Things That Make Me Go Hrm

Before last week I had never tried Nutella. I had seen the new commercials, featuring a mother baiting her kids to stop playing and eat breakfast by offering some Nutella spread over "whole wheat toast." I saw this product as an alternative to peanut butter. Like almond butter? Hazelnut spread? All crushed nuts, right? The "hint" of cocoa and the weird addition of skim milk was enough to not try it. I don't know why. Perhaps just the questions like "do I have to refrigerate it?"

My Mom started raving about it and insisted I try a bite spread on a graham cracker. (graham crackers are the new favorite meal/snack/boredom buster around our house, the kids literally go through a whole box in one week) Mom was right, it tasted AMAZING. Just like chocolate frosting. In my youth I was known for spreading frosting on graham crackers as a snack-- oh to have that metabolism!

I seemingly bought into the marketing perception of Nutella being a semi-healthy food item. I was not prepared to get hooked on it myself. Simply walking past the jar sitting on the counter was enough to seduce me into a little treat. I became so addicted- yes addicted the same day of purchase, I began to be suspicious.

A little digging and I've come to a rather bothersome conclusion: The Nutella is just the candy coating to get kids to eat their whole wheat toast. Just as the "good source of calcium" cereal requires milk to be any source of calcium.

Crappity Crap Crap

Now I have a huge jar of Nutella that is constantly calling me from beyond the pantry. Its siren song is hard to resist. The kids are rather unenthusiastic about the Nutella, sadly. I think they "like" it, just not more than the leftover Valentine's Day candy they'd rather have as dessert.

I guess I have to say that I have nothing to do with the Nutella people. While I love the product, (a little too much for my diet to allow) I am finding myself a victim of clever marketing, a trap in which I prize myself for being quite saavy in avoiding.

Now look away while I go stuff my face with Nutella... straight out of the jar. (no time to waste calories on graham crackers or other dipping agents! Just mainline me with Nutella.