Genius Ways To Make Your PB&J Healthier

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches have been around since the beginning of the 1900s. And, thank goodness for that, right? The average, homemade, PB&J on soft bread has 210 calories, 9 grams of fat, 28 grams of carbohydrates, and 10 grams sugar (via Eat This Much). However, there are ways to make this nostalgic sandwich a bit healthier, according to Happy Healthy Mama. 

Many of us grew up eating peanut butter and jelly slathered on fluffy, stick-to-your-teeth Wonder Bread (with or without the crusts removed). Those two slices of Wonder Bread contain 3 grams of sugar and less than a gram of fiber, according to nutritionix. Alternatively, according to the company, when you swap those slices out for a more nutritious sprouted grain bread, such as Ezekiel, you eliminate the sugar, and benefit from 6 grams of fiber. The healthiest route, if you have the time, is to make your own bread, or grab a sandwich loaf from your local bakery. 

There are dozens of options when it comes to peanut butter. When shopping for organic or natural peanut butters, look for those that are GMO-free, have less salt, and don't have sugar added (via Vegetarian Times). The healthiest peanut butters will contain only peanuts, and no sodium, according to Healthline. Meanwhile, some name brand peanut butters, such as Jif, and Peter Pan, contain 140 milligrams of sodium per 2 tablespoon serving. If you have a few minutes to spare, and own a food processor, making peanut butter at home is a fun, and easy option. Doing so means you have exactly one ingredient in your PB: peanuts! 

Now for the jelly (or jam). The big difference between jam and jelly, is that jam has more real fruit in it than jelly. Jelly, because of the lack of fruit bits (it's made with fruit juice), is usually easier to spread. You can pick up homemade jam from the local farmer's market, or cook your favorite berries with sugar, and lemon juice for 20 minutes (via The Kitchn) to make your own. Or, try a chia seed jam hack that only requires refrigeration. Does all of that sound like too much work? No worries. Happy Healthy Mama says you can also just choose jams in the store that have the least amount of added sugar.