Peanut Butter and Jam— the Healthy way!
We’ve all been there. You’re starving, short on time and you just feel like some bread. In the toaster, slathered with peanut butter and some jam for the ultimate “peanut butter and jelly” satisfaction.
Only you then want another one. And another.
What’s going on? I’ll summarise that here before giving you the alternative way of making it below - or you can always skip right to the recipe at the !
So, a few things actually conspire with this snack to make it addictive!
The bread. Bread is in fact a processed food to a greater or lesser extent depending on how it’s made. Sadly the ones sold in supermarkets and taken as normal in most households is on the very processed side. Additives aside, the thing that makes it addictive is its effect on our blood sugar. Whole grains are surrounded by a tough cell wall that it takes our body some time chew and partially break down to access the starchy bit at the center of the grain. However, when it’s milled into flour, even a whole-grain flour, that outer casing of the grain is broken apart and ground down completely. So the starch is immediately available and very easily broken down by the body. Starch breaks down to sugar (glucose). And glucose makes our blood sugar levels go up, and fast. What goes up fast, comes down fast. And when it comes down again our bodies crave more starch….. cue the second, third fourth piece of that toast…
The nut butter. Unless you’re careful you can buy a nut butter that has added sugar. Which will compound with the affect of the starch in the bread, kew more blood sugar spikes and more hunger and cravings.
The Jam. Traditional jam is 60% or so sugar. While this keeps microbes at bay extending shelf life, it basically means each teaspoon is basically a teaspoon of sugar as the rest of the jam is fruit sugar!
The end result - you won’t stay full for long and your blood sugar will go up and down faster leading to cravings and energy drops later on in the day.
The Alternative
Bread: any bread that is not finely milled flour. This could be a bread made from flax seed, a mixture of seeds and grains, (and there are plenty of recipes on the internet - watch this space for the ones I make) or a shop-bought variety, this one is a Linseed, Flax seed and rye by Biona, and you can actually SEE the whole grains. This bread is still predominantly rye and as such may raise the blood sugar but not as fast as something as normal sliced bread due to it’s higher fiber content. It can also be easier to digest for many than wheat. Note: Gluten can be inflammatory and difficult to digest for some people making them feel tired. However If you’re gluten free, be wary of buying gluten-free bread because this is often made from finely-milled gluten free flours which will have just the same spiking effect on your blood sugar. Look for heavily seeded varieties.
Nut Butter: Read the ingredients! Even the fancy-looking healthy-sounding brands can contain sugar in the form of coconut sugar, maple syrup or other types. On the ingredients label you don’t want anything other than the nuts and some salt if you like. Some contain palm oil to stop the natural oil separation when you open the jar, but it’s unnecessary; when you open it just stir carefully with a knife until it is creamy and to stop separation keep it in the fridge.
The Jam: make your own EASY chia and berry jam. This is my favourite part, as it takes minutes! Provides protective plant pigments from the berries and a bit of fibre and protein from the chia. (Many recipes add a little honey or maple syrup which you can of course do, although once your tastebuds become accustomed to a lower sugar diet I find it unnecessary).
The Recipe
Make the Jam:
Measure roughly 4 tablespoons of frozen berries (I like summer berries, black cherries or wild blueberries) into a small pan.
Gently heat until they melt, and then mash (using a fork or potato masher) to a jam-like consistency.
Add a 1 teaspoon of chia seeds and stir. Keeping the heat gentle, continue to stir and the seeds will begin to swell, absorbing the juice from the mashed berries. This makes the mixture thicken to a jam-like consistency in a matter of minutes. If it is still really runny (depending on how juicy your berries are) add half a teaspoon more of seeds.
Pour into a sterile small glass jar (think those mini jars of jam you get at hotels) and place in the fridge. The jam will continue to thicken and become more set once completely chilled.
Storage: Due to the lack of added sugar, the shelf life of this jam is not as long, which is why i like making small quantities like this. Keeps for around two weeks in the fridge, or make a few mini-jars and freeze, taking one out at a time when you’re ready to use.
2. Toast the bread
3. Generously spread the nut butter and top with your berry jam (I often do this straight from the if I don’t have any in the fridge)
4. Enjoy!
