Many children and the young-at-heart love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Health-conscious consumers may worry about the fat and sodium of this lunch time favorite. However, peanut butter contains mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, or "good" fats. In addition, depending on the choice you make for the specific bread, peanut butter and jelly, these sandwiches can be low in sodium, as well as relatively low in calories.
Fat
Most of the fat in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich will come from the peanut butter and the bread. Jelly contains little to no fat. Some peanut butter formulas are relatively high in fat. For example, regular peanut butter contains about 8 g of fat per tablespoon, while reduced-fat peanut butter typically contains 6 g of fat per tablespoon. A typical peanut butter and jelly sandwich contains about 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, or between 12 g and 16 g of fat. The bread used will also contribute to the total fat content. Depending on the bread type, such as reduced calorie whole wheat or plain white bread, the total fat content in two slices will range between 1 g and 2 g. The total fat content therefore of a typical peanut butter and jelly sandwich ranges from between 13 g of fat to about 18 g of fat.
Types of Fat
Most of the fat in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich comes from the peanut butter. The average 2 tablespoon serving of peanut butter in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich contains about 6 g to 8 g of monounsaturated fat, about 4 g of polyunsaturated fat and about 3 g of saturated fat. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, when used in place of saturated fats and trans fats, can lower your risk of heart disease.
Sodium
The total sodium content in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich depends upon the type of peanut butter and bread used to make that sandwich. For example, using a reduced fat peanut butter increases the sodium content. Fat provides flavor. Decreasing the fat can decrease the flavor which peanut butter manufacturers off-set by increasing the sodium content. The result increases a typical 2 tablespoon serving of peanut butter from 0 mg for no-sodium versions to 200 mg for a low-fat version.
Jelly typically contains no sodium, but bread contributes to the overall sodium content of the sandwich. Some low-sodium breads contain about 150 mg in two slices, while rye bread may contains more than 420 mg in two slices. White bread, the standard bread for a typical peanut butter and jelly sandwich, contains about 340 mg of sodium in 2 slices. Therefore, the total sodium content of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich can range from about 150 mg when using no-sodium peanut butter and low-sodium bread to about 540 mg when using white bread and regular peanut butter.
Excess Sodium
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans as well as the Institute of Medicine recommends that healthy adults limit sodium to about 1,500 mg to 2,300 mg per day. The typical peanut butter and jelly sandwich made on white bread with regular peanut butter delivers about one third of that daily recommended limit. However, when using the no-sodium peanut butter and low-salt bread, the entire sandwich delivers only about 15 percent to 20 percent of the recommended limit. Sodium consumption in excess of the daily recommended amounts can lead to high blood pressure as well as issues with osteoporosis, or low bone density.
Calories
The total calories in a typical peanut butter and jelly sandwich will depend upon the specific peanut butter, jelly and bread used. In general, the calories in peanut butter range from about 170 to 200 calories per 2 tablespoons. The calories in jelly depend on the total sugar content, from about 10 to about 60 for a typical 1 tablespoon serving. The calories in two slices of bread range between 90 for whole wheat to about 130 for white bread. Therefore, the total range in calories for a typical peanut butter and jelly sandwich equals about 270 calories for a low-calorie jelly, peanut butter and whole-wheat bread combination to about 390 calories for a regular jelly, peanut butter and white bread combination or 13 percent to 19 percent of the total calories in a typical 2,000 calorie diet.
Member Comments