It’s become so popular that many restaurants now serve Nutella has an ingredient to dishes in their dessert menu.
Believing the spread to be nothing more than a jar full of nutritious hazelnuts and a bit of chocolate, parents usually feed this to their kids as part of a balanced breakfast.
And the marketing is partially right (if not a complete lie) – it can be a PART of a balanced breakfast. I mean, if you’re eating a healthy, organic, no-preservatives-added breakfast and Nutella just happens to be on the side, you might be able to get away with eating a good meal. This does not, however, mean Nutella is good for you.
Nutella Health Benefits Are Nonexistent
With only 10% of the actual spread containing hazelnuts, you can probably guess that Nutella, in fact, has no health benefits at all. And the very least of them is that Nutella is a great way to start your kid’s day off.
Just two tablespoons of Nutella contains 11 grams of fat (3.5g saturated), and 21 grams of sugar, pushing this “healthy” spread to 200 calories. A normal chocolate and nut bar contains 12-16 grams of fat and is 250 calories.
So basically, you’re 1 gram and 50 calories away from eating a candy bar for breakfast.
The ingredient list for Nutella, as published on the jar, contains:
“Sugar, palm oil, hazelnuts, cocoa, skim milk, reduced minerals whey (milk), soy lecithin as emulsifier, vanillin: an artificial flavor”
Not even mentioning the fact that sugar is the number one ingredient with hazelnuts finishing up in third place, let’s take an in-depth look at some of these “natural” ingredients.
Not even mentioning the fact that sugar is the number one ingredient with hazelnuts finishing up in third place, let’s take an in-depth look at some of these “natural” ingredients.
Palm Oil
A human trial taking place in 1997 found that an active ingredient in palm oil raises blood cholesterol levels.
In 1999, a study published the dangers of oxidized palm oil, found in most processed foods like Nutella. When oxidized, palm oil creates reproductive toxicity and is toxic to the kidney, liver, lungs and heart. Oh, and the cultivation of palm oil is literally killing our ecosystem and wiping our wildlife.
In 1999, a study published the dangers of oxidized palm oil, found in most processed foods like Nutella. When oxidized, palm oil creates reproductive toxicity and is toxic to the kidney, liver, lungs and heart. Oh, and the cultivation of palm oil is literally killing our ecosystem and wiping our wildlife.
Reduced Minerals Whey
Whey is the product of cows that have been fed GMOs, hormones and antibiotics.
It’s made with heat to dry out the whey. This process removes over 90% of the original minerals found in whey, making it completely useless as a source of nutrition.
It’s made with heat to dry out the whey. This process removes over 90% of the original minerals found in whey, making it completely useless as a source of nutrition.
Soy Lecithin
Soy lecithin is produced when a chemical solvent extracts soybean oil from raw soybeans. It is then “degummed” by water until the lecithin is separated from the oil.
It’s usually bleached in a dried stated with hydrogen peroxide.
It’s usually bleached in a dried stated with hydrogen peroxide.
Vanillin
Chemically made in a lab using petroleum, Vanillin is 95% of only the scent of vanilla leaving barely a trace of any real vanilla.
Vanillin also contains MSG which has harmful levels of glutamate and excitotoxin. Many scientists believe excitotoxin aids the development of numerous neurological disorders, including seizures and migraines.
Sources: www.fhfn.org
