I Can't Believe it's Not Butter spray is full of fat -- Buyer Beware!

Posted on Jun 1st 2007 2:27PM by Fitz K.

Filed Under: Healthy Habits, Womens Health, Cellulite, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment, Reviews & Products, Nutrition & Supplements, Men's Health

One of the most frustrating things to me, as a fitness trainer is to see people who work so hard towards fitness get duped. The I Can't Believe it's Not Butter spray is one of those things. Now....I'm not suggesting the folks who make that product are liars. Cause they're not. I think the idea of their product is incredibly deceptive though, due to the fine print.

Did you know that the I Can't Believe it's Not Butter spray has zero calories and fat ONLY IF YOU USE 1.25 sprays. WHAT!? Who does that? If you use any larger portion though.....you're screwed. And how exactly do you accomplish a .25 spray?One teaspoon bags 20 calories and 2 grams of fat. Most people never read that fine print. In fact, most folks I know claim to pour it on their rice, pasta, and bread because they truly believe it's a completely fat-free product. Who knows how many thousands of fat calories these poor people have been unknowingly consuming for years? Do you think it's fair and reasonable for them to advertise ZERO CALORIES on the front of the bottle?

When I lecture on fitness I always address this topic, and I can't tell you how many jaws come crashing to the ground when I drop this information bomb. First looks I get are of shock. Second looks I get are of pure anger. They feel cheated and they have every right to. Of course, it would be nice if they read the ingredient lists which lists OIL as it's number two ingredient. But I still feel bad for the consumer, because they are lead to believe the product is completely fat-free and can be used at leisure. Fortunately though, I've found an amazing substitution which is legitimately fat-free, low in calories and delicious. I even bake with it!

Smart Squeeze by SmartBeat (SmartBalance) is the product I discovered many years ago, when I caught on to the ICBINB deal. The main ingredients in Smart Squeeze are water, food starch, and salt. The serving size is one tablespoon which yields only FIVE calories and ZERO fat. The taste is spectacular as well, just like creamy butter. And if you don't trust me.......trust the thousands of folks I've introduced it to during those lectures. Do I work for Smart Squeeze? NO! Would they be smart to hire me? YES! That's irrelevant to you though.

I make a habit of convincing my audiences that there are delicious and healthier options to butter and oil by walking around the room and squeezing a little drop of Smart Squeeze on everyone's finger. They all light up with excitement for the taste they love without the curse of weight gain to go with it.

So. Having said all that. If you love ICBINB and don't care about all the fat, by all means....continue using it. (Or just stick to that 1.25 spray) If you're looking for a legitimate low calorie, fat free option........try Smart Squeeze by SmartBeat.

**Smart Squeeze by SmartBeat is sold throughout the U. S. in various grocery stores. If you can't find one near you, visit the SmartBalance website and click on the "where to buy" box. Smart Squeeze is listed asSmart Beat FF Squeeze Margarine 1# .

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Tags: beat, believe, better, beware, butter, buyer, can't, fat, fitz, fitzness, food, free, hydrogenated, i, ingredients, it's, liar, margarine, not, oil, partially, salt, smar, smart, smartbalance, smartbeat, spray, squeeze, starch, substitution, tasty, water

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Tim UF 6-01-2007 @ 3:23PM

Mark Twain said it best "theres three kinds of lies: Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics"

This is an ethically grey are for me. If they (the marketing side of food engineering companies) make the servings small enough, then they can claim absurd things like "0g fat" and then in the fine print actually show content in practical serving sizes...

sarah 6-01-2007 @ 3:32PM

Condiments, like everything else, vary in nutritional value according to portion size. The problem is not only that product labels lure us in with "0 Calories!" in bright red font, it is also that we are not aware enough to actually read the rest of the label.

Smartbalance seems like a better product nutritionally, however, not practicing portion control with it will also lead to excess calories. The "0 Calories!" label on I Can't Believe it's Not Butter spray is deceptive, but it's not a lie, since it's based on serving size. What is really unreasonable is that we aren't taught the critical thinking skills or common sense necessary to read the label or the self-restraint to practice portion control.

Crabby McSlacker 6-01-2007 @ 7:17PM

This issue makes me furious--so often products that are full of fat, and even transfats, desiginate completely ridiculous serving sizes, then "round" the fat down to zero. Often, they won't even have on the label anywhere what the actual fat content is. So people think there's no fat when there's a ton.

Why the FDA (or whoever is in charge) allows this is beyond me.

Thanks for the tip on the Smart Squeeze.

(Is Crabby always this grouchy? Yes, unfortunately she is. Visit her at her own whiny health blog, http://crankyfitness.blogspot.com/)

Fash 6-02-2007 @ 11:23AM

I'll look for the Smart Squeeze. However, I'm skeptical about any success you might have had baking with it. Fabulous baked goods need fat 99.99% of the time. If baked goods are merely passable, then they're not worth eating.

Anyway, I currently have ICBINB spray in my fridge and most often use it on popcorn. I have never POURED it on anything and those who did were just willfully keeping their heads in the sand. Like you said, oil is listed as the first ingredient, hence it cannot possibly be fat free. They just chose not to do any additional research beyond the label. Granted, it would help if the label listed calories per POUR, but low-fat ice cream doesn't list calories per shovel, either.

Sprays are an easy way to control portions. Count to twenty and you're done. It's much more convenient than getting out the tablespoon to dig into the ICBIMB lite spread (and with 2 grams of fat vs. 5 grams, it might be a better all around option for some).

chris 6-26-2007 @ 4:44AM

i think i cant believe its not butter should make a commercial with like someone using a different butter then
the s.w.a.t coming in and saying like drop the butter or something like that it would pretty clever