What are the Nutritional Benefits of Eating Nutella?

Nutella is a very popular hazelnut chocolate spread.  First launched in 1964, the Italian company Ferrero manufactures it. It is a very popular bread spread which is widely used all over the world, especially in the United States. One can easily use it over breads, burgers, and croissants. It is a ready to use spread, which is just so tasty and irresistible.

A number of nutritionists categorize Nutella as a high calorie spread. They consider it to be rich in fats, too. But, the spread is actually very safe if taken in small proportions.

Contents in Nutella:

• Nutella is very popularly used as a spread. A large part of the population uses it.
• The primary components in it are cocoa and sugar.
• A flavor of hazelnut is also used in Nutella. It is used as a secondary ingredient.
• The most important ingredients of Nutella include cocoa, sugar, hazelnut, whey powder, modified palm oil, skimmed milk powder, lecithin, and vanilla.
• It is also marketed in the name of “Hazelnut cream” in some parts of the United States of America. This one also contains soy proteins.

Nutritional Information:

Nutella contains too much of proteins and fats. As such, people who are overweight or obese should avoid consuming this product. The large amounts of fats, proteins, and calories contained in it are not suitable for people who are overweight. Consuming it once or twice in a month is acceptable, but only if you do enough exercise to cut down on these fats. For all others, Nutella forms a very tasty spread. Everybody, especially children, loves the taste of this.

Nutritional Benefits of Nutella:

Dietary Fiber:

Nutella does contain dietary fibers, but in moderate amounts. It does not contain high amounts of these fibers.

Fat Contents:

Nutella contains a high amount of fats too. The serving of 2 teaspoons of Nutella contains 11 grams of fats. 3.5 grams from this 11 grams are saturated fats. Because of the high content of fats, this spread is not suitable for people who have got cardiovascular disorders. Along with this, it also contains unsaturated fats. This helps in maintaining the level of cholesterol and manages type-2 diabetes.

High calorie contents:

Nutella contains lots of chocolate and hazelnuts. These ingredients are rich in calories and really dense. A serving of 2 teaspoons of Nutella provides the body around 200 calories. This is a considerably high amount. As such, this is enough to offer the body 10% of the daily requirement of calories, which is 2000 calories.

Mineral Contents:

Along with the high content of fats and calories, Nutella also contains large amounts of minerals. It is rich in all kinds of essential minerals. Around 4% of the daily recommended amounts of calcium and iron are contained in it. A serving of 2 teaspoons of Nutella makes sure you get 4% of the total required amount of these minerals in your diet. ATP or Adenosine triphosphate is contained abundantly in Nutella. ATP helps in supplying energy to your body. As such, it is a very important mineral which you need in your daily diet.

Gluten Free Contents:

Monosodium glutamate, which is also known as gluten, is a relatively harmful mineral. It is considered to affect your body negatively, and hence, recommended to be avoided. In this case, Nutella is healthy as it does not contain gluten. No gluten containing cereals are contained in Nutella. So, you can have Nutella with no worries.

Nutritional Facts about Nutella:

• Calories – 95 kcal
• Total Fats – 5.5 grams, out of which 3.5 grams is saturated fats
• Cholesterol – 0 mg
• Sodium – 7.5 mg
• Potassium – 0 mg
• Carbohydrate Content – 11 grams
• Proteins – 1.5 grams

Tips for Serving:

Even though Nutella contains lots of health benefits, you also get fats and calories along with it. Saturated fats and sugar are contained n this spread. A normal serving of 2 tablespoons of Nutella contains 18 % of your daily limit of saturated fats, which is 3.5 grams. Keeping the amount of saturated fats in your diet limited as far as possible is essential to protect your heart and keep a healthy weight. This serving of Nutella contains 21 grams of sugar, almost 5 teaspoons. Researchers say that women should keep sugar consumption limited to 6 teaspoons per day, and men should stick to 9 teaspoons. Occasionally indulging in Nutella will not have any problem on your health, but it is better if you limit yourself.  Stick to the correct amount to keep your body healthy.

Serving Suggestions for Nutella:

Take a slice of toasted whole wheat bagel or whole wheat toast, and spread Nutella on it. This adds fibers to your diet also. Slice an apple and spread Nutella over it. This gives you a good dose of Vitamin C and fibers from the fruit also. Take some yogurt and stir Nutella into it. This delicacy is rich in calcium and proteins. You can also add some fruits as toppings, to get a dose of Vitamin C and potassium. Spreading Nutella over whole grain crackers and adding fruits to it is also a good idea.

So, now you understand how nutritious Nutella can be. It is a known fact that it is just so tasty and delicious, but the nutritional benefits make it even better. Now that you know all the benefits, you can whole-heartedly indulge in this chocolate spread without any guilt or worries. Read out the whole article to calculate exactly how much of the Nutella spread is fine for you to consume, and make sure you consume only that much. Over indulgence can cause further trouble. So, keep to your limits and enjoy.