The Elevated PB&J

Eating healthy often gets a bad rap. The more I chat with friends and family, the more I realize how many people think eating healthy means eating bland foods. In reality, the opposite is true. Eating healthy means nourishing your body with whole, delicious, and flavorful foods that leave you feeling satisfied and energized. It is not about depriving yourself of the things you love—it’s about eating mindfully and swapping harmful ingredients for nutritious alternatives. In fact, one of the easiest ways to improve your health is by changing the quality of ingredients you use. If you're going to start anywhere on your health journey, start there.

Let me show you what this looks like with a healthier twist on a childhood favorite—or what I like to call the “elevated PB&J.” Now, you may have noticed that I used the word "healthier," not "healthy." This is an important distinction. While a PB&J is undeniably delicious, it may not be the best choice for everyone, particularly those managing diabetes or gluten intolerances. It’s important to know your limits and do what’s best for your body. With that in mind, let’s dive in.

The first thing you’ll want to do is swap your store-bought bread for fresh bread with minimal ingredients, which you can often find at a local bakery or farmers market. Store-bought bread is usually highly processed and contains unnecessary additives, preservatives, and sugars. Instead, visit your local bakery and ask about the ingredients they use. Ideally, they should only be using water, salt, and high-quality flour, possibly with some herbs for flavor—simple, clean ingredients with no added sugars or preservatives. If you love bread, this is a game changer. It might cost a bit more, but once you taste and feel the difference, you’ll never go back. Trust me.

Next, select a nut butter with just nuts as the ingredient. For instance, your almond butter should list "almonds" on the label—no added sugars or salt. One of my favorite nut butters happens to be from Costco. It's a blend of almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, and flax seeds, with zero added sugar or oils. Not only is it packed with healthy fats, but it also boasts an impressive 7 grams of protein per serving.

After choosing your nut butter, you have two options for your fruit spread: either use fresh fruit or make your own jam. For a quick and easy option, simply crush your favorite fruit in a bowl and mix in a splash of lemon juice with a bit of honey or maple syrup. If you’re up for a fun project, check out my 10-minute chia seed jam recipe here. While it takes a tiny bit more time, it’s incredibly easy to make and great for leftovers. All you need are berries, lemon, maple syrup, or honey, and chia seeds.

Finally, to truly elevate this recipe, toast your bread in a pan with extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) instead of using a toaster. This method offers precise control over the cooking process and adds a richer, more flavorful dimension. With these simple adjustments, you'll transform a regular PB&J into something extra special.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1-2 thick slices of sourdough or your preferred bread

  • Make sure there are no additives / preservatives in your bread, as explained above

• 1-2 tablespoons of organic nut butter

  • Make sure there are no additives / preservatives, as explained above

• 1/3 cup fresh berries or 1-2 tablespoons of homemade jam

  • Find my recipe for homemade jam recipe here

• A dash of cinnamon

• A dash of sea salt

  • I personally use celtic sea salt

• 1 tablespoon EVOO

Instructions

1. Heat your EVOO in a pan over medium heat.

2. While the pan warms up, slice a piece or two of your favorite bread—I prefer thick slices of sourdough for this recipe.

3. Place the bread in the pan, letting it soak up the olive oil.

4. Toast each side for a few minutes until it’s golden and crisp.

5. Remove the toast from the pan and top it with your favorite nut butter and fresh fruit or jam.

6. Sprinkle with celtic sea salt, cinnamon, and a light drizzle of EVOO.

7. Enjoy!