PB&J: It's What's For Lunch

I think the need for variety at lunchtime is more our own need than that of our children. I remember requesting pb&j or cream cheese-and-pineapple sandwiches every day in fourth grade. When I was packing my own lunch in high school, I went through a bagel with fat free cream cheese, apple, fat free yogurt phase....every day.

As the school year commences in earnest, what to pack for lunch suddenly becomes important again. Not only is it important, it can get expensive quickly and it most definitely grows tedious. Let me encourage you to revisit pb&j:

• it's cheap
• it can be quite healthy
• it can be varied a lot
• it's transportable
• it doesn't need refrigeration
• it doesn't need special utensils to eat
• it's readily available
• it's quick to make

Wanting some variety or added health for the classic Wonder bread with Jiff (or Skippy or Peter Pan) and Smucker's Grape Jelly? Mix and match one or more of the following:

Bread: Whole Wheat bread, Raisin bread, French bread, Sourdough bread, Multi-grain bread

Protein Spread: natural peanut butter (yum!), other nut butters, cream cheese (VERY good with jelly and peanut-free if that's a concern), Nutella

Sweet Spread: any flavor jelly or jam (although marmalade might not be the best), all-fruit spreads, honey, apple butter, well-drained/minced canned fruit (like pineapple) if you choose cream cheese as the protein spread, sliced bananas along with honey and a nut butter

Our family's favorite combos: cream cheese and jelly on wheat, nat'l peanut butter and berry jam on raisin bread, nat'l peanut butter and strawberry jam on French or sourdough bread

What are your favorite combos?