The Paleo List Answers:IS NUTELLA PALEO?

One of the first things you learn about the Paleo lifestyle is that peanuts, as legumes, are not Paleo. So after tossing out your jar of peanut butter and your favorite peanutty snacks, you might find yourself looking to other types of nut spreads and nut butters for your fix. Nutella, the creamy hazelnut-cocoa spread, is among these tempting nut butters, but is it Paleo?

What is Nutella?

Nutella is a chocolate-hazelnut spread from Italy. It is used on crepes, in cookies, and as a spread for toast and bananas around the world. It’s silky, smooth, and sweet. Very sweet. (With 21 grams of sugar per serving of 2 Tablespoons.) Let’s take a look at the ingredients.

Ingredients: Sugar, Vegetable Oil, Hazelnuts (13%), Skim Milk Powder (8.7%), Fat-Reduced Cocoa Powder (7.4%), Emulsifier (Lecithins) (Soy), Flavouring (Vanillin).

The only thing completely Paleo-approved on that list of ingredients is Hazelnuts. Sugar, vegetable oil, milk powder, and soy are all very much not Paleo.

Is Nutella Paleo?

No! Unfortunately, Nutella is not Paleo. It’s loaded with refined sugar, inflammatory and/or GMO vegetable oils, and a variety of stabilizers and preservatives. It’s definitely not Paleo-approved, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the flavors of hazelnuts and chocolate. Since both cocoa and hazelnuts arePaleo, you can make your own Paleo chocolate-hazelnut spread using cocoa powder, dates, and cocoa. Check out the links below for recipes and more information.

Are you struggling with which foods are Paleo?  Do you need help planning some Paleo meals?  Check out this great Paleo cookbook: