Comfort food does not get much simpler than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Sweet and filling, the peanut butter and jelly sandwich is as popular in school lunch boxes as it is with midnight snackers. If prepared with quality ingredients, the peanut butter and jelly sandwich can offer as much nutrition as comfort.
Peanut Butter
Loaded with 7 g of protein, two small tablespoons of peanut butter are a good source of this valuable macronutrient for picky eaters. Shoppers have a host of choices available, even beyond crunchy or creamy. Standard peanut butter offers more vitamin E and iron than natural peanut butter and even contains fewer calories, but a glance at the ingredient list may reveal that it contains sugars and fully hydrogenated oils. Natural peanut butters contain just two simple ingredients: peanuts and salt.
Jelly
The sugar in jelly satisfies the craving for sweet foods. To make your sandwich more nutritious, opt for fruit preserves, which contain pieces of whole fruits. All-fruit spreads are also a good option. These typically do not contain high-fructose corn syrup. Fiber-fortified spreads are available as well. Read all labels and ingredient lists carefully. If calorie-counting is a priority, consider reduced-sugar or sugar-free jelly offerings.
Breads
Registered dietitian Katherine Zeratsky of the Mayo Clinic recommends eating 100 percent whole-wheat bread, since white breads are made with overly processed and refined grains. Whole-wheat breads are a good source of dietary fiber. For the highest fiber content, look for breads that list whole grains as major ingredients. Many breads are no longer sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup.
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