Five Ways to Spruce Up PB&J

Written by Ashley Palmer.
"School is back in session, and let's be honest: By now, you've probably resorted to packing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every day. Don't get me wrong—I love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. They're the perfect vegetarian food! But packed lunches can become pretty dull. To help you out, here are five easy ways to spruce up the classic PB&J sandwich:

1. Add freshly sliced bananas to your favorite sandwich for an extra layer of flavor and a strong dose of fiber and potassium. Other good options include diced strawberries and halved grapes.
2. Switch up the jelly. If you're used to using grape jelly, switch to strawberry or raspberry. Or even try your hand at making your own homemade blueberry jam!
3. Try using almond butter in place of peanut butter. Not only is it delicious, it also doesn't usually contain any added oils or sugar, which are frequently found in peanut butter.
4. Bake your own fresh, homemade bread. Nothing quite compares to the freshness of a well-made loaf of bread. Try your hand at one of the many easy (and accidentally vegan) bread recipes found online.
5. Bust out the cookie cutters. Make your child's lunch more interesting by cutting up his or her sandwich into fun shapes like hearts, stars, and dinosaurs.

If you're feeling really bold, why not try all five tips at one time? What are your tricks for keeping variety in your lunches and those of your kids? Share with us in the comments section below."


Other suggestions:

• Mix it up. Use more then one kind of jelly.
• Add other kinds of fruit, like raisins or dried cranberries.
• Use other exotic butters like sunbutter (sunflower seed butter) packed full of zinc and other vitamins. Or even make your own!

No matter what your preference there are tons of ways to have a quick and simple but very nutritious PB&J all at once!