Is Homemade Nutella - the best thing since sliced bread? We think it could be.

If you're looking for healthier breakfast options for your youth athlete, then you've came to the right place. In this article author Andreia has cooked up a storm! Read the article to:

- Explore where Hazelnuts come from.

- Discover the benefits  of Hazelnuts.

- Learn how to make the perfect homemade Nutella!

Hazelnuts are well known for their health benefits, let's dig a little deeper.

Where do Hazelnuts come from?

Hazelnuts are fruits of the hazel tree and belong from species of the genus Corlyus and family of Betulaceae (Yuan et al., 2018). They are also known as cobnuts or filberts. Hazelnuts have been cultivated since the ancient times and they are mainly produced in Turkey (Guiné and Correia, 2020).

What's so good about Hazelnuts?

Hazelnuts are rich in fats, proteins, minerals (especially calcium) and vitamins (particularly vitamin E). Similar, to other nuts, hazelnuts are high in calories mainly because of its high content of monounsaturated fatty acids, which are consider the “good” fats. Clinical studies have showed that frequent consumption of hazelnuts helps to lower blood LDL (bad cholesterol) and raise HDL (good cholesterol) levels which may help reduce or prevent cardiovascular disease (Azadbakht and Rouhani, 2013).

Hazelnuts also contain bioactive molecules that act as a potent antioxidant, such as vitamin E (alpha - tocopherol). These vitamins play an important role as they help fight free radicals, in result helps minimising the effects of cell ageing and damage (Wani et al., 2020). The most abundant antioxidant is known as phenolic compounds. They have proven to help decrease blood cholesterol and inflammation. They can also be beneficial for heart health and potentially protecting against some forms of cancer.

Consumption of nuts improves satiety because of their high content of dietary fiber and protein. Dietary fiber helps improve digestion and the health of the gastrointestinal tract (Anderson et al., 2009). After cereals, nuts are the richest source of fiber in vegetable food (Dhingra et al., 2011). Hazelnuts can be easily added into diets as a snack and substitute to unhealthy snacks such as candy or potato chips. These nuts can be eaten raw, roasted or ground into paste. Handful of hazelnuts will work fine before training just for a quick energy, is easy and quick to access and full of nutrients.

Nutrition Profile of Hazelnuts

A half cup (100 grams) of hazelnuts contains: 628 calories, 17 g carbohydrates, 10 g fiber, 15 g protein, 61 g total fat, 4 g saturated fat, 45.7 g monounsaturated fat, 7.9 g polyunsaturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol (Marcus, 2013).

Now the section you've really been waiting for: Homemade Nutella!

Nut butters are superfoods, popular among athletes and are have various ways to be used it in the kitchen. Hazelnut combined with cacao, make the perfect combination, both ingredients work well together making the most delicious treat as the famous Nutella. Nutella is delicious in flavour but contains a lot of processed sugar, dairy and soy. Because it is extra sweet, it can be consumed too frequently among young children, which could contribute positively to weight gain, childhood obesity and dental caries among children.

BUT! Homemade Nutella is a healthier alternative to the store bought alternatives. It is super nutritious, health and delicious. It can used as a spread, dip and topping. Add on pancakes, porridge, rice cakes, strawberries, or enjoyed on slices of banana. The recipe only requires 5 ingredients, creamy and easy to make. In this recipe, we followed Jessica Hoffman's recipe, opting to use real food ingredients to make the most nourish and health homemade chocolate hazelnut spread.

Ingredients   

• 1 ½ cups plain unsalted hazelnuts
• 4 oz 50% dark chocolate
• ¼ cup refined coconut oil
• ¼ cup of maple syrup
• ¼ tsp salt 

Raw hazelnut: the key ingredient, is important to use unsalted and pre-roasted hazelnuts

Dark chocolate: 50% dark chocolate works well to bring chocolate taste

Coconut oil: Adds a cream and smooth texture

Maple syrup: Gives the sweet taste

Salt: small pinch to balance all the flavours

Method

Step 1: Place the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 6-8 minutes, or until lightly coloured.

Step 2: Remove from oven and let cool down.

