My favorite way to eat Nutella is with a spoon, and when the jar is "empty" I fill it with ice cream to get the leftover Nutella off the inside of the jar. I LOVE Nutella, but I have accepted the unfortunate truth that the chocolate-hazelnut spread that was sent from the gods is actually bad for me. Why is Nutella bad for you? It all comes down to your sugar intake, among many other things.
Pour Some Sugar on Me
The American Heart Association recommends that women should not consume more than 6 teaspoons, or 100 calories, of added sugar a day and no more than 9 teaspoons, or 150 calories, of added sugar for men. Meghan Telpner, a certified holistic nutritionist, explains how bad Nutella is for us. She explains that in the 2 tablespoon serving size is equivalent to 5 teaspoons of sugar.
This amount of sugar is 83% of recommended sugar intake for women, and who can stop at just one serving? This amount of sugar will make you buzzed in the morning, with an exhausting plummet later in the day.
Telpner also explains that not only is Nutella packed with sugar but, what we put Nutella on most likely has sugar too. I'm looking at you, toaster waffles. Nutella, as good as it is, is basically cake frosting that we put on toast.
Nutella Has Fat, and Not The Good Kind
The second item on the list of ingredients in Nutella is palm oil. Not only is palm oil a climate change concern and humanitarian problem, but palm oil is just not good for you. It is high in saturated fats which are an unhealthy option compared to the healthy fats in nuts and avocados.
Though some fats are better than others, and everything is okay once in a while in moderation, Nutella just takes it above and beyond. It also doesn't help that when we tend to eat Nutella, we binge and eat half the jar.
As much as I would love to keep living in ignorance and say no when people ask "Is Nutella bad for you?", the verdict is in and sadly Nutella is bad for you. However, I don't see any reason not have it once in awhile. It is one of my favorite treats, after all.
I think we can all keep it in moderation. Instead of Nutella toast for breakfast, we can switch to an awesome meal prepped breakfast burrito. Once in a while, satisfy your sweet tooth with a healthier Nutella tart. We don't need to go cold turkey here.