Brynnie is a big fan of her peanut butter and jam sandwiches, and when I make them with just whole grain bread she will still eat them happily. However, I love to make food fun for her while also convincing her to try new things and/or making healthy substitutions. So I've got a way to make PB + J feel fun and new.
If you don't have time to make nut butter and jam from scratch, that is OK! Just make sure you are making healthy choices for you and your family by choosing store bought brands wisely. The best way to avoid additives in foods is to make what you can from scratch, but that isn't always realistic for busy families.
Traditional peanut butter (think Skippy or Jif) is higher in sugar than other nut butters, and contains hydrogenated oils. You'll likely want to opt for almond or other nut/seed butters, or natural peanut butter, if you want to make a healthy substitution there. As for jam, the best way to buy it is straight from the farmer's market! Many lovely ladies sell their preserves there. But if the grocery store is your only option, you'll want to compare one thing - SUGAR. Pick the jam with the lowest amount of sugar per serving. Compare that one to your "usual" brand for a fun shock, if you want!
Below are a few of my favorite healthy/from scratch recipes to make nut butter and jelly at home:
Homemade Almond Butter, from Sally's Baking Addiction
Fancy + Delicious Nut Butters, compiled by The Huffington Post
Raw, Vegan, Sugar Free Raspberry Jam, from Healthy Blender Recipes
Strawberry Jam, from Craftsy
What You Need
1 cup of your favorite fresh berries (or your jam of choice)
Your favorite nut butter (almond, organic peanut, etc.)
Tortillas (you can sometimes find whole grain ones)
Directions
- Place tortilla on a plate and spread preferred nut butter generously over all of it with a knife or silicone spatula.
- Place berries into a bowl and hand mash with a fork until well mashed. Add honey or maple syrup if it is too tart. Spread over tortilla like you did in step 1.
- Roll the tortilla up tightly, beginning from the edge, until it is like a cylinder. Wrap in saran wrap and place in the fridge for about an hour.
- Remove from fridge. Cut into pieces and serve!
I put way too much PB + J in my roll ups. It's a bit of a learning process, but they're gooey and YUMMY, even if they aren't the prettiest.
~ Misty Blue of the Us & Him Blog
Comments (9)
thanks for the tip Misty, I love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches so I am going to try the roll up it looks so good. I am so glad you are feeding your little girl healthy, I know it is hard to always find something that they like that is good for them and thank you for helping other young mothers.
Hello Lisa: I’m sorry you’re having a bad day!
Helllo Misty, thanks for taking the time to write this. I thought it was pure genius, something that simple and something I would never think about made into fun and pleasure for the kids and even for me. I loved it so much I tried it and had fun!
While using nut butters wasn’t much of a surprise, I really like the idea of mashing fruit. I know when I make jam or conserve, its healthier than store bought stuff but never clicked of just mashing the berries.
Lisa an idea with the banana is, use a toothpick or skewer and poke holes into the banana skin and move it side to side to slice the banana before its peeled. Mixes it up for kids. Sorry that it isnt ground breaking but since people have been raising children and have had to try mixing things up a little since the dawn of time there probably isnt going to be much ground breaking things you can try. But feel free to find a ground breaking way of giving your child cheese and crackers and get back to us.