Peanut Butter and Jelly Reinvented

Peanut butter and jelly are staples of almost every American household. If you don't believe me, head to your kitchen right now to confirm this bit of wisdom. If you're interested in "upgrading" your selection of peanut butter and jelly, look no further. The following suggestions will help you improve your experience with two truly American foods. If Peter Pan versus Skippy is the extent of your family's squabbling, you can find new options to argue about below.

Peanut Butter and Co. makes a mouth-watering line of gourmet peanut butter products. My favorite is the Dark Chocolate Dreams, a decadent blend of peanut butter and dark chocolate. This flavor is great on sandwiches or on Saltines or Ritz crackers. Other unique choices include White Chocolate Wonderful and Cinnamon Raisin Swirl. While nuts and nut products are one of the important categories to eat as organic, I can't quite pass up the creative flavors of Peanut Butter & Co. In fact, I love this brand so much, I recently ate at the Sandwich Shop of Peanut Butter & Co. in Greenwich Village (right after I played chess in Washington Square Park in an effort to increase my daughter's interest in this recreational game).

Crazy Richard's peanut butter products are a great option for health-conscious consumers. While they aren't organic, they do come with a nice price tag-less than $3 for a 16-ounce container. This is quite a bargain considering their only ingredient is peanuts. They contain no unnecessary or unhealthy ingredients such as hydrogenated oils, sugar, or corn syrup.

Think beyond grape. It's true, grape seems to be the most popular jelly flavor, but there is no shortage of jelly flavors. Strawberry is probably a close second to grape, but dozens of other choices abound such as blueberry, dark cherry, and peach. Whole Foods sells 365 Organic brand preserves, and apricot and blackberry are two unique and flavorful choices.

PB&J

Credit: LazySunday

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