FAQ

BREAKFAST

Why is breakfast so important?
Breakfast literally means 'breaking the fast'. When we wake up in the morning, we will have been without food for a long period of time and our blood sugar levels are low. It’s really important to fuel our bodies with nutritious food to provide the energy needed to start the day. Research has shown that one in four children don’t eat breakfast* despite the fact that it is recommended that approximately 20% of the day’s nutritional requirement is eaten at breakfast time. Nutella is a low GI food so it releases its energy slowly. Low GI breakfasts have been shown to help maintain energy levels and reduce the need for snacking later on, so nutella on wholegrain toast can be a good option to start the day – and children love the taste.

Nutella


Why is nutella a good option at breakfast?
Contrary to popular belief nutella is a hazelnut rather than a chocolate spread, containing almost twice the amount of hazelnuts to cocoa. In fact, in each 15g portion there are two whole hazelnuts, and nutella contains no artificial colours, preservatives or hydrogenated fats. nutella has been proven to release its energy slowly (Source: Leatherhead Food International) and with no need to use any additional butter or fat-based spread, it is a good alternative to peanut butter or jam at breakfast time.

What does nutella recommend as a healthy, balanced breakfast?
We suggest that a portion of nutella on a slice of wholegrain toast, with other breakfast components such as a bowl of unsweetened cereal with milk and a glass of pure fruit juice is a good option for breakfast.

Nutella on a slice of toast

Balance of Good Health


Source: The Food Standard Agency

How much sugar and fat does nutella contain?
We recommend that nutella is eaten in a 15g portion, and per serving it contains 80kcals, 4.7g fat (2.6g monounsaturated, 0.6g polyunsaturated, 1.5g saturated) and 8.3g sugar. The Food Standards Agency ‘Eatwell plate’, states that both sugar and fat are acceptable in appropriate quantities as part of a balanced diet. The key is balance and moderation - some foods like fruit and vegetables in large amounts and others like nutella, other spreads such as jam and peanut butter, in small amounts.

How can eating nutella at breakfast benefit my children's health?
We recognise that problems such as obesity are growing amongst children, part of which is as a result of a poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle. One child in four does not eat breakfast, leading to snacking. In fact findings from our breakfast report* show that not eating breakfast appears to be linked to being overweight. We are suggesting that giving your children food they enjoy for breakfast will ensure that they leave the house having eaten something nutritious, which is more likely to stop them snacking on unhealthy high calorie foods later in the day.**

Does nutella contain any artificial colours, preservatives or trans fats?
No. nutella is free from artificial colours and preservatives. nutella does not contain trans fats (trans fatty acids) from hydrogenated fats. Like most processed products containing fats, our products contain residual traces of trans fatty acids from animal (dairy) fats however they represent a very small amount <0.06g per 100g for nutella.  This is well within the UK dietary reference value (The Committee of Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy) of 2% of total energy intake.

Is nutella really a hazelnut spread?
Yes! It in fact contains very little cocoa, around 7 per cent. Nutella also contains 52 hazelnuts in every 400g jar.

3 Jars of Nutella



What are the full ingredients in nutella?
For full details on the ingredients of nutella, click here

Why does nutella still contain saturated fat?
Per 15g portion, nutella contains 2.6g monounsaturated, 0.5g polyunsaturated and 1.6g saturated fat, so the fats are mainly unsaturated (67% unsaturated) whereas those of butter are mainly saturated (52% saturated).

By spreading with nutella, it is not necessary to use any butter or alternative fat spread on your bread, hence reducing the amount of saturated fat consumed. 

The reason for the inclusion of saturated fat in nutella is that it gives stability and spreadibility; a product containing only unsaturated fats would be liquid.

wake up to nutella