Peanut Butter and Jelly Diet

The familiar and classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich fills the lunch bags of adults and students alike. Peanut butter and jelly as a basis of a weight-loss diet is not part of any published diet plan, but this does not preclude you from using both foods while dieting.

Dietary Considerations

To lose weight in a healthy manner, you should concentrate on eating a variety of foods as recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Choose My Plate. While peanut butter fulfills part of your fat and protein requirement and an all-fruit jelly minimally contributes to your fruit requirement, neither helps complete your vegetable, grain or dairy needs. Avoid using just peanut butter and jelly to lose weight, as eating only one or two foods while avoiding other foods is too restrictive and characteristic of fad or crash diets.

Benefits

Peanut butter has a large amount of fat, but contains primarily polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. These fats may improve your cardiovascular health and help with weight loss. A study published in the February 2007 edition of the "British Journal of Nutrition" found that study participants who consumed a diet rich in monounsaturated fats lost more weight than those who did not. An all-fruit jelly contains no added sugars yet retains its naturally sweet fruit taste. The sweetness of the jelly may help you satisfy a sweet craving or avoid eating high-sugar foods. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that grape jelly counts as a "medium energy density food," meaning it contributes to helping you stay full, which benefits your weight loss efforts.

Nutrients

Both peanut butter and jelly contain a relatively high number of calories per small serving. A 1 tbsp. spoonful of peanut butter has 95 calories, and a 1 tbsp. serving of all-fruit jelly contains 40 calories. A tablespoon of standard jelly has 56 calories. All-natural jelly contains no sodium, sugar or protein and has about 8 g of naturally occurring sugar. Peanut butter contains 8 g of fat in 1 tbsp., most from healthy fats, while jelly contains no fat. Peanut butter has 1 g of sugar per tablespoon. Other nutrients in the peanut butter include 3.5 g of protein, 75 mg of sodium and small amounts of calcium and iron.

Uses

Using peanut butter and jelly in large quantities while dieting may make it hard to limit your calorie intake to a level that will allow weight loss. Measure either food to ensure proper serving sizes. Try spreading 1 tsp. of both on a piece of reduced-calorie whole-wheat rye or grain bread to help meet your complex carbohydrate requirement, or using a small amount of peanut butter as a cracker spread. Add 1 tbsp. of jelly to your morning oatmeal, serving of cottage cheese or in place butter on a bagel.

References

• United States Department of Agriculture: ChooseMyPlate.gov
• "British Journal of Nutrition"; Long-Term Weight Maintenance and Cardiovascular Risk Factors Are Not Different Following Weight Loss on Carbohydrate-Restricted Diets High in Either Monounsaturated Fat or Protein in Obese Hyperinsulinaemic Men and Women; Jennifer B. Keogh, et al.; February 2007
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Can Eating Fruits and Vegetables Help People to Manage Their Weight?
• USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory: Jellies, Peanut Butter
• Smuckers: Seedless Strawberry