The secret to making your classic PB&J healthier😏

Who doesn’t like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Or at least some form of one? (anyone else obsessed with Smucker’s Uncrustables at some point in their life? haha). I’m pretty sure I’ve only met ONE human my entire life who doesn’t like peanut butter (shoutout to my cousin, Anthony), and being allergic to it doesn’t count! If you’re reading this and you dislike peanut butter, let me know in the comments below…I’m genuinely curious about this, haha! 🤨

Anyway, the idea for this post came through when I was preparing PB&J’s a couple of months ago on our family beach trip to Sarasota. If you know me, you know…I can’t slap together just ANY ‘OLE PB&J! 😉 There are plenty of versions out there that as a Holistic Nutritionist, I wouldn’t recommend. However, there are also versions of this classic sandwich that I most definitely would. Let’s break it down further, shall we?

Here are TWO simple secrets to making your classic PB&J healthier.

One: Elevate the quality of your ingredients.

Nutrition can be very complex, but oftentimes (like when I’m writing captions on Instagram or putting together posts like these for you) I feel like it can also be so simple. As I always say, you want to focus on eating WHOLE FOODS as much as possible (these are foods closest to the form in which they grew). If a particular food is more processed (like with nut butter or jelly), read the ingredients! You want a minimal list of ingredients, and you want to be reading whole foods rather than a whole mess of other sh*t you don’t understand. But, let’s break this down per ingredient required to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich…

The Bread.

Ahhh such an important part of any sandwich! If the bread isn’t soft, fresh tasting, or toasted properly, it can throw the entire sandwich off…am I right? Total. Vibe. Kill. 🫣

When you’re looking for bread, here’s what I’d recommend choosing (in order):

1. Homemade Sourdough: if you’ve got the time or the desire to bake homemade bread, more power to ya! 👊 I’ve been meaning to get into this for so long now. The ingredients are simple and straightforward (there are literally only like 3-4 of them) and you get to control what you’re using. If you’re wondering why “sourdough”? It’s easier on your gut, doesn’t spike your blood sugar as much, and it actually contains nutrients.

2. A Local Sourdough Bread: Are any nearby bakeries baking fresh bread daily? Do a little research and see what they’ve got, what flour they’re using, and how it’s being baked. Some of my local (Miami) faves:

   1. Zak the Baker

   2. Domaselo

   3. Madruga Bakery

   4. Sullivan Street Bakery

   5. Mamma Leone Bakery

3. A Whole-grain Bread from the grocery store. If you’re buying a bag of bread off the shelf, it’s really important to spend some time reading the nutrition label. If you haven’t read it before, you’ll be surprised by the long AF list of ingredients (a bunch of which you won’t understand). A great rule of thumb here is the 5:1 rule. Look for bread where the ratio of carbs to grams of dietary fiber is 5 or less (Dave’s Killer has some options that pass this test!).

4. If you’re sensitive to gluten and need to find a gluten-free bread, I also recommend doing some research and reading your labels. There are SO MANY gluten-free breads out there full of unnecessary additives that definitely won’t be doing your gut any favors. It took me a while to find, but I personally like Simple Kneads. They’re gluten-free, organic, and the ingredients are all whole food ingredients.

The Peanut Butter.

So, you can obviously make your PB&J with a different nut butter if you prefer something else or if you’re only allergic to peanuts or some nuts, but not all. The advice I’m going to give you on this one will apply regardless. Similar to what I already mentioned about your bread, with your nut butter, you’ve gotta read the label! You’re looking for an ingredient list of just nuts and maybe sea salt? If it’s got more than that, it’s not the best choice.

Here’s what I recommend:

1. Make it at home. I’ve never personally done this but again, if you can swing it, and you enjoy it, more power to you. Here are some recipes I found below if you’re interested:

   1. Peanut Butter Recipe

   2. Almond Butter Recipe

2. Look for nut butter with very minimal ingredients (likeeeeee…nuts, and maybe sea salt). I personally love MaraNatha because it’s organic, and the ingredients are literally 100% organic dry roasted peanuts and sea salt PLUS it actually tastes really f*cking good. Nut butter with added sugars and processed oils is highly inflammatory – again, no bueno for the tum tum.

The Jelly.

I feel like I’m gonna start sounding like a broken record now 🤣 so let me just get RIGHT into my recommendations here:

1. Make it at home (still feelin’ like a broken record lol). Now this, I HAVE actually prepared at home in several different ways. Here are some simple recipes for you:

   1. Chia Seed Jam

   2. Berry Chia Seed Jam

2. If homemade isn’t an option or you like having something quicker on hand or maybe you’re on vacation (like I was), you guessed it…READ YO MUTHA F*CKIN INGREDIENTS. Jams and Jellies have SO MUCH ADDED SUGAR in them…it’s honestly not even funny 😒 And what’s wild to me is that they’re already made with fruit?! 😑 Anyway, I found the most amazing jelly at Sprouts while we were in Sarasota and I’m soooo excited about it because there’s a Sprouts opening up a block away from my house any day now! Yeeeeee! HERE IT IS! The ingredients? Upcycled Organic Strawberries, Organic Date, Organic Chia Seeds, Organic Lemon Juice Concentrate. That’s it. All ingredients you know and can understand, plus no processed sugar added (just dates for additional sweetness). 

Now, onto the second secret…🤫👀

Two. Add in MORE nutrients AKA spruce that sh*t up!

If you prepare a classic PB&J, you’re getting a decent amount of nutrients AND a decently balanced meal — protein and fat (from the nut butter), fiber and carbs (from the whole grains and the jelly) BUT we can do better! Plus, with just three simple ingredients, your sandwich can only be so filling…

Here’s what I personally like to add to my PB&J’s to give them a nutritional (& flavor) boost:

• Sliced banana (or other whole fruit)

• Hemp Seeds (for additional protein & fiber)

• Chia Seeds (for additional protein & fiber)

• Shredded Coconut (for additional healthy fat)

Now, let me share how I (usually) prepare a PB&J sandwich with you below ⬇️

Cait’s PB&J Samich

Ingredients (for one sandwich)

• 2 slices of sourdough bread from a local bakery (or Simple Kneads if gluten-free)

• grass-fed butter

• peanut butter (MaraNatha crunchy)

• chia seeds (about 1 tsp)

• hemp seeds (about 1 tsp)

• ½ banana sliced 

• unsweetened shredded coconut

• jelly (homemade or storebought) 

For my homemade “jelly” (which doesn’t require heat):

• raspberries

• cinnamon

• lemon juice

• vanilla extract

• chia seeds (optional) 

• raw honey (optional)

(I don’t give exact amounts here because I just eyeball, so feel free to experiment with this! You don’t want it too watery so don’t add too much lemon juice)

In a bowl, mash the raspberries with a fork and add the remaining ingredients until taste and consistency are as desired. 

Instructions:

1. Heat your pan (a pan large enough for both slices of toast) on low/medium heat (I love using my cast iron for this).

2. While that’s heating up, butter your slices of bread and slice your banana.

3. Add your toast to the pan and toast to your liking. I like my sh*t TOASTY hehe 😝

4. Once it’s done, remove it from the pan, and place face down on the plate. 

5. On one slice, spread your nut butter and top with banana slices, hemp seeds, and coconut flakes. 

6. On the other slice, spread your jelly and add chia seeds (unless they’re already in your jelly). 

7. Sandwich them together, and BOOM. A healthier PB&J sandwich (I love to slice mine down the center).

Hope you enjoyed this post!

If you prepare any version of this, please share it with us in the comments below! 👊

Mucho love,

Cait