Happy National Snack Day 2019

I think it is always good to have options. Options about what you wear, what you eat, where you can shop. I'm lucky because I live in a part of my city where there are a lot of options at least for someone of my family's income level. Let's not get sidetracked today into the economics when I want to focus on a quick option for snacks or even breakfast: Chocolate Hazelnut Spread with Breadsticks. I like many chocolate spreads out there -- hazelnut, peanut butter, just plain chocolate even. But the flavor and nutritional values vary. Some I love, some have been okay, and others I really have disliked. I've seen several brands of this type of item -- the spread with a group of breadsticks or crackers to eat with it. This item was in a bag of freebies I got when the nearby Fresh Thyme Farmer's Market opened up. It was the only free item in the reusable bag that had chocolate. The store had no idea I'd be doing this article about the product today so no other form of compensation was received or even offered!

Inside this 1.80 ounce (52g) container was a shallow section of chocolate hazelnut spread and 6 unbroken hard breadsticks plus pieces that likely were from 2 more sticks. As you can see in the photo below, there is a lot of empty space in the container and I think that allowed the breadstick to move around and break. I recommend making the chocolate hazelnut spread section all the way to the bottom of the container or adding more sticks so they can't move around as much.


The spread had a good chocolate and hazelnut fragrance but I was disappointed to see it was only made with cocoa powder not chocolate liquor (mass) or cocoa butter. For a store that claims to be about healthy foods and supporting farmers, I was very disappointed to see palm oil high on the ingredient list. The breadstick were fragile; even though the spread was smooth and soft, they still had a tendency to break. If the stick were thicker or softer that might not have happened either. There is enough of the spread for 2 more sticks I think.


This was a good little item to have on hand one morning when I woke feeling less than energetic. It allowed me eat something quickly that as tasty. I really wish the ingredients lived up to the promise of a farmer's market.

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