Hungry Girl: How to Lighten Up a Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich

Courtesy Lisa Lillien

Lisa Lillien is the author of the popular Hungry Girl website and email newsletter, featuring smart, funny advice on guilt-free eating. She is also the author of ten books, six of which debuted at number one on the New York Times Best Sellers list. Read her PEOPLE.com blog every Monday for slimmed-down celebrity recipes and more.

Peanut butter and jelly is a perfect combo that will never go out of style. But your average PB&J is pretty high in calories, fat, and sugar. Here are some of my favorite ways to feed a craving… guilt-free!
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The best ways to lighten up a peanut butter & jelly sandwich? Powdered peanut butter and low-sugar preserves. Powdered peanut butter is pretty much a miracle product. It’s made from defatted peanuts, which saves you a lot of calories. Just mix it with water, and you’re good to go! Get more info on it here. Plus. low-sugar preserves have so much fruity flavor, you’ll never miss the extra sugar. Try ‘em in strawberry or grape. (I’m team strawberry!) And to really keep things light and healthy, go for thin-sliced whole-grain bread.

Store-Bought Snacks
Yup Brands B-Jammin’ PB&J Bar: This is a standout snack bar. It’s like a PB&J spin on a jumbo Fig Newton! Only 180 calories and 6g fat, it’s loaded with fiber and protein –11g fiber and 12g protein, to be exact!
Chobani Greek Yogurt Flip PB&J: I flipped when I first tasted this new variety from Chobani. It’s strawberry yogurt topped with PB clusters, granola, and honey-roasted peanuts. Wow! 200 calories and 6g fat, plus 12g of filling protein.
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Easy DIY Treats
Grilled PB&J: This is like the love child of grilled cheese and a peanut butter & jelly sandwich. So good!
PB&J Yogurt Parfait – Skip the bread entirely, and layer up your PB&J with yogurt! Peanut butter cereal is a great way to get your PB fix – I love the version by Jif.
‘Til next time… Chew the right thing!