How Nutritious is a PB and J?

The peanut butter and jelly sandwich, also known as PB and J, is a staple of many kids' diets, as well as more than a few adults. Remember enjoying a PB and J with a cold glass of milk after school? This comfort food has been around for ages, but just how healthy is it?

Nutrition Information

Let's consider a traditional PB and J made with two slices of white bread, two tablespoons of peanut butter, and two tablespoons of grape jelly:

• Fat: 18 grams
• Sodium: 500 milligrams
• Carbohydrates: 59 grams
• Protein: 12 grams
• Fiber: 3 grams
• Calories: 432

Here are the Daily Recommended Intake of those nutrients for a person who normally consumes about 2,000 calories per day:

• Fat: 66 grams
• Sodium: 2,300 mg
• Carbohydrates: 250 grams
• Protein: 75 grams
• Fiber: 26 to 38 grams

What the Nutrition Information Means

Following these guidelines, one typical peanut butter and jelly sandwich would supply approximately:

• 27% of a day's fat
• 23% of a day's sodium
• 24% of a day's carbohydrates
• 16% of a day's protein
• 13% of a days fiber
• 22% of day's calories

Considering that a typical peanut butter and jelly sandwich is served as a snack, it has a lot of fat, sodium and calories. You can make a healthier sandwich by reducing its size, using peanut butter with less fat and using fruit spread instead of jelly.

Healthier Snack-Sized PB and J Alternative

First, start with one slice of 100% whole grain bread that has:

• 1 gram fat
• 132 milligrams sodium
• 12 grams carbohydrates
• 1 gram protein
• 2 grams fiber
• 70 calories

Add one tablespoon of strawberry spread (without sugar, just fruit and juice) for:

• No fat
• 10 grams carbohydrates
• 40 calories

Finish the sandwich with one tablespoon of reduced-fat peanut butter that has:

• 5 grams of fat
• 86 milligrams sodium
• 3 grams carbohydrates
• 6 grams of protein
• 1 gram of fiber
• 83 calories

With this smaller, healthy PB and J, you have:

• 6 grams fat
• 220 milligrams sodium
• 25 grams carbohydrates
• 7 grams protein
• 3 grams fiber
• 193 calories

This PB and J has fewer calories and less fat with the smaller portion size. However, the whole grain bread still contains three grams of fiber.

_Sources:

Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine, National Academies of Sciences. "Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs): Recommended Intakes for Individuals." Published 2002.

United States Department of Agriculture. "USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 20." Updated September 2007.