Butter is not more nutritious than soft spreads. In fact, butter is higher in saturated fat and cholesterol than soft spreads. Butter contains 7 grams of saturated fat and 30 mg of cholesterol in one tablespoon, whereas a soft spread, like I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!® contains 0 grams of trans fat, 0 mg cholesterol and 2 grams of saturated fat per serving. In addition, butter also contains more calories than most soft spreads.

Both butter and soft spreads contain vitamin A. Furthermore, soft spreads may be enriched with a variety of other nutrients such as vitamins E and D, and calcium; butter only contains traces of these nutrients

Margarine and soft spreads are similar, yet not the same. People tend to use these words interchangeably and often the dairy case in the grocery store is labeled as “margarine”. By FDA standards of identity, margarine must contain at least 80% fat and this fat can be from oils such as corn, safflower, soybean or sunflower. Margarine must contain at least 10% vitamin A and may include optional ingredients such as vitamin D. Margarine products on the market differ widely in fat content and fat composition. Soft or tub spread typically contain between 50-60% fat and are made with a blend of vegetable oils like canola, soybean, olive and sunflower. Spreads may also contain other nutrients such as vitamin E and may be enriched with vitamin D and calcium.

In general, soft or tub spreads are a better nutrition option than margarine because they are lower in fat, trans fat and saturated fat. Vegetable oil spreads are commonly termed soft margarine or “tub margarine”, and contain less fat than regular stick margarines. Moreover they have a better fat composition. Soft spreads such as I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!® also contain “essential fats” like omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and have 0 mg cholesterol and 0 grams trans fat per serving.

Margarine and soft/tub spreads labeled as reduced fat must contain at least 25% less fat than the reference or regular food whereas foods labeled as low fat contain 3 g or less fat per serving. Foods labeled as fat-free are less than 0.5 grams of fat per serving.

It is an urban myth that margarine and soft spreads are one molecule away from being plastic. Soft spreads are made from a blend of nutritious vegetable oils such as canola, soybean, corn, sunflower and/or olive oil. By selecting oils that are lower in saturated fat and rich in essential fats such as omega-3 ALA, we are able to make soft spreads that are nutritious as well as tasty and convenient to use.

Soft spreads are generally made with vegetable oils that are low in saturated fats, contain no cholesterol and are rich in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Soft spreads, such as I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!® actually contain 0 grams of trans fat per serving and only 2 grams of saturated fat per serving.

I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!® has 70% less saturated fat than butter. In one tablespoon, butter contains 7 grams of saturated fat and 30 mg of cholesterol.

Trans fat has always been part of the human diet and is found in a wide range of foods including beef, cheese, and butter. In addition, certain frying and baking fats including some spreads, many bakery products and processed foods may contain Trans fat. According to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, approximately 80% of the trans fat in the diet comes from prepackaged foods or animal sources—not margarine or soft spreads. Soft spreads, such as I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!® contain 0 grams of trans fat per serving.