Photo: Sviat Studio/ShutterstockSorry, but Nutella isn’t as healthy as you think
You’ve always been able to skip the guilt when spreading Nutella on your morning toast because it’s advertised to be relatively healthy— you can get in your chocolate fix while not gaining the extra pounds, or so you think. But we hate to break it to you: when you break down all of the ingredients in the hazelnut spread, it’s really not that healthy. You might actually be better off eating a candy bar for breakfast. (Instead, try these healthy breakfast ideas.)
A jar of Nutella only contains five ingredients: cocoa, palm oil, hazelnuts, sugar, and skimmed milk powder. Advertisers play up the fact that it’s a delicious hazelnut spread with no artificial colours or preservatives so you feel good about eating it daily or giving it to your kids. But, what they don’t outright say is that more than half of the jar is pure sugar.
The nutrition label states that each jar contains 21 grams of sugar per 37 grams of spread. Then, the second most used ingredient is palm oil, which is solid fat. So, you’re really not getting that much hazelnut. (Think twice before eating these 10 breakfast foods.)
To promote healthy eating, Ferrero, the company that makes Nutella said, “One of Ferrero’s core nutritional beliefs is that small portion sizes help people to enjoy their favourite foods in moderation. The labelling on all our products enables consumers to make informed choices and helps ensure that Nutella can be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet.”
If this doesn’t scare you out of eating the delicious chocolaty spread, maybe just cut back on the portion size a little.
Plus: 27 Foods You Should Never Ever Buy Again
Originally published as Once You See What Nutella Is Made Up Of, You’ll Never Want to Eat It Again on ReadersDigest.com.
