Several years ago, after there was a lot of media attention about the dangers of saturated fat, everyone switched from butter to margarine. Then we were told that margarine isn't any healthier because it contains trans fat. Everyone wonders, "what should I do?"

Stick margarines contain trans fats, the artery-clogging fats formed when unsaturated or polyunsaturated liquid fats are put into a vacuum and blasted with hydrogen. This hydrogenation causes the fat to harden which makes it more suitable for use in cooking the many foods, especially baked goods, that require the fat to be sticky. However, even when you account for the trans fats, margarines still contain less total artery-clogging fat than butter even though it is considerably higher in saturated fat. That's why most nutritionists will tell you to stick with margarine.

This focus on "which fat" we should eat is a waste of energy. If you lower your total added fat consumption it doesn't matter which fat you choose. Be wise. When you need the rich taste of butter on a food to make it more sumptuous, use butter. (But don't put it on top of an already fatty croissant or other fatty food.) If you are making a salad consider using the rich in taste olive oil remembering that one teaspoon can go a long way if you toss and toss and toss the salad. For stir frying, use peanut oil because it tolerates high heat without smoking or burning. For general cooking use polyunsaturated plant oils like canola oil or safflower oil or sunflower oil. When you choose margarine, choose brands that are soft or liquid.

Variety! It's the spice of life.