Simple Ways To Get Your Peanut Butter and Jelly Kid To Eat Healthier

My lunch was filled with peanut butter sandwiches when I was a kid. I just couldn’t get enough. If your kid loves his peanut butter as much as I did, here are some ways to get him or her to combine that peanut butter with something else for a healthier snack.

Change your peanut butter. If you use the regular version of your brand of peanut butter, choose the lower fat jar the next time you go to the grocery store. The lower fat peanut butter has a third of the fat and calories. Peanuts are a good source of fat, but if you can lower it a little, that’s okay, too. So, even if your kid does eat a sandwich, the peanut butter is healthier.

Give that peanut butter a crunch. One way to enjoy peanut butter is atop a piece of crunchy fruit. Spread creamy peanut butter on a slice of red delicious or Granny Smith apple. The sweet combined with the tart apple will yield an interesting flavor. There is a snack called “bumps on a log” that’s made with celery and raisins. Chop a stalk of celery into thirds. Spread peanut butter on each piece. Top with three or four raisins. Voila! Your snack is ready to go.

Try mini sandwiches. Instead of buying those peanut butter crackers in the store, make your own. Take some saltines or low-fat Ritz® crackers and spread peanut butter on them. Top with another cracker and serve as a filling snack to your son or daughter while they wait for dinner or when they come in for a break from play on the weekends. Crackers give your kids a reprieve from eating so much bread. With the crackers, they are not eating as much peanut butter as they spread between two pieces of bread.

Instead of butter, use peanut butter as a spread. If your child likes to eat muffins, ask them to spread a little peanut butter on a low calorie muffin instead of butter or margarine. The fat and protein benefits are better than using the latter.

When you purchase snacks for your kids, buy granola bars with peanut butter. Don’t choose bars that have peanut butter flavoring only. Read the label. Make sure that the snacks contain bits of peanut butter that your kid will be able to taste. Along with the peanut butter, they will be getting a healthy dose of oats, granola, crisp rice, and other grains. Granola bars are an excellent source of fiber and calcium.

Your child will still crave those peanut butter sandwiches. Give them wheat or whole grain bread for their sandwich. Also, if they like jelly, see if they will use strawberry preserves in combination with their peanut butter. Polaner® makes a strawberry preserve that is pure strawberry. It looks like homemade. You can see bits of strawberry in the spread. The preserves are not as sweet as the grape jelly which is a good thing.

Your peanut butter kid doesn’t have to give up his favorite food all together. Try adding other foods to his peanut butter to create healthier snacks. The new tastes will give him even more reasons to love peanut butter.

__________________________________________________

For tips on Simple Ways To Make Macaroni and Cheese Healthier, Visit http://www.dinewithoutwhine.com/article-macaroni-and-cheese.htm