The Bad: Nutrition
The Basics: Nutella Hazelnut Spread might taste great, but it is atrocious on the health front, making it hard to get excited about!
When my wife’s family came to visit, they came bearing several treats, none of which were particularly healthy! Chief among these was Nutella hazelnut spread, which was remarkably similar to the Jif Mocha Cappuccino Hazelnut Spread (reviewed here!) that we tried once upon a time. This was actually only my second time having Nutella. The last time I had Nutella was during my divorce and it was in the company of people I ended up not being particularly fond of. Fortunately, second impressions can be much better and this time, I found myself enjoying Nutella with pretzels and since they left, I have been enjoying the spread quite a bit.
Unfortunately, the more I consider Nutella (and I swear, my expanding waistline as a result), the less I am impressed by the spread.
Basics
Nutella Hazelnut Spread is a chocolatey flavored nut spread produced by Ferrero. It is a spread that has been in wide use in Europe for decades and is slowly spreading across the U.S. in mainstream culture to make us all fat, but satisfied. Nutella is a spread that is both a decent replacement for peanut butter and a worthwhile substitute for frosting!
Nutella’s Hazelnut Spread comes in the company’s standard 13 oz. plastic jar. The Hazelnut Spread is dark brown and creamy and the container comes with an easy to unscrew lid that keeps it fresh use after use!
Ease Of Preparation
Nutella is a peanut butter-like spread, so there is not much needed in terms of preparation. Simply unscrew the plastic cap, tear off the foil safety seal below that and consume! It is that simple.
Of course, most people use nut spreads as a component in recipes as opposed to a food on its own. For those who actually want to use this spread for sandwiches or to frost cookies or a cake, this is an exceptionally easy-to-use spread. It spreads very easily and it does not get hard.
Taste
Opening the container of Nutella Hazelnut Spread, the dominant aroma is milk chocolate. Smelling deeper than the slightly burnt hazelnut aroma, the Nutella is actually most aromatically represented by a cocoa scent that is very inviting.
In the mouth, Nutella Hazelnut Spread is sweet and is dominated by a strong, milk chocolate flavor. Any hint of nuts is buried by the cocoa flavor and the sweetness of the added sugar. Hazelnuts may be the medium, but they contribute nothing to the taste of the Nutella Hazelnut Spread. On the taste front, this is more like eating chocolate frosting than it is peanut butter!
Nutrition
On the nutrition front, Nutella bears several similarities to frosting as well. Given that the spread is made largely of sugar, palm oil, and hazelnuts, this was never going to be a nutritious product. There is nothing unpleasant or seemingly toxic in this spread, though; its ingredients are just inherently bad for you.
A 2 Tbsp serving of Nutella Hazelnut Spread has 200 calories, 110 of which are from fat. Those 12 grams of fat represent 18% of one’s RDA of tat. Unsurprisingly, one serving is 7% of your RDA of carbohydrates and only 2 grams protein in this spread. There are, however, 15 mg of sodium in the nut spread and the 4 grams of saturated fat in this represent 20% of one’s RDA! This is not a food to try to live off of.
Storage/Cleanup
Keep the spread sealed and it will last for quite some time. The container my in-laws bought a week ago would have expired in August 2013, had I not eaten it all up! This spread remains supple and spreadable indefinitely.
As a product made mostly of sugar, the Nutella Hazelnut Spread is very easy to clean up. Simply washing it off with hot water helps clean off anything this gets on.
Overall
Nutella Hazelnut Spread is good-tasting, but not at all nutritious. For those needing to fatten up quick, though, it is hard to think of a more delightful way to do that!
For other food reviews, please check out my reviews of:
Domino Light Organic Agave Nectar
Stevia In The Raw
Kernel Season's Parmesan & Garlic Popcorn Seasoning
6/10
For other food reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!
© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |
No comments:
Post a Comment