The PB&J was invented over 120 years ago and is still a go-to favorite sandwich among adults and children today! But can this sandwich be a healthy part of a low-carb, low-glycemic diet? With the right ingredients, it sure can!
The average PB&J can have 12 grams of protein, 18+ grams of sugar, and 390-500 calories (depending on the choice of jelly/jam and bread). But let’s break that down with some healthier options!
Peanut Butter
Let’s start with the most important ingredient (in our opinion) - Peanut Butter! No sugar-added peanut butter is a must for a healthy PB&J. It’s true that most peanut butter is low-carb but watch the sugar content carefully. Fifty50 Foods makes both a smooth and crunchy peanut butter with no sugar added, plus zero salt!
Fifty50 Peanut Butter provides 8g of protein per serving (2 tbsp), 1g of sugar (0g added sugars), and 180 calories.
Jelly/Jam
Now, what about the “J?” There are a bunch of sugar-free jellies and jams on the market, but you can also make your own. Or, consider skipping the process and simply using fruit like fresh sliced strawberries, mashed raspberries, or mottled peaches (all low glycemic fruits). If you like a sweeter fruit spread, use a sprinkle of Fifty50 Foods Crystalline Fructose Sweetener on your fresh fruit. Or use it in your jam recipe!
A 1/2 cup of strawberries sprinkled with 1 teaspoon of Fifty50 Foods Crystalline Fructose Sweetener is <1g of protein, 8.9g of sugar, and 47 calories.
Bread
Finally, the bread! There are several kinds of bread that rank low on the glycemic index. Here is a list of some of the lowest-glycemic bread options:
Wheat Tortilla (30)
9-Grain Multi-Grain Bread (43)
Whole Grain Pumpernickel (46)
Sourdough Rye (48)
Rye (50)
Sourdough Wheat (54)
Please note that while traditional white bread may only have 70 calories per slice, it ranks high on the glycemic index, which means it can spike your blood sugar. You can always look up your bread, or any food choice on our Glycemic Index Food List.
2 slices of 9-grain bread (depending on the maker) average 9.8g protein, 4g sugar, and 196 calories
Do the math
So a healthy PB&J can have close to 18g of protein, less than 14g of sugar, and 423 calories. Get creative and see how healthy you can make your PB&J can be!
Fun facts:
*The NY Daily Times reported the average adult consumes three PB&J sandwiches every month. Nearly half of Americans regularly eat PB&J sandwiches. Fifty-three percent say exactly half peanut butter and half jelly is the perfect ratio for a sandwich.
* https://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/average-american-eat-3-000-pb-sandwiches-lifetime-article-1.2586249