Nutrition with the Peanut Butter Jelly Times
Many a times when one is getting prepared to concoct the classic PBJ, or when one is thinking about not making it, bread and a healhty dose of carbs come to mind. For those who are looking to beef up their PBJ and turn it into a meal, as opposed to a snack, or for those who are turned off by the relatively insignificant value of nutritional content in a slice or two of the simple white or classic wheat, consider sprouted rye, classic whole grain, or any other hearty dough that will leave a lasting impression on your bowels and or your oblique muscles. There are breads out there with 5 grams of protein per slice and 7% of your daily fiber intake. That’s 20% of your daily protein requirement and a near 15% of that in fiber just for a couple of bread slices with only 10% carbs.
Peanut butter is often one of the most underappreciated condiments because of it’s seemingly high fat content and the fact that many people store it in the refrigerator. Peanut butter is supposed to be creamy. Keep it in the pantry.
When selecting a peanut butter there are several brands to choose from, but the nutritional content in most of them is all the same. Plus, most of them are pretty similar in taste. Some people like to buy the special health store food peanut butter made from organic nuts and natural oils, but nutritionally, it doesn’ t make that much difference. Plus, it runs. It’s not thick. It’s smooth, but not dense. It will dribble out from between your bread and onto the new shorts you just waited 7 months to buy because of the fall sale. Stick to Jiff, Peter Pan, Skippy, even the store bought. If you want to cut fat, buy the light. The difference is 6 grams.
The key, and I repeat the key to a good peanut butter and jelly sandwich is the jelly, preserves, or jam. This is the sweetness in your food. Otherwise, the high protein and high fiber bread coupled with the sticky dry peanut butter turns your sandwich into a piece of cardboard, and you don’t want that. Choose your jelly, preserves, and jam carefully. This is not only the sweetner but the cooling system. It’s refrigerated. The chill from the temperature will give your sandwich balance and the sweetness of the sugar will make it savory and delicious. I recommend Knotts Berry Farm’s Boysenberry Preserves. They are very sweet and tasty, and for those who do not enjoy the sweetness of a tasty jam but do eventually enjoy the variation in texture that a jelly provides in contrast to the dry bread or butter, try apricot. Either way, your sandwich will now have balance.
Nutritionally, the jelly, preserves, or jam don’t mean much. It’s really just sugar, probably going to add 60 – 80 calories to your sandwich. I think it’s worth it. For those who are strict and just want something creamy, nutritious, and salty, the peanut butter sandwich will do wonders on its own. With the whole grain rye, or sprouted organically created bread, the peanut butter sandwich comes out to about 350 calories. With 17 grams of protein though however and close to 25% of your daily fiber intake, it really makes for quite efficient eating despite those 16 grams of fat. The sandwich is filling. These are not loose thin slices of bread. They’re made for meal purposes and in so are hearty. Pasting a little jelly, jam, or preserves on your peanut butter sandwich will give it the balance it requires because of the soft silky texture and cool wet temperatures. Plus, it is sweet. The sandwich almost becomes pastry like and at nearly 420 calories 16 grams of fat, it is. The difference between this PB&J that you are going to make though and the muffin you buy from the bakery, or that eclair you nibble at after dinner, is that this PB&J has significant nutritional value. Specifically, 17 (approximately 35% of your daily requirement) grams of protein and 25% of your daily fiber intake. Now compared to the 420 calories which is approximately 20 – 25% of your daily recommended allowance, this sandwich is doing pretty well. It really is smart eating. Plus, it tastes good. Afterall, it is a pastry. Make it nutritional.