Step 3: Place the hazelnuts in a clean kitchen towel and rub the hazelnuts in the towel to remove the skins. The hazelnut skins should mostly come off when you do this. Separate the hazelnuts from the skins in the towel and discard the skins. 

Step 4: Once the skins are removed, place the hazelnuts in a food processor and blend until they start to turn into hazelnut butter. This can take few minutes. Here the hazelnuts will first blend into a fine powder, and then start to release their oil.

Step 5: Melt the chocolate and coconut oil together in a microwave bowel until smooth. This can also be done in a double boiler pot on the stovetop.

Step 6: Add the melted chocolate maple syrup and salt to the food processor or blender and blend for 3-4 minutes until everything is smooth and incorporated. The consistency should be thick and creamy. 

Step 7: Store in a jar in the pantry for up to 2 weeks. The Nutella can also be stored in the fridge for 2 months!

For more recipes, download the YSN Kitchen App for free!

Chocolate NUTRI-TEEN Food Powder, what's that? 

Sometimes, achieving a balanced diet may be tricky. When that happens, our NUTRI-TEEN Food Powder may come in handy. Developed specifically for active youths, each shake is packed with nutrients. Youth Sport Nutrition are rated excellent on Trustpilot, parents trust Youth Sport Nutrition for a quality, and great tasting product. Here's our CEO Lou talking about how NUTRI-TEEN Food Powder is helping busy families. You can try today and get a full refund or flavour swap if you are dissatisfied, that's YSNs happiness guarantee. 

Youth Sport Nutrition Services

If you're looking for personalised nutrition advice, consider Youth Sport Nutrition nutrition services. We offer professional consultations with qualified sports nutritionists at below-market rates to help you explore the best solutions.

Author,

Andreia Da Graça

Food Science and Nutrition (student)

Follow Adnreia on LinkedIN.

Disclaimer: This article is intended to provide general information about nutrition for youth athletes and is not meant to replace professional dietary advice or individual nutritional counselling. Every child's nutritional needs can vary due to factors such as age, size, physical activity level, and medical conditions. We strongly recommend consulting with a registered dietitian or a healthcare provider before making changes to your child's diet, such as adding supplements and food powders. YSN and the author of this article do not take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, dietary modification, action, or application of medication which results from reading or following the information contained in this article.

References

Anderson, J.W., Baird, P., Davis Jr, R.H., Ferreri, S., Knudtson, M., Koraym, A., Waters, V. and Williams, C.L. (2009). Health benefits of dietary fiber. Nutrition Reviews, 67(4), pp.188–205.

Azadbakht, L. and Rouhani, M.H. (2013). Nuts consumption and cardiovascular risks. Journal of research in medical sciences: the official journal of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, 18(4), pp.272–3.

Choosing Chia. (2022). The BEST Homemade Vegan Nutella. [online] Available at: https://choosingchia.com/homemade-vegan-nutella/ [Accessed 8 May 2022].

Dhingra, D., Michael, M., Rajput, H. and Patil, R.T. (2011). Dietary fibre in foods: a review. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 49(3), pp.255–266.

Guiné, R.P.F. and Correia, P.M.R. (2020). Hazelnut: A Valuable Resource. ETP International Journal of Food Engineering, pp.67–72. doi:10.18178/ijfe.6.2.67-72.

Marcus, J.B. (2013). Lipids Basics: Fats and Oils in Foods and Health. Culinary Nutrition, pp.231–277.

Masud Parvez, G.M. and Akanda, K.M. (2019). Foods and Arthritis: An Overview. Bioactive Food as Dietary Interventions for Arthritis and Related Inflammatory Diseases, pp.3–22.

 

Wani, I.A., Ayoub, A., Bhat, N.A., Dar, A.H. and Gull, A. (2020). Hazelnut. Antioxidants in Vegetables and Nuts - Properties and Health Benefits, pp.559–572.

Yuan, B., Lu, M., Eskridge, K.M., Isom, L.D. and Hanna, M.A. (2018). Extraction, identification, and quantification of antioxidant phenolics from hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) shells. Food Chemistry, 244, pp.7–15.