They may be taking over social media but too much of the butter board could also take years off your life.
The viral butter board trend — a take on the humble charcuterie board — is as it sounds: butter on a wooden board with various toppings added artfully thrown on top.
Dietitians have weighed in on the viral trend — which has 244.6 million views on TikTok — reminding board enthusiasts that at the end of the day, you are just eating butter which can have some fire health effects.
“They are fun and beautiful, but remember, butter is high in saturated fat which is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease,” Caroline Susie, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics told The Post.
Susie says the American Heart Association recommends aiming for 5-6% of the calories you consume come from saturated fat, and eating too much saturated fat can increase your LDL levels — or the harmful cholesterol.
“if your needs require 2000 calories a day [then] no more than 120 of them should come from saturated fat or about 13 grams of saturated fat a day,” Susie explains. “One tablespoon butter has 7 grams of saturated fat to put that into perspective.”
TikToker and food blogger Justine Doiron first kicked off the butter board trend in a now-viral TikTok that’s been viewed over 8 million times, showing her smearing butter on a board and decorating it with sauces, spices, fruits or edible flowers. The butter can then be scooped up by partygoers with bread or crackers.
The trend — which is a twist on the usual charcuterie board — enchanted some users and disgusted others. While some users declared it a “heart attack on a board,” others were charmed by whimsical look of the boards.
Some took it a step further, switching out butter and replacing it with cream cheese, goat cheese or Nutella.
If you want to steer clear from butter altogether, Susie recommends opting for a ‘hummus board’ instead.
“Or a combination of 1/3 hummus, 1/3 smashed avocado, and 1/3 nut butter,” she suggested. “Nut butters and avocados have a more favorable lipid profile compared to butter.”