Is there anything more American than peanut butter and jelly? The essential lunch box food for many kids, and some adults too! Always a sandwich to keep them full and give them plenty of energy through the rest of the school or workday. It can be quite healthy too, if you choose whole grain/whole wheat bread, natural nut butter and no sugar added jelly/jam. Nuts and nut butters provide good nutrition in the way of protein, healthy fats and other nutrients. They can be incorporated in any of the 3 meals, as well as snacks.
Nutrition Facts:
- Plant-based protein
- Healthy fats (Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated)
- Contain a variety of other nutrients, such as calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium, depending on the variety of nut
- Some also contain antioxidants
- May reduce risk of heart health issues, including blood pressure
- Pistachios, cashews, peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts are considered the healthiest of the nuts
Ways to incorporate nuts:
- make your own trail mix instead of buying it (store bought can be very calorie laden), so instead mix your own with a variety of nuts, and even a small amount of dark chocolate or dried fruit to replace having a candy bar or other sweet treat
- add to salads for a nice crunch for some texture
- top oatmeal for a satisfying crunch
- use in baked goods
Things to keep in mind:
- Watch the portion size of nuts due to being calorie dense and high in sodium
- Choose raw or dry-roasted nuts to help avoid excess sodium
- Pick natural nut butters (preferably the varieties with only 2 ingredients:nuts and salt)- the oils will separate but just stir to bring it back together and spread on apple slices, banana, whole grain toast, for example.