The Truth about Nutella

There seems to be a lot of talk about Nutella in my world! My husband LOVES Nutella- seems like the rest of the world does too! The big question – Is Nutella GOOD or BAD for you?

The Nutella website claims that Nutella is full of energy- “Spread some Energy”. TRUE!  Yes Nutella is full of energy, however the majority of this energy comes from sugar, creating an initial “high” and then a crash shortly after. Also, since cocoa is an ingredient in Nutella, there are traces of caffeine in a yummy morning tablespoon serving! (Coffee plus Nutella sounds even better, don’t you think?… mmmm Nutella Mocha) Problem: Sugar high=Sugar Low. Solution? More Nutella and then an afternoon nap!

Lets look at the ingredients. This delicious spread is made from the combination of roasted hazelnuts, skim milk and a touch of cocoa. Healthy right? It also has no artificial colors or preservatives. BUT Nutella conveniently forgets to mention that the two MAIN ingredients are sugar and modified palm oil (I like to forget about that part). The truth is that Nutella’s slogan should actually be: “Nutella is a yummy sugary, modified oil spread, with delicious hazelnuts, tons of cocos and “touch” of skim milk power”. Yes, the ugly truth told like a fairy tale.

I Like to compare Nutella with our other yummy friend, Peanut Butter. When compared, both have the same amount of calories per serving: 1 tbsp= 100 calories. Peanut Butter has more fat than Nutella, however PB is actually a natural fat which is better for you and not modified. The reason Nutella appears to have less fat, is mostly because there is much more sugar in it acting as a filler.  Okay so the most staggering difference  between PB and Nutella is the sugar content! Unfortunately it’s bad,  11g vs 1g.  My solution- adding an extra 10 minutes on the treadmill!

Comparing Nutella & Peanut Butter just makes me think of how wonderful the combination of both would taste! Thank goodness for my amazing friend Mary, the creator of Delightful Bitefuls with the perfect recipe! (She can’t seem to get her hands off the Nutella too!)

You NEED to try her Peanut Butter Nutella Cookie Cups! They are out of this world amazing!