Food Friday…..er Monday: Partners in Crime
Batman and Robin. Butch and Sundance. Bert and Ernie. These are just some of the greatest tandems in history, but one tandem in particular has kept kids smiling for generations.
Peanut Butter and Jelly.
Since being invented by George Washington Carver in the early 1900’s, peanut butter has become a popular sandwich spread, in addition to being a favorable additive in many desserts. Jelly, with its range of flavors and textures, has been quite a hit itself.
You take two stars and combine them for one delicious, as well as fairly nutritious offering.
You need to search for the right kind of peanut butter and jelly as both have types that have drawbacks. Many peanut butters are made with hydrogenated fats, commonly found in processed items like butter, cookies, etc. Stay away from these types of peanut butter and instead go for natural peanut butter. Often times the only ingredients found in natural peanut butter are peanuts and salt. Other brands, such as Smart Choice offer added omega-3 oils to their peanut butter.
Peanut butter contains a high amount of fat, but in the forms of poly- and monounsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats help to lower LDL (low density lipoprotein) levels and possibly raising HDL (high density lipoprotein). Polyunsaturated fats, which differ from monounsaturated in their molecular bonding structure, can also protect against cardiovascular disease by providing more membrane fluidity to the cells.
Jelly, or jam, should be as pure and free of unnecessary processing as possible. A good first step to take for this would be to purchase reduced sugar jelly, which contains up to 50% less sugar then typical jelly. If nothing else you are saving your body the added stress of breaking down more sugar.
You should use some form of wheat or multigrain bread for your PB & J sandwich, as you will find more nutrients in comparison to white bread. White bread is often processed to remove the hull from the wheat in order to have it last longer on the shelf. So while white bread may have a longer shelf life, it also is devoid of many nutrients such as dietary fiber.
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are also excellent for those looking to gain weight. Since peanut butter is very calorie dense, a 500 calorie sandwich is easily consumed. Make one of these with a nice glass of 2% milk and you have yourself a 600 calorie plus meal that almost anyone can enjoy.
It’s peanut butter jelly time!!
