The peanut butter and jelly sandwich is as American as apple pie. During World War II, soldiers were provided with peanut butter as an inexpensive source of protein with their meal rations. These inventive soldiers mixed their peanut butter with jelly to make it more appealing, and when they returned home from the war, sales of both peanut butter and jelly increased. Whether you eat it as a comfort food, or serve it to your children for lunch, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches make a healthy meal choice.
Basic Sandwich
A basic peanut butter and jelly sandwich consists of two slices of bread, with approximately 2 g of fiber per slice, 2 tbsp. of peanut butter and 1 tbsp. of jelly. This sandwich contains 380 calories, 13.45 g of protein, 19 g of total fat, 3.72 g of saturated fat, 8.86 g of monounsaturated fat, 5.33 g of polyunsaturated fat, 0 mg of cholesterol, 45 g of carbohydrates, 5.9 g of fiber and 460 mg of sodium.
Protein
The USDA recommends that you vary your sources of protein to include more nuts and seeds. When part of a healthy balanced diet, including foods like peanut butter in your diet can help reduce your risk factors for heart disease. On a 2,000-calorie diet, you should include 4 to 5 servings of nuts or seeds a week.
Fat
About 45 percent of the calories in a typical peanut butter and jelly sandwich come from fat. However, most of those fat calories come from the heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. To maintain a healthy diet, 25 to 35 percent of your calories should come from fat, with most of those fat calories coming from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
Fiber
To make your peanut butter and jelly sandwich healthier, make it on whole-grain bread with at least 2 g of fiber per slice. Increasing the fiber in your diet offers a number of health benefits, including appetite control, alleviation of constipation and lowering your blood cholesterol levels. Adult women should aim for 21 to 25 g of fiber a day and men, 30 to 38 g of fiber a day.
Sodium
Some commercial brands of peanut butter are high in sodium. To limit the sodium content of your peanut butter and jelly sandwich, look for unsalted varieties. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich made with reduced-sodium peanut butter with all other ingredients the same contains 378 mg of sodium. Your daily sodium intake should be limited to less than 2,300 mg a day.
References
- What's Cooking America; History of Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich; K. Stradley; 2004
- USDA: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010: Foods and Nutrients to Increase
- The DASH Diet Eating Plan; Feb. 26, 2011
- American Heart Associaiton; Know Your Fats; Jan. 20, 2011
- USDA: Nutrient Database: Peanut Butter
- MayoClinic.com; Dietary Fiber: Essential For a Healthy Diet; Nov. 19, 2009
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