The truth about Nutella (and the healthiest ways to eat it)

Telegraph

2 days ago

Spread it on toast, drizzle it on pancakes, add it to desserts – or spoon it sneakily straight from the jar. Nutella, which is manufactured by Ferrero, is one of Italy's most famous exports – is so revered that the Italian prime minister presented King Charles and Queen Camilla with personalised 'Carlo' and 'Camilla' jars of Nutella during their state visit earlier this year.
Now celebrating its 60th anniversary – and with a new 'plant-based' variety – Nutella was first developed to satisfy the Italian sweet tooth in the Second World War when cocoa was in short supply. The result was a sweet paste, made from ground hazelnuts, sugar and a little cocoa, shaped into a solid block, known as giandujot, that could be sliced and spread on bread. A few years later, it was developed into a spreadable paste called Super Crema, before being rebranded as Nutella.
Globally, a jar of Nutella is sold every 2.5 seconds, and around a quarter of the world's hazelnuts are used in its production. You can find it on supermarket shelves next to the nut butter – and it's clearly a family favourite – but is it doing us any good?
What is actually in Nutella?
'Nutella is advertised as a nut-based spread, but the health-conscious of you look away now over 56 per cent of Nutella is sugar [almost all from free sugars] and another 30 per cent is fat, mostly from palm oil. It's a processed product and it has minimal nutritional benefit compared to whole nut butters,' explains dietitian Emma Shafqat.
It also contains hazelnuts, skimmed milk powder, fat-reduced cocoa (7.4 per cent) and then the additives: emulsifiers, soya lecithins and flavourings (vanillin).
The graphic below shows what is in a jar of Nutella (they don't reveal the exact percentages of sugar or palm oil on their website, but we've estimated based on the nutritional information available):
What's the nutritional breakdown?
A 15g serving (about one heaped teaspoon) contains:
About 80 calories
8.6g of carbohydrates (of which 8.4g is sugar)
4.6g of fat (of which 1.6g are saturates)
Less than 1g of protein
0.016g salt
What are the health benefits of Nutella?
The main, and possibly only, health plus to Nutella lies in its hazelnuts.
Hazelnuts offer a number of health benefits, primarily linked to heart health, by helping to reduce cholesterol and inflammation, which improves artery health. Studies show that eating hazelnuts could significantly lower cholesterol, increase levels of 'good' cholesterol, and improve blood glucose control.
'Hazelnuts have a good nutrient profile,' says Shafqat. 'Although they are high in calories, they are a rich source of mono and polyunsaturated fats and contain a good amount of omega-6 and 9 fatty acids. Hazelnuts are a rich source of vitamins and minerals like vitamin E, manganese and copper and are high in fibre. The major drawback with this sweet confection, however, is that only 13 per cent of Nutella is made of hazelnuts which in a 15g serving, is under 2g – too small to deliver any real benefit.'
Nichola Ludlam-Raine, a dietitian and the author of How Not to Eat Ultra-Processed, adds: 'You'd be far better off eating a handful of whole hazelnuts or a 100 per cent nut butter.'
Five reasons why Nutella is unhealthy
1. It's a sugar bomb
'A 15g portion of Nutella contains 8.4g of sugar,' explains Shafqat. To put this into context, the NHS recommends that adults should have no more than 30g of sugar a day, and children aged four to six should have no more than 19g. 'The high sugar content can contribute to energy spikes, increased cravings and, over time, weight gain or metabolic issues if eaten regularly in large amounts,' warns Ludlam-Raine.
2. Its palm oil offers no health favours
Nutella is made of 30 per cent fat, most of it derived from palm oil. 'This is high in saturated fat, as approximately 50 per cent of its fat content is saturated, which is a higher percentage than other common vegetable oils, such as olive oil (around 14 per cent), but less than coconut oil (around 90 per cent). Excess saturated fat can raise LDL (bad) cholesterol,' warns Shafqat. While researchers can't agree on whether palm oil consumption harms cardiovascular health, its production has a negative impact on the environment; large areas of tropical rainforest have been cleared to make way for palm plantations.
3. It's an ultra-processed food (UPF)
