Nutella

Have you tried Nutella?  My curiosity got the better of me on this one.  I broke down and bought a jar of Nutella after hearing the claims that "moms can serve Nutella as part of a healthy breakfast" and "Nutella is made with skim milk, cocoa and hazelnuts."  Finding the product in the Peanut Butter isle at the store was a piece of cake.  The problem arose when the Nutrition Facts label revealed that Nutella has so much sugar it might as well be used to frost your cake! 

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Nutella, it is a creamy hazelnut spread made with skim milk, cocoa and a lot of sugar.  Originating in Europe, during World War II hazel nuts were cheap and abundant in Italy and when paired with cocoa the chocolaty formula was an inexpensive way to provide a treat because chocolate was in short supply during the war.  Fast forward 75 years and Nutella is reemerging as a "healthy" spread for toast, pancakes, waffles, crackers and much more because it has "nuts." 

Check out the "Skinny" on Nutella:

CreamySpread                                                   1 Tablespoon	Calories	Fat	Sat Fat	Protein	Carb	Sugar	Sodium
Nutella	100	6g	2g	1g	11g	10g	5mg
Chocolate Fudge Topping	67	2g	1g	1g	12g	6g	66mg
Chocolate Frosting	82	3.5g	1g	<1g	14g	12g	75mg
Almond Butter	101	9.5g	1g	2.5g	3.4	0g	2mg
Peanut Butter	94	8g	1.6g	4g	3g	1.5g	3mg

Bottom Line:  Nutella could be a lower sodium alternative to ready-made frosting on your cupcakes or you could use it on your ice cream in place of hot fudge for a sweet treat - but skip the toast or other "daily" items.  Eating this one out of the jar is not recommended!  Put something nutritious on your toast instead. Try peanut butter occasionally or slice up some fresh fruit.  Even a homemade jam without added sugar will be a better bet.  Skip the sugar altogether and melt a slice of skim milk cheese on your toast or english muffin in the morning...this will give you more protein for about the same amount of fat.