Children ask, taz answers: Which is healthier, jam or Nutella?

First, let's take a look at what jam and Nutella actually consist of. You will find a list of ingredients on the glasses. In Nutella - and in many jams - there is one ingredient in the first place: sugar. This means that there is no ingredient more than sugar. In Nutella it even makes up more than half!

Sugar is the reason Nutella and jam are so sweet. Unfortunately, too much sugar can also make us very sick. Nevertheless, some food manufacturers add a lot of sugar to their spreads. Because many people find it delicious - but also because sugar is so cheap compared to other ingredients.

This text first appeared in wochentaz, our weekly newspaper from the left!

Every week, wochentaz is about the world as it is – and as it could be. A left-wing weekly newspaper with a voice, attitude and the special taz view of the world. New every Saturday at the kiosk and of course by subscription.

Apart from sugar, jam mainly contains fruits. For example, it contains healthy vitamins. However, some of the vitamins are destroyed when the fruit is cooked. And they usually are when jam is made from them.

In Nutella, the second ingredient after sugar is palm oil. This is, as the name suggests, oil from an oil palm. It contains a certain type of fat that is also considered unhealthy. Then come hazelnuts, skimmed milk powder and cocoa - these also contain substances that are good for our bodies. It's a shame that there are so few of them in Nutella.

Well, what is healthier? “If I had to choose between jam or Nutella, I would probably choose jam because, in addition to the sugar, Nutella is also very high in fat,” explains Lisa Hitschler. She examines various foods for Ökotest magazine.

What Lisa Hitschler also said: There are other substances in many jams and also in Nutella that are not on the list of ingredients. They don't belong there at all. In Nutella it is mineral oil. This could come from harvesting machines, for example. The greasy oil is actually there to make the machines work well. Unfortunately, we don't yet know whether it harms our bodies.

Scientists found toxic substances in some jams. They are called pesticides. They are sprayed on the fruits before harvesting, for example to protect them from insects. They can also make us sick.

And now? “Our tests show that organic products are less contaminated with pesticides,” says Hitschler. She suggests buying nut butter or fruit spreads with little sugar instead of Nutella and jam. Give it a try!