PB&J Bites

One of the easiest ways to make food more nourishing is to bypass as much processing as possible. Nutritional advice will often dictate to eat the whole fruit rather than their juice or the whole seeds rather than their oil. Several nutrients in fruits and vegetables start to decrease in amount and potency the moment that the food they are in is removed from the plant, this loss is further sped up through different processing techniques like cooking and drying. Moreover, all the nutrients work together- for example the fiber in fruits lessens the impact that the sugars they contain have on the body, slowing down the digestion process and keeping blood sugar levels more stable. Nutritional science is still discovering different substances in plant foods that support health in the animals that eat it. We only just discovered vitamins around one hundred years ago and first discovered how to synthesize them much more recently. Beyond the now known vitamins and minerals, we are just starting to understand other substances grouped under the term phytonutrients, “phyto” is rooted in the Ancient Greek word for “something that has grown”, often used for plants. These phytonutrients are not necessary for life like essential vitamins and essential minerals but consuming them in the diet through whole vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds and teas can greatly enhance our well-being. Some of their most important effects on our bodies are from their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Out of the twenty five thousand phytonutrients we know to exist some of the most famous are flavonoids (including catechins and flavonols), carotenoids (including lutein and lycopene), reservatrol and phytoestrogens.
There is nothing wrong with a traditional PB & J sandwich, especially if it is on sprouted whole grain bread and made with organic natural peanut butter and home made jam with strawberries from the garden. But using fruit in different ways beyond fruit salads can be an enticing way to include more of it in the diet, and benefit from the many nutrients it offers. I usually use apple halves as a conduit for peanut butter as one of my favorite post workout snacks but strawberries are perfect for making little sandwiches, and the dark chocolate chips make it a bit more decadent. This works best with small to medium strawberries that can be eaten in one bite rather than the large ones. Any thick nut or seed butter can be substituted for the peanut butter. I tried almond butter but the type I had wasn’t thick enough to stay in place and it slowly slid down and pooled on the plate. Cashew butter would be really delicious if you have some around, it is often used for icing in raw vegan baking because it has a nice thick texture and delicate, sweet taste.

PB&J Bites
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Serves: 2-3
INGREDIENTS:
  • 12 strawberries (small to medium to keep them bite sized)
  • 60 small dark chocolate chips
  • 6 tablespoons natural peanut butter (go for organic with peanut products if available)
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Cut the stems off the strawberries with a clean even cut, then slice in half. Place 1½ teaspoon of peanut butter on the cut side of one half of a strawberry then place the other half on top and set on a plate with the pointy end up. Stick five chocolate chips into the peanut butter in between each strawberry and serve. It will keep in the fridge for a day or two as long as the strawberries are not over ripe.

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