I knew there was something I forgot when I stopped at the grocery this evening....

Got Nutella? I do and am enjoying some tonight.

I almost bought some the other day. I looked at it sitting on the shelf for a long time, but walked on by, as the last time I bought Nutella, it sat in the pantry for a few years till I threw it out. We ate some of it, but for some reason, I rarely used it. It's the calorie thing. *sigh*

Sally

Dave Lebovitz had a recipe on his blog yesterday for homemade Nutella but I seriously doubt I will be able to find hazelnuts here in Podunk. I am hanging on to the recipe to make at some point though. Yummmmm. I LOVE Nutella!

Tracey

Here is a link that might be useful: Homemade Nutella Recipe

Young gals at work looked at me funny when I mentioned Nutella... they have no clue what it is. As I often do I'll buy some of the mystery food and share it with them. They are starting to understand that cheese can be something more then thin squares of colored milk product...

Kids are so much fun... even if they are 20-something. Last week they discovered a strange and wonderful cheese called Colby. They will do the happy dance for Nutella!

: )
lyra

Lyra, I'LL do the happy dance for Nutella! Makayla loves the stuff, and told me today that she's out. Again.

I saw a recipe somewhere that had a crepe filled with Nutella and sliced bananas. I won't eat a banana, but the Monkay Princess and her Bruvver love 'em. I might have to get out the crepe pan...

Annie

Oh, my gosh. I missed the celebration. I'll have to eat a double portion today to make up for it!

I thought this was interesting, reminded me of the "McDonald's food made me fat" lawsuit. :o)

California Mom Sues Nutella, Alleging Hyped Nutrition Claims

Published February 04, 2011

A California mother is taking Nutella to court, alleging that the popular sandwich spread purports to be a nutritious treat, but actually is loaded with unhealthy sugar and saturated fat.

A copy of the suit by Athena Hohenberg, which was obtained by AFP on Thursday, said she was 'shocked to learn that Nutella was in fact, not 'healthy, nutritious' food, but instead was the next best thing to a candy bar, and that Nutella contains dangerous level of saturated fat.'

Hohenberg is seeking refunds to be paid by parent company Ferrero to its legions of U.S. customers.

In its marketing, including in claims made on its website, Nutella touts its cocoa and hazelnut spread as ideal for busy moms trying to 'nourish their children with whole grains' and says that 'Nutella can form a part of a balanced meal.'

On its website, Nutella lists its ingredients as sugar, palm oil, hazelnuts, cocoa, skim milk, reduced minerals whey (milk), lecithin as emulsifier (soy), vanillin: an artificial flavor.
The suit, filed in federal court in San Diego, alleges that many consumers of the product would not have purchased it had they been aware that the health claims surrounding it were overblown.

'Nutella was worth less than what plaintiff and members of the class paid for them,' Hohenberg, the mother of a four-year-old child, said in her lawsuit, which she hopes to turn into a 'class action.'

Under the terms of such a class action suit, she asks that any monetary judgment against the company be divided among 'all persons who purchased on or after January 2000 one or more Nutella products in the United States for their own or household use.'

Hohenberg also wants the court to make Ferrero launch a new ad campaign, correcting the allegedly misleading claims.

Nutella was created in the 1940s by Pietro Ferrero, a pastry maker and founder of the Italian Ferrero company.

Its nutrition label shows that there are about 200 calories in each two tablespoon serving, about half of which come from fat.

The suit notes that consumption of saturated fat has been shown to cause heart disease, and that consumption of processed sugar has been shown to cause type-2 diabetes.

Elise Titan, a spokesperson for Ferrero USA, said the company stands by the wholesomeness of its product.

'What we can say right now is that we stand behind the quality of ingredients in Nutella hazelnut spread and advertising for our product,' she said.

'It's really early in the case and we are really not in position to discuss the case any further,' she said.

Here is a link that might be useful: Nutella Lawsuit

I really hope that lawsuit is successful, not because people shouldnt eat if they want to but because of their misleading marketing and packaging - it's really unbelievable when you know what's in it.

Another ridiculous lawsuit.

Who in their right mind would believe that Nutella was actually a healthy and nutritious food?

