Butter, salted
About 100 kcal per tablespoon and mostly saturated fat, so use it sparingly.
1 Amount
How it fits your macros
Get your daily targets with the macro calculator to see what share of your day this portion covers.
Butter, salted for gym-goers
Per 100 g, butter, salted provides 717 kcal, 0.9 g protein, 0.1 g carbohydrate (0 g fiber, 0.1 g sugars) and 81.1 g fat (51.4 g saturated). Most of what it brings is fat. Add a protein source to turn it into a balanced meal.
A typical serving (1 tbsp, about 14 g) comes to roughly 100 kcal and 0.1 g protein.
These are typical averages. Brand, variety, ripeness and cooking method all shift the numbers, so weigh food in the same state (raw or cooked) as the entry you log.
About Butter, salted
This entry is salted butter, made by churning cream until the fat separates from the buttermilk. It's about 81% fat rather than 100% like oils, because some water and traces of milk solids remain, so it has fewer calories per gram than olive oil or ghee. Roughly half its total weight is saturated fat, and the salted version carries a fair amount of sodium compared with unsalted butter.
In a gym diet
There's almost no protein in butter, so it's there for flavor and calories only. On a bulk, a knob on toast, potatoes or rice is an easy calorie bump. On a cut, save it for small measured amounts where the taste really matters.
Preparation and cooking
The milk solids make butter brown and burn at fairly low temperatures. Use it for gentle cooking, finishing sauces or baking, not hard searing. Weighing cold butter is far more accurate than estimating a scrape on a knife.
Buying and storage
Unsalted gives you control over sodium and is the usual choice for baking. With spreadable products, check whether it's pure butter or a blend with vegetable oils, which changes the fat profile. Keep it refrigerated and well wrapped, since it picks up fridge odors; it also freezes well for months.
Things to watch
Salted butter is high in saturated fat and sodium, so if you've been told to limit either, follow your clinician's guidance on portions. It contains milk proteins and small amounts of lactose, which matters with a milk allergy.
Meal ideas
- Breakfast: two eggs scrambled in a teaspoon of butter on wholegrain toast with spinach.
- Bulking side: steamed potatoes finished with butter, chives and a pinch of black pepper.
- Post-workout dinner: seared steak with rice and a small spoon of garlic butter on top.
Nutrient highlights
None of the tracked vitamins and minerals reaches 10% of the Daily Value per 100 g, so you're eating it mainly for its macros.
How it ranks among 12 Fats & Oils
| Protein per 100 kcal | 0.1 g | #6 of 12 |
| Protein per 100 g | 0.9 g | #5 of 12 |
| Fiber per 100 g | 0 g | #3 of 12 |
| Lowest calories per 100 g | 717 kcal | #6 of 12 |
Ranked within this category of the gym.diet food database (1 = best for that measure).
Similar foods
Mayonnaise, regular
680 kcal · P 1 · C 0.6 · F 74.9
→Ghee / clarified butter
876 kcal · P 0.3 · C 0 · F 99.5
→Flaxseed oil
884 kcal · P 0.1 · C 0 · F 100
→Olive oil (incl. extra virgin)
884 kcal · P 0 · C 0 · F 100
→Coconut oil
892 kcal · P 0 · C 0 · F 99.1
→Avocado oil
884 kcal · P 0 · C 0 · F 100
Source
Approximate per-100 g values compiled from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy / Foundation Foods), rounded. Daily Values are the U.S. FDA reference amounts for adults (2,000 kcal diet).
Frequently asked questions
How many calories are in butter, salted?
Butter, salted has about 717 kcal per 100 g, or roughly 100 kcal per 1 tbsp (14 g).
How much protein is in butter, salted?
About 0.9 g of protein per 100 g and 0.1 g per 1 tbsp. That works out to 0.1 g per 100 kcal, so it's not primarily a protein source.
Is butter, salted good for cutting or bulking?
It's calorie-dense, which makes a bulking surplus easier to reach. When cutting, keep an eye on portions.
Is butter or margarine better for a gym diet?
Calories are about the same, so the difference is the fat profile. Soft spreads made from vegetable oils are usually lower in saturated fat; butter has a simpler ingredient list. Plenty of lifters use a little butter for taste and plant oils for everyday cooking.
How much sodium does salted butter add?
Roughly 90 mg per tablespoon: modest, but noticeable.
Nutrition Facts
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. Values approximate.