On my one visit to Paris, Nutella seemed to be everywhere — in crepes, on croissants and desserts and smeared around my young son’s mouth. The guanduja (chocolate-hazelnut) spread was even on the table for breakfast at our little hotel.

Without looking at the label, I knew — and my kid knew — that frosting-like Nutella was a treat, not an entree.

The label confirms that just one tablespoon of Nutella is fully loaded with about 100 calories, 10 grams of sugar and 6 grams of fat — the very building blocks of addictive yumminess.

That’s why I was stunned to learn that Ferrero, the Italian makers of Nutella, had settled a lawsuit filed by a San Diego mom and a class action suit claiming that the company engaged in false advertising. A TV ad claimed that “Nutella is made with simple, quality ingredients like hazelnuts, skim milk and a hint of coco.”

She was shocked to find out that the natural Nutella she put on whole wheat toast was more like candy than something healthful like peanut butter — a sugar-sweetened, fat-laden nut spread.

She indicated that she didn’t have the time to read every label, so she was totally at the mercy of TV advertising.

I was sure she’d lose like the guy who claimed White Castle’s booths were illegally small and the woman outraged that the Crunch Berries in Cap’n Crunch with Crunch Berries cereal were not actual berries.

If you purchased Nutella between Jan. 1, 2008 and February 3, 2012, you may be eligible to receive a payment. Basically, you get $4 per jar up to five jars and you don’t need receipts.

For its part, Ferrero continues to insist that eating a moderate amount of Nutella within the framework of a balanced diet can be healthy. It’s not any worse than a bowl of Lucky Charms.

I just shake my head and wonder what happened to taking personal responsibility for one’s actions — or inactions.

Listen, if a food company screws up and sells you a defective product or makes you sick, I’m all in favor of nailing the evil corporate culprits.

But for the love of Rice Krispies, there has to be a way to stifle our tendency to file silly lawsuits.

With that in mind, I propose we file a class-action lawsuit against ourselves. We shall seek a restraining order on ourselves from failing to use common sense or to think clearly when it comes to food.

If you want some of the Nutella haul, visit nutellaclassactionsettlement.com.

You just need to admit that you were fooled.

EATERY UPDATE

Texas-born La Playa Mexican Cafe recently opened at 7685 E. Arapahoe Road in Centennial dishing Tex-Mex and real-Mex fare including tacos, fajitas and deep-fried, meat-stuffed avocadoes … One of my favorite Denver bakeries, the butter-drenched Les Delices De Paris, has finally reopened after renovations at 600 S. Holly St. … The local food awards season continues with the Best of The Springs 2012 including Best Brewpub in Colorado Springs (Phantom Canyon), as well as Best Italian (Paravincini’s), Best Pie (Corner Cafe), Best Sunday Brunch (The Broadmoor) and Best Barbecue (Bird Dog). More at coloradosprings.com. The Best of Boulder 2012 honors The Mediterranean as the Best Overall Restaurant. Best Pizzeria was won by Pizzeria Locale, followed by Proto’s Pizzeria Napoletana, Pizzeria Da Lupo, Pizzeria Basta and Tossa. All are well worth visiting. More at boulderweekly.com. … According to Restaurant magazine’s new World’s 50 Best list, I have eaten at only one of the globe’s top eateries, a great meal years ago at No. 25: Daniel in New York City. Noma in Copenhagen took top world kudos, followed by El Celler de Can Roca (Spain), Mugaritz (Spain), D.O.M. (Brazil), and Osteria Francescana (Italy).

CULINARY CALENDAR

Two farmers markets start up this weekend, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Southwest Plaza and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Highlands Ranch Town Center South. … It’s never too early to think about sweet Colorado corn on the cob: The 21st Annual Olathe Sweet Corn Festival is Aug. 3-4 in Olathe. Details: olathesweetcornfest.com.

FOOD NEWS

Boulder’s Twisted Pine Brewery has introduced Big Easy Offbeat Brown, a brown ale laced with wasabi, horseradish and ginger. It sounds like it would be perfect with sushi … Just as die-hard burger lovers have begun to recover from ammoniated pink slime, Food Navigator reports on a global food study that suggests putting insect protein in processed foods could help consumers change their meat-eating habits. Meanwhile Starbucks has announced it will no longer add the very commonly-used cochineal beetles to color its Strawberry Frappuccino and Red Velvet Whoopie Pie.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

“Moderation, not deprivation — along with viewing food as a source of pleasure, a fun family adventure — is the core of French food culture. The French worry less about nutrients and calories, and instead concentrate on teaching their children to love food; c’est normal!, given that food is one of life’s great shared pleasures.” – Karen Le Billon, New York Times

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