Ann

"Who in their right mind would believe that Nutella was actually a healthy and nutritious food? "

anyone who sees their advertising could think this was a healthy food, since most people think if they say it must be true. Lots of people also dont know what healthy food really means, or dont read the ingredients or nutritional information on food because they dont understand them or have time to read them so I think there are a lot of people who dont know how bad it is and since the ads say it's healthy then they accept it.

trancegemini, I respectfully disagree with you. If someone doesn't understand nutrition information it's their responsibility to educate themselves. As for people who claim to be too busy to read labels, if you have time to shop for groceries, you have the time to read labels. And once people educate themselves about nutrition, label reading will rarely be required because they will avoid most pre-packaged convenience foods and stick with fresh ingredients. All these lawsuits are getting outrageous, someone even sued the makers of Froot Loops because they do not contain fruit.

Some day, I hope, we will have tort reform, and people who clog the courts with these frivolous lawsuits will have to pay the costs.

I agree, CC, at some point we need to take responsibility for ourselves, what we purchase and what we eat and stop expecting the government to "take care of us". Geez.

Read the label, it clearly states the ingredients, the calorie content, the fat grams. It's not like it's a big secret, it's right there, printed on every jar. It's provided free, every single time, in easily accessible form.

That's why Nutella is a dessert here, spread on graham crackers, or an occasional treat for The Princess on waffles or toast, because I can read. That's why I know that although it's got half of the calories from fat, I know that only 3.5 of those fat grams are saturated and none are transfats, it's the healthier fat from the hazelnuts.

If you check a label of Peanut butter (in this instance I'll use Skippy Creamy because that's what's in my desk drawer), you'll find that peanut butter has 190 calories in 2 tablespoons and 140 of those are fat, more than Nutella. 3 grams are saturated in Skippy peanut butter, 3.5 grams are saturated in the Nutella. Nutritionists differentiate between good fats and bad fats. Peanut butter does have more than twice the protein of Nutella, so it's a more economical protein source.

What makes it dessert in my family is the sugar content, not the fat grams, but if you add jelly to a peanut butter sandwich that's pretty much negated too.

Anyway, read the labels and take responsibility for yourself, and then you won't have the opportunity to make a lot of money and clog up the court systems. Oh, and send me ALL of your Nutella, I know how bad it is for me. It's that "reading" thing again. I won't sue you, I promise.

Annie

Cloudy Christine, I hope so too. No more "I spilled hot McDonald's coffee on my leg because I wasn't paying attention and I want a Million bucks".

John:
I started Nutella day !!!

It is in honor of all the Nuts on the loose.

There are quite a few running loose.

Lou

PS : if you believe this, join the Parade.

"trancegemini, I respectfully disagree with you. If someone doesn't understand nutrition information it's their responsibility to educate themselves. "

Petra I agree with you but if people were that educated about how to eat properly we wouldnt have the obesity rates we do now. I just disagree with selling a high fat, high sugar product and claiming it's healthy because they have hazelnuts in them, imo it preys on the fact that many people aren't educated and companies use these tactics because they work on many people

Don't they use these tactics on the Majority of TV Commercials ??????????
Lou

Yes, Lou, they do.

I suppose some people really just don't know, but then there are people like my own sister. We were raised in the same home and taught to cook by the same Grandmother. My sister and both her 9 year old twin girls and her 16 year old grandson who lives there are extremely overweight. Not because they don't know what's healthy, it's because they won't eat it.

I plant a big garden every year, right outside their back door nearly. It's "too much trouble" to snap beans or peel and slice carrots or peel a fresh cucumber. Plus no one there "likes them". They don't like any vegetables that aren't deep fried or covered with cheese sauce, they don't like oatmeal, just Cocoa Puffs. They don't like whole wheat anything, just white fluffy bread and white pasty pasta. They live on frozen pizza, hamburger helper, doritos, cookies, bologna sandwiches on white bread and Mountain Dew, all purchased with state food stamps. My sister knows better, but that's what she does anyway.

And if she could figure out who to sue, she probably would, because NOTHING is her own fault.

Annie

White Bread is good. When I was a preteen, I used it to make dough bait for fishing.
Lou

Agreed!!
Torte reform is desperately needed.

Why do we have to keep paying for those who don't,
Or won't, for whatever reason,
Educate themselves enough to read labels, etc.
With all the information out there,
Easily available to everyone,
VIA TV, newspapers, Internet, libraries, etc,
There really just plain isn't any excuse.

And yes, many companies use very misleading strategies
to advertise their products.
All the more reason we need to pay attention!

Okay, I'm off my soapbox.

Thank you for posting the link to the homemade Nutella.
I pretty much like it,
But think it would be so much better
It it were darker chocolate,
And a little less sweet.

It looks like that recipe could be adjusted
In those directions.

Rusty