Nutrition Unplugged

Chocolate is one of the top 10 breakfast trends named by the Food Channel, based on its research in conjunction with Culture Waves, the International Food Futurists and Mintel International. You may think of Cocoa Puffs from your youth, but there are lot more chocolate breakfast cereals on the shelf these days, including Chocolate Cheerios, Frosted Mini Wheats and Special K. Just take a look at all these chocolate cereals from Candy Addict.

image courtesy of nettsu on flickr

But we’re not just talking cereal, chocolate has become a bona fide adult trend too, according to the Food Channel. It was one of the breakout stars at the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, which featured chocolate tea, hot chocolate on a stick, chocolate belgian waffles and pancakes, and chocolate granola. Lots more ideas are in the book dedicated to the topic: Chocolate for Breakfast by Barbara Passino.

chocolate belgian waffles by irrational_cat on flickr

chocolate pancakes by isabellacester on flickr

chocolate breakfast cake with peanut butter cream cheese by Brown Eyed Baker on flickr

chocolaté croissant by Castle Vision Photographic on flickr

chocolate mint breakfast by onesmileahead on flickr

hot chocolate on a stick by Ode to Inspiration on flickr

One chocolate breakfast food that got in hot water recently is Nutella. Maybe you heard about the $3 million class-action lawsuit that Nutella-maker Ferrero agreed to settle for marketing the chocolate-hazelnut spread as a healthy breakfast for kids.

image courtesy of Helen Chang on flickr

The claim was filed by California mom Athena Hohenberg who said she was deceived by the ads for Nutella that promoted the spread as a nutritious breakfast. She had been feeding her 4-year-old daughter Nutella in the morning until she learned from friends that it was “the next best thing to a candy bar,” according to court documents. Here are the words that got Italy’s Ferrero in trouble:

“[MOM]: As a mom, I’m a great believer in Nutella, a delicious hazelnut spread that I use to get my kids to eat healthy foods. I spread a little on all kinds of healthy things, like multigrain toast. Every jar has wholesome, quality ingredients, like hazelnuts, skim milk, and a hint of delicious cocoa. And Nutella has no artificial colors or preservatives. It’s quick, it’s easy, and at breakfast I can use all the help I can get.

[VOICEOVER]: Nutella—breakfast never tasted this good.”

How I see it, read the label Athena. Don’t blame the advertising. Don’t let someone else decide if something is a smart choice to serve your daughter in the morning. Pick up the jar and turn it around. See that each two-tablespoon serving contains 21 grams of sugar and half the 200 calories come from fat. Yes, maybe it is similar to a candy bar. Is Nutella on whole-grain toast better than a chocolate donut? Yes. Is it better than whole-grain cereal and milk? No. Nutella is a beloved food in Europe and increasingly here in the U.S. There’s even a World Nutella Day on February 5 to celebrate the chocolate-hazelnut spread worldwide. Was it a good idea to promote the spread as a healthy breakfast food for kids? I don’t think so. But let’s leave lawsuits out of this. As Forbes wrote: Nutella case proves that stupid people can have smart lawyers.

Here’s the commercial so you can see for yourself. What do you think?

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Tagged as: breakfast, chocolate, Lawsuit, marketing, Nutella

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jm-calorie-control OK, so you know how I feel about Jillian Michaels getting into the diet pills business.

Now maybe she’s regretting that decision. The Associated Press is reporting that the “Biggest Loser” trainer has been sued for alleged false advertising by a woman who claims she was duped into buying her diet supplements.

Christine Christensen of Lake Elsinore, Calif., is seeking a class-action lawsuit that claims she bought a product called “Jillian Michaels Maximum Strength Calorie Control” last month and that it has failed to lessen her appetite or cause her to lose weight as advertised.

Michaels’ picture and endorsement appear on the packaging, touting her as “America’s Toughest Trainer.” The product and Web site advertising include the claim: “Two Capsules Before Main Meals and You Lose weight….That’s It!”

I do think it’s irresponsible to make anyone believe that this is all you need to do to lose weight. Really, that’s it? She goes on to say “…when you take this compound before main meals, you eat less…but the best part is, you won’t even know it. What could be simpler!”

And what is it about the $39.99 bottle of pills that will really do the trick? The pills include a “proprietary blend” of :

yerba mate (leaf) extract
guarana (seed) extract, standardized to 10% caffeine
damiana (leaf) extract
coffee (bean) extract – standardized to 70% natural caffeine
ginger (root) powder
kola nut (seed) extract – standardized to 12% caffeine
white willow (bark) powder
cocoa (seed) extract – standardized to 4% theobromine
jujube (seed) extract
shisandra (fruit) extract
Chinese skullcap (root) extract – standardized to 30% flavones as baicalin

To me, this is simply a massive dose of caffeine with a bunch of stuff that may sound good.

“Ms. Michaels knows better — taking two pills before eating does not miraculously cause weight loss,” the lawsuit states. Christensen’s suit seeks unspecified damages that are not expected to total more than $5 million, according to AP. Her filing states she has “struggled with weight loss her entire life” and bought “Calorie Control” because of Michaels’ endorsement.

You may debate the merits of class action lawsuits like this, but it is troubling that a lot of people are taking the advice of Jillian Michaels because they trust her — and they’re being mislead. Of course, nothing you pop in your mouth is going to melt away pounds without any effort. And nothing in these pills will likely even curb your appetite.

It’s a shame that these pills can make these claims — put it’s a double shame that “America’s Toughest Trainer” is trying to convince people that these claims are true.