I can probably sum this blog up in one sentence: If it tastes like chocolate, smells like chocolate, and looks like chocolate, it's probably not that good for you.
Can I just interject with a completely unnecessary and maybe slightly inappropriate "YUM!"
God bless our friends to the south, but they will sue over just. about. anything.
San Diego mother of four Athena Hohenberg is suing Ferrero, the makers of Nutella, a hazelnut-chocolate spread, for its "dangerous levels of saturated fat and processed sugars". Hohenberg claims she was tipped off by friends that Nutella is basically "the next best thing to a candy bar."
Once again, "YUM!"
Hohenberg argues that Nutella's advertising is misleading since it portrays Nutella as part of a balanced breakfast, implying it is "healthy" and "nutritious". She claims as an average consumer she is not privy to the research findings that prove foods like Nutella can have negative health consequences.
Are you #$@*! kidding me?
Okay, so big surprise - Ferrero has targeted us mummies in their advertising. They know we're the ones who do the shopping and they know that kids are probably the biggest consumer of something as sweet and sugary as Nutella. Do they claim Nutella is healthy? Actually, no. They employ an interesting strategy - they juxtapose Nutella with healthy foods so that healthy glow seems to rub off on Nutella.
They could show a bedraggled 40-something mother of 3 dipping a chocolate-chip cookie into a tub of Nutella while sprawled on the couch at 10 p.m. This is the other way Nutella gets consumed, by the way.
But it's COOL to be healthy in 2011. So why not market Nutella to mothers as a "treat" to encourage kids to eat breakfast? We'll figure out our own nasty ways to enjoy "private time" with the Nutella jar. We don't need Ferrero to help us with that.
Here's what Ferrero has to say about Nutella and nutrition:
Create a meal of whole wheat toast or a whole-grain toaster waffle with Nutella® hazelnut spread, a small bowl of sliced strawberries and a glass of 1% milk for a good mix of morning nutrients.
When used in moderation with complementary foods, Nutella® can form a part of a balanced meal. It is a quick and easy way to encourage kids to eat whole grains, such as whole wheat toast, English muffins, toaster waffles and bagels.
And the ingredients, which are clearly labeled (by law) on every jar you, I or Ms. Athena Hohenberg purchase:
sugar, palm oil, hazelnuts, cocoa, skim milk, reduced minerals whey (milk), lecithin as emulsifier (soy), vanillin: an artificial flavor.
Hmm. Out of curiosity, what are the ingredients in a jar of Kraft Peanut Butter?
select roasted peanuts, soybean oil, corn dextrin, sugar, hydrogenated vegetable oil, salt.
OK, OK, how about butter on that whole-grain toaster waffle instead?
cream, salt.
This blog is making me hungry.
Nutella is not the first less-than-stellar breakfast food to be marketed to mothers and children. The point is, read the label. Make your bed and then lie in it. If you're going to spread sugar on your child's waffle in the morning, accept responsibility. If you raise a child who wakes every morning to a chocolate breakfast, chances are she'll grow up to be a an adult with a taste for things chocolatey. If you raise a child who wakes up every morning to bacon and eggs, chances are he'll grow up with a penchant for the silky taste of saturated fat.
Does this mean no Nutella? No bacon? I don't think so. There is a time and a place for everything. Perhaps Nutella falls more in the "dessert" category, but I believe if you raise a child who gets 90% of what they need and 10% of what they want, and lives a lifestyle of moderation, chances are he will grow up to understand that treats can be enjoyed but food is fuel.
In this day and age, there is no excuse for being unaware of a food's nutritional profile. Advertisers are sneaky... but they are not responsible for your nutrition or your child's nutrition. You are.
And - by the way - I don't eat Nutella.
What do you think? Is Ferrero liable? How do you draw the line between healthy foods and treats in your house?
Hey you – with the cup of coffee, BlackBerry and protein bar in your hands. Step away from the laptop and get some lunch! After you read this blog, I mean.
This week, the great people at Gourmet Steamers If you’ve got 30 minutes for lunch:
Workout:
Next, stand at the bottom of a flight of stairs to do Stair Push-ups. Place hands on 3rd or 4th stair (the lower, the harder) about shoulder-width apart. Inhale as you bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the stairs, then exhale as you press up. Continue push-ups for 1 minute, then rest 1 minute and repeat for a second set.
Fuel:
Healthy Choice Complete your meal with a big glass of water or two.
Begin outside with a 15-minute power walk to get your heart rate up and send some exhilarating oxygen to your body and brain after a long morning. Pump your arms and clear your mind.
