You should limit the amount of sugar in your diet whenever possible by eating less sugary foods and reducing the amount of sweetened drinks in your diet. It was originally created in Italy during World War II when baker Pietro Ferrero added ground hazelnuts to a chocolate spread to make up for a shortage of cocoa in the country. Although Nutella is currently classified as a dessert topping, Ferrero has been pushing to have the spread reclassified as a breakfast topping, similar to jam. What makes Nutella so calorie-dense is the high amount of fat it contains. After sugar, palm oil is the second most abundant ingredient in Nutella. Nutella is a sweetened hazelnut cocoa spread made by Ferrero, an Italian company that’s the third-largest chocolate producer in the world.

While Nutella is advertised as a hazelnut spread, sugar is listed first on the ingredient label. This is because sugar is its primary ingredient, comprising 57% of its weight. For these reasons, foods with high amounts of added sugar, such as Nutella, should be kept to a minimum. High in Fat and Calories Commercials highlight its “simple” and “quality” ingredients, such as hazelnuts and skim milk, but never mention the ingredients that make up the majority of the spread — sugar and fat. One could argue that the limited ingredients found in Nutella make it a better option than other more processed dessert spreads.While there is no question that Nutella tastes good, it should not be considered a healthy ingredient. Loaded With Sugar Using this rule, a woman or child would be close to their added sugar limit for the entire day after consuming just 2 tablespoons (37 grams) of Nutella. In fact, the American Heart Association recommends that women and children consume no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams) of added sugar per day, while men should limit their intake to 9 teaspoons (38 grams) ( 3).

Vanillin: A flavor component found naturally in vanilla bean extract. Nutella contains a synthetic form of vanillin. We’re about one week into the new year, which means you’ve no doubt been hitting the gym, cutting out sugar, and subsisting on a diet of steamed broccoli. Well, it’s time to give up on all of those resolutions you were going to abandon before February anyway and make a beeline to your nearest Costco. For example, the average American adult consumes 19.5 teaspoons (82 grams) of added sugar a day, while children consume around 19 teaspoons (78 grams) per day ( 9, 10). Nut butters, including peanut butter, almond butter and cashew butter, are also high in calories and fat. However, natural nut butters offer far more nutritional benefits than Nutella.

Hazelnuts: 100% pure hazelnut paste. Each jar contains the equivalent of around 50 of these sweet nuts. While some nut butters do contain oils and added sugars, natural nut butters only contain nuts and sometimes salt.

What’s more, most natural nut butters contain less than 1 gram of sugar per serving, which is a major difference from the 5 teaspoons (21 grams) of sugar found in one serving of Nutella. Eating one or two servings of it every day could lead to weight gain over time, especially for a child.Being overweight or obese increases the risk of many chronic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers ( 7). It Is More “Natural” Than Some Similar Products However, don’t be fooled into thinking that it makes a healthy addition to your diet or your child’s toast or sandwich, no matter what advertisements may suggest. Summary While it does contain vanillin, a synthetic form of vanilla flavoring, the rest of its ingredients are natural.

This change may not seem important, but it could have a major impact on how consumers perceive its nutritional value. Sugar: Either beet or refined cane sugar, depending upon where it’s produced. Sugar is its largest component. As you can see, natural almond butter provides many important nutrients that the body needs to function and thrive. Although Nutella does contain a small amount of hazelnut paste, it should not be used as a nut butter substitute.

This chocolate and hazelnut spread is consumed in many ways and commonly used as a topping for breakfast toast, pancakes and waffles.