'Nutella is a UPF due to its industrial formulation and additives, including emulsifiers and flavourings,' explains Ludlam-Raine. 'It's a highly-processed, energy-dense food and, technically, it's a HFSS (high in fat, sugar and salt) UPF.' Studies show that HFSS foods are linked to obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, while UPFs, which contain heavily processed ingredients and additives and minimal whole foods, have been linked to a range of health issues, including obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease and depression.
4. It's high in calories
A single serving of Nutella (around a heaped teaspoon) contains 80 calories – and many of us are eating more than this, especially if we're using it to top pancakes, waffles or toast. This quickly adds up if it becomes a regular part of breakfast.
5. It's low in nutrients
'Even though Nutella contains trace amounts of calcium and iron, you would need to eat a large amount to deliver any benefits,' says Shafqat. 'For example, you would need to eat half a jar of Nutella to get just 10 per cent of your daily iron needs, which also contains around 500 calories and 57g of sugar.'
How does Nutella compare to other spreads?
'Compared to 100 per cent nut butters (like peanut or almond butter), Nutella is much higher in sugar and lower in protein and healthy fats,' says Ludlam-Raine. 'Jam is also high in sugar but contains some fruit – however it lacks the fat and protein that can help keep you full. Nut butters win on overall nutritional value, particularly when they contain just nuts and a pinch of salt.'
How does the vegan Nutella compare to the usual kind?
Plant-based Nutella is made from: sugar, palm oil, hazelnuts, chickpeas, fat-reduced cocoa, powdered rice syrup, emulsifiers, soya lecithins, salt and flavourings.
Plant-based Nutella is slightly lower in sugar than the original version, and it also contains a little extra protein, due to the addition of chickpeas to replace the skimmed milk powder. Even though it contains the same amount of calories per portion, it's slightly higher in saturated fat.
Unless you're following a plant-based diet, the original recipe still has the edge simply because the plant-based Nutella contains powdered rice syrup which has an extremely high glycaemic index, which means it can cause rapid blood sugar spikes. So the original is still the best.
A 15g serving (about one heaped teaspoon) contains:
About 80 calories
8g carbohydrates (of which 6.8g is sugar)
4.8g fat (of which 1.7g are saturates)
1g protein
0.011g salt
What is the best way to eat Nutella?
Try the following ways to get your Nutella fix:
1. Enjoy it with fruit
'Pairing it with nutrient-rich foods like strawberries adds fibre and slows down digestion,' recommends Ludlam-Raine. Shafqat adds: 'This is far preferable to eating it by the spoonful on its own!'
2. With wholegrain toast
'Spreading Nutella on thick white bread or toast and eating it as a quick breakfast isn't ideal – it's essentially sugar on sugar with minimal fibre or protein, which can lead to blood sugar spikes followed by crashes,' explains Ludlam-Raine. 'Instead, serve it with wholegrain toast, banana slices and a sprinkling of seeds for extra fibre,' suggests Safqat.
3. As a treat or dessert
'I'd consider Nutella more of a treat than part of a regular breakfast,' says Ludlam-Raine. 'Save it for weekend pancakes, or drizzled over dessert rather than a daily staple. It's not the best way to start the day – especially for children.'
The healthy alternatives to Nutella
If you're keen to find a healthier alternative to Nutella, Shafqat suggests looking for a spread that contains more nuts (ideally at least 50 per cent) and less sugar (less than 5g per 100g).
This is made from both hazelnuts (39.1 per cent) and almonds (39.1 per cent), with cocoa mass (9 per cent), agave syrup, cocoa butter, rapeseed oil and sea salt.
This is the healthiest option, made from 100 per cent hazelnuts with no added sugar or salt – and 10g of fibre per 100g.
The verdict: Is Nutella healthy or unhealthy?
Sadly, for all the billions of fans out there, it resides firmly in the unhealthy camp.
Shafqat says: 'I don't believe in banning foods, but Nutella is high in sugar, so should be eaten in moderation. However, there are healthier options available, which would be better for children to reduce their sugar intake.'
Ludlam-Raine says: 'If you're sticking to the recommended one to two teaspoons and enjoying Nutella occasionally, that's perfectly reasonable. However, it's very easy to over-consume and it's particularly appealing to children due to its taste and texture, so portion sizes can creep up and it can easily become a daily habit.' One that might be hard to kick.