Complete 1 minute of Stair Push-ups (described above).
Repeat stairs, push-ups and squats.
Fuel:
Healthy Choice are a great way to have a tasty lunch that's quick. Remember to take the time to enjoy your meal - away from your desk!
Enjoy some quiet time to visit with colleagues, catch up on the latest Yummy Mummy Club blogs or dig into a good book.
Eating lunch isn't a luxury, it's a necessity. You deserve a break, and if your lunch is delicious and easy, you’re more likely to take it.
This blog is proudly sponsored by our friends at
TM
As some of you know, I'm a fan of the Biggest Loser. It is one of the only reality TV shows I watch, and I generally watch it while I'm doing admin work on my laptop. The crying and fighting bores me to tears, but I am a sucker for any fitness-related show.
Flipping through a fitness magazine earlier this week, I came across an ad for So Delicious (Dairy Free) Coconut Milk, with Jillian Michaels plastered all over the page, enjoying some delicious dairy alternative. Michaels is, by the way, a pescatarian - she eats a vegetarian diet with only sustainable fish. She has apparently converted from milk, soymilk and other substitutes to coconut milk, in her coffee, cereal and for sipping.
Then, in a slap-me-upside-the-head-I-need-to-write-a-blog-about-this moment (bloggers, you know what I mean...), I was helping a friend, Sandra, shoot a pilates video and she was enjoying a bottle of coconut water. She is a pilates guru (follow her @Wallabina and check out her Toronto studio at www.changestudio.ca) and has recently added 2 boot camp classes to her weekly exercise routine - the hundreds of reps and fast pace were causing some major post-workout soreness until she started chugging coconut water as her post-workout beverage. Then, she swears, the soreness was no more!
So...
What's coconut milk? What's coconut water? Are they just a flash in the pan in the health food industry or are they here to stay? And should you bother?
Coconut milk
Real coconut milk is made from mashing coconut meat and extracting the liquid - this is the yummy stuff you'll find canned in the "ethnic foods" aisle of your grocery store and gives curries and stir fries a tasty coconut flavour, to the tune of 552 calories and 50 grams of fat per cup! Yikes! Use sparingly and DON'T DRINK unless you are trying to gain a great deal of weight or give yourself a heart attack.
So Delicious Coconut Milk, according to its nutrition labeling, is made of this: Coconut Cream (Water, Coconut, Guar Gum), Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Calcium Phosphate, Magnesium Phosphate, Carrageenan, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D-2, L-Selenomethionine (Selenium), Zinc Oxide, Folic Acid, Vitamin B-12. Their "original" flavour contains just 80 calories per cup and 5 grams of saturated fat. DEFINITELY DRINKABLE but contains sugar unless you choose the "unsweetened" variety.
Coconut water
Coconut water is the clear fluid from young coconuts - this is what you get with a little umbrella and a straw when you're on vacation... At 46 calories and virtually no saturated fat per cup, this makes barely a dent in your daily budget for calories and fat. The main reason it's so revered is its heavy potassium content - potassium is key to regulating blood pressure and affects muscle function, but is readily available in other fruits and vegetables as well. Coconut water does contain about 250 mg of sodium per cup, but it will actually help replenish sodium levels if used before, during or after a strenuous workout. If sodium is a concern for you personally, a banana or glass of milk might be a better workout snack. Otherwise, GO AHEAD AND DRINK.
As with all products, it's important to read labels and do a bit of research on your own before converting to a new way of life, a la Jillian Michaels and So Delicious.
If you like the taste of coconut water, go ahead and enjoy. If you like the taste of So Delicious, go ahead and add it to your coffee or sub it in for your usual soymilk for a change.
Are they sports drinks? No.
Sports drinks like Gatorade are actually researched and formulated with an exact composition to replace electrolytes (like potassium, sodium, magnesium) and sugar in the bloodstream and muscles. Coconut water is natural and contains some of these same electrolytes and sugar but in less specific quantities. Doesn't mean it doesn't help, but a sports drink it is not. People (like my friend Sandra) swear by it. Give it a try and decide for yourself.
As far as sports drinks and coconut water go, the average person requires neither. Unless you are training for an endurance event (such as a half-marathon, marathon, bodybuilding competition, mountain climb, etc.) regular food is just fine for you. Water and carbohydrates are the best bet after a workout. Coconut water may help, but it's not well-researched and stinks a little bit of hype, as far as I'm concerned.
Want some potassium? Save yourself a couple of bucks and eat a banana.
Have you had it? Do you swear by it? Think it tastes like dirty socks? Tell me!
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