I checked several websites for info. about cooking with non-hydrogenated margarine. The Earth Balance and Smart Balance blends are acceptable to use for cooking ... at lower temperatures, shorter cooking time. So gentle sautéeing on medium-low for scrambled eggs is fine. Used in a recipe for something baked quickly such as muffins would be fine.

Long-cooking and higher temps will alter the fatty acid bonds, changing their structure from a "good" fat to that of a "bad" fat.

The best fats suited to higher cooking temperatures are naturally saturated fats, since the fatty acid bonds are more stable. Butter, rendered natural fat from unprocessed meats (poultry fat such as chicken or goose is divine, like silk ), unrefined coconut or palm oil .. are all good to use for frying. Protein Power Lifeplan has a list of which fats are best suited to different cooking applications (p. 320)


hth,

Doreen