For easier spreading, compare products labelled spreadable. For cooking, choose the format and nutrition label that fit the intended dish and dietary needs.

  • Reading ‘unsalted’ as ‘lower in saturated fat’

    Asda Groceries lists less than 0.01g salt but 35g saturates per 100g for Lurpak Unsalted Spreadable. Those are separate nutrition measures.

    Read the salt and ‘of which saturates’ lines independently when comparing variants.

  • Choosing lighter solely because the shopper is older

    A lighter spread may not fit a plan to add energy to small meals. West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust’s food-fortification guidance says full-fat foods and drinks provide more calories.

    Match the product to the person’s dietary advice, particularly if poor appetite and a restriction on fat both need consideration.

  • Overlooking milk and the current pack label

    Dairy butter and the butter blends described here contain milk. Ingredients, nutrition information and storage directions can differ between products and pack sizes.

    Check the pack’s allergen statement, nutrition panel and storage instructions before use.

Brand and retailer references

Lurpak

The products considered here include regular, unsalted and lighter spreadable butter-and-rapeseed-oil blends.

  • Lurpak lists 20g saturates per 100g for Lighter Slightly Salted Spreadable, compared with 35g for its regular Slightly Salted Spreadable.
  • Asda Groceries lists less than 0.01g salt but 35g saturates per 100g for the unsalted spreadable blend; low salt and lower saturated fat are not the same choice.

Anchor

The products considered here include a spreadable butter-and-rapeseed-oil blend and an unsalted butter block.

  • Asda Groceries lists 28g saturates per 100g for Anchor Spreadable Blend of Butter and Rapeseed Oil 400g.
  • Its listing for Anchor Unsalted Butter 200g gives 0.1g salt and 52g saturates per 100g. Compare the format and both nutrition figures, not just the brand.

Kerrygold

Kerrygold Spreadable 400g is a butter blend described by Sainsbury’s as spreadable straight from the fridge.

  • The fridge-spreadable description makes this particular product relevant when handling a firm block is inconvenient.
  • Sainsbury’s lists 27g saturates and 1.3g salt per 100g for this product; check the salt figure if reducing salt is the priority.

Tesco

Tesco Groceries groups butter and spreads into categories including block, spreadable, salted, unsalted and lighter products.

  • These categories provide a way to narrow the format before comparing individual labels.
  • A category name does not establish the ingredients or nutrition values of an individual pack.

Sainsbury’s

The Sainsbury’s Buttersoft Spreadable 500g listing describes a 78% blended spread.

  • Sainsbury’s lists 35.2g saturates and 1.01g salt per 100g, allowing a comparison with other labelled spreadables.
  • Check the current pack when buying, as product information can change.

Joybuy product options

This option is ghee for cooking, rather than a conventional butter block or a tub intended for spreading on toast.

Laila Pure Butter Ghee 500G

Laila Pure Butter Ghee 500G

A butter-derived option for adding to food during cooking, not a confirmed straight-from-the-fridge spread. It contains milk; check the pack’s saturated fat and storage information against the intended use.

View on Joybuy

Frequently asked questions

Is ‘pre-grated butter’ what I should look for?

No: for this shopping decision, compare a butter block with a spreadable tub instead. ‘Pre-grated’ describes cheese; if ease of use matters, check whether the particular butter product is described as spreadable from the fridge.

Can butter be added when an older person has a poor appetite?

Butter is one food fortifier listed by Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for adding to meals. Whether that approach fits an individual depends on their dietary advice; it should not replace prescribed restrictions.

Should I choose unsalted or lighter spreadable butter?

Choose according to the nutrient you need to compare: unsalted addresses salt, while a lighter variant can have a different fat and saturates figure. Asda Groceries lists less than 0.01g salt and 35g saturates per 100g for Lurpak Unsalted Spreadable; Lurpak lists 20g saturates and 0.91g salt per 100g for Lighter Slightly Salted Spreadable.

What should I check on the pack before buying?

Check the current allergen statement for milk, along with the nutrition panel, best-before date and storage instructions. This is especially important when switching between a block, a spreadable blend and a different pack size.