Most Popular Lunch Item

So a few posts ago we talked about lunches. What is the most popular bagged lunch you ask? PB&J! Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches still top the charts for favorite lunch item, even into adulthood. Oh but peanut butter is so fattening you say, but I say, not so if you make sure to eat it in moderation. Everything in moderation! 1 tbsp will do.
There is still room for this food in our diet and now there are so many delectable nut butter choices, you can't help but dabble in them.

The most popular side dish in bagged lunches? Fruit

What about a combination of the two? The same old peanut butter and jelly can get really old really fast. Here are some ways to tempt your palate and boost the nutritional content of this old stand by as well:

• 100% fruit spreads-make sure that you aren't choosing a highly processed jam or jelly. Look for an option that contains 100% fruit or says "all fruit spread". Make sure you flip it over and read the ingredients however because sometimes front labeling on foods can be quite deceptive. If you look at the first few ingredients you should NOT see things like sugar, high fructose corn syrup, juice syrup. I like Polaner All Fruit myself and St. Dalfour is good as well. Others I know swear by Trader Joes.
• Vary your fruit spread flavors-I really like the Apricot flavor fruit spread from Polaner. Other flavors, beyond grape like you most likely stuck with as a kid, include orange marmalade, black cherry, peach and boysenberry. Give a few a whirl!
• Step away from the peanut-Why not try some almond butter instead? At Whole Foods you can actually use the grinder machine to pour in fresh almonds and grind them right there in the store. It doesn't get any fresher than that! No added ingredients or preservatives. It comes out delicious. Not near a whole foods? Try one of the natural nut butters like "Teddy's". These natural nut butters take a little getting used to, but they do not contain added hydrogenated oils, so they are in fact worth it.
• Fruit it up-Add some fruit right into the sandwich for an extra daily serving. Banana slices or even mashed banana work really well and you boost the potassium content of the sandwich. Apple slices or applesauce work as well. Also think outside the box by adding raisins, dried cranberries or pear slices.
• Honey-A little drizzle of honey turns the average pb&j into a delectable little treat.
• Add some fiber-sprinkle a little ground flax seed to add a little fiber, omega-3 and flavor.
• Drop the white bread-Start with a nice wheat bread or even use a pita or whole wheat wrap instead.
• Add some heat-Toasting or grilling your pb&j is also another way to enhance the flavor.
• Nutella-For the off chance that you maybe just need a little pick me up because you are feeling blue, a light spread of Nutella over your layer of pb or almond butter works wonders. I speak from experience. For those of you that do not know, Nutella is a hazelnut spread. It isn't what I would call a "health food" or something I would recommend you eat daily, but a light spread of it here and there is like a little treat!

Just a few ideas to get you started on being more creative with America's favorite sandwich.

7-Day Goals: Ask yourself "how can I reinvent some of my "favorite meals" or snacks by trying new flavors?

~K