Grass-Fed Butter vs. Regular Butter: What’s the Difference?
Nutrition & FitnessDiet & Nutrition

Grass-Fed Butter vs. Regular Butter: Which Is Healthier?

Grass-Fed Butter vs. Regular Butter: Which Is Healthier?
iStock (3); Everyday Health
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Updated on January 28, 2026
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No matter your favorite dish to cook or treat to bake, there’s no denying that butter is a refrigerator staple. And with butter consumption in the United States rising steadily since 2010, there’s really no need to argue that point.

However, when you’re at the grocery store actually buying a package of the yellowy goodness, you might find the variety of options overwhelming. For instance, what’s the difference between grass-fed and regular butter?

As it turns out, data supports that grass-fed and regular butter aren’t identical in terms of appearance, taste, or nutrition. Here, learn the key intel you need to know to help you make the most informed butter-buying decision possible.

The Definitions of Grass-Fed Butter vs. Regular Butter

The primary difference between grass-fed and regular butter is what the butter-producing cows eat, says Malina Malkani, RDN, founder and CEO of Malina Malkani Nutrition, who is based in Rye, New York.

Grass-fed butter comes from cows that graze on — you guessed it — grass, while regular butter comes from cows with a grain-based diet. This disparity in the cows’ diets can result in a few key differences in the butter they yield.

Key Differences Between Grass-Fed and Regular Butter

So, should you buy grass-fed or regular butter? Anecdotal and scientific evidence backs up the notion that grass-fed may be the better option to add to your cart at the grocery store thanks to its better marks in terms of appearance, taste, and nutritional content.

Appearance

To some, grass-fed butter may look more appealing than regular butter. Indeed, research notes that grass-grazed cows lead to butter that’s superior in texture and functional characteristics, like its reduced hardness (making it more spreadable) and increased yellow color. And that color isn’t just visually pleasing: It’s also associated with increased carotenoids, which are compounds associated with protective antioxidant properties.

Taste

“While the flavor of grass-fed butter will change depending on the location and time of year that the cows grazed, the taste is generally richer and more intensely butter-flavored than regular butter,” Malkani says.

Nutritional Content

Grass-fed butter may have a stronger spread of nutritional benefits than its regular-butter counterpart. Potential benefits of grass-fed butter include its additional contents of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and unsaturated fat (as opposed to saturated fat). These characteristics are generally a boon to heart health, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).

Grass-fed butter also has greater amounts of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a group of fatty acids that may help lower your risk of heart disease, says Malkani.

Some people tout CLAs as also being beneficial for fat loss, but the scientific evidence for that claim is weak, says Sonya Angelone, RDN, a nutrition consultant in San Francisco. What’s more, you’d have to consume 3,000 to 6,000 milligrams (mg) of CLAs per day to see benefits. One tablespoon (tbsp) of grass-fed butter has only about 300 mg, she says.

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Regardless of Type, Use Butter With Discretion

Some people, like those following a keto meal plan, say focusing on consuming grass-fed butter helps keep them fuller longer (thanks to the high fat content) and aids weight loss. However, the scientific evidence for these claims is lacking.

Plus, butter doesn’t provide your body everything it needs. For instance, it lacks protein, fiber, and other important vitamins and minerals, which are key to balanced meals.

And while grass-fed butter may have higher unsaturated fat than regular butter, both still include plenty of saturated fat, which you’re better off limiting in your diet.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend adults limit their saturated fat intake to no more than 10 percent of their daily calories. For reference, that’s no more than 200 calories, or about 22 grams (g), of saturated fat when following a daily diet of 2,000 calories.

 (The AHA’s recommendation is even more stringent: It suggests limiting saturated fat intake to less than 6 percent of daily calories, or about 120 calories in a 2,000-calorie diet per day. That comes out to 13 g of saturated fat max daily.)

Your best move to preserve your health and potentially even lifespan is to limit the amount of butter (grass-fed or regular) that you consume on a daily basis. And if you have heart disease, it may be best to avoid butter of any kind, Angelone says. “The American Heart Association still recommends that people limit their consumption of foods high in saturated fat, since saturated fats raise LDL cholesterol, and elevated LDL cholesterol is associated with heart disease,” she explains.

To help you fill the butter gap in recipes you’re cooking, consider swapping out for a healthier alternative.

The Takeaway

  • The key difference between grass-fed butter and regular butter is that grass-fed comes from cows that graze on grass while regular comes from cows that graze on grain.
  • Grass-fed butter is a preferable option in terms of nutrition, taste, and appearance.
  • Still, it’s wise to limit your overall intake of butter in order to consume less saturated fats, which compromise heart health. Instead, explore using butter alternatives in your recipes.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Per Capita Consumption of Butter in the United States From 2000 to 2023 (In Pounds). Statista. November 2025.
  2. Timlin M et al. Pasture Feeding Improves the Nutritional, Textural, and Technofunctional Characteristics of Butter. Journal of Dairy Science. August 2024.
  3. Fats in Foods. American Heart Association. January 9, 2026.
  4. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025–2030. U.S. Department of Agriculture. January 2026.
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Roxana Ehsani, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN

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Roxana Ehsani, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN, is a Washington, DC–based registered dietitian-nutritionist, board-certified specialist in sports dietetics, and media spokesperson, consultant, and content creator for food and nutrition brands.

Ehsani has appeared as a food and nutrition expert for television stations across the nation and in national publications, including Runner's World, Women's Health, and Glamour, and is a contributing writer for EatingWell. She has a strong background in sports nutrition and has worked with professional, Olympic, collegiate, and high school teams and individual athletes.

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Lauren Bedosky is an experienced health and fitness writer. She regularly contributes to top websites and publications like Men's Health, Women's Health, MyFitnessPal, SilverSneakers, Runner's World, Experience Life, Prevention, AARP, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, UnitedHealthcare, Livestrong, Fitness, Shape, Family Circle, Healthline, Self, Redbook, and Women's Running.

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