The best time to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for weight loss is between meals as a healthy snack. Protein and fiber keep you full for a couple of hours with less than 300 calories!
Between meals as a healthy snack
The best time of the day to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for weight loss is between meals, as a healthy, filling snack.
Firstly, just a PB&J sandwich can keep us full for a couple of hours as it’s high in protein. It’s important to consume high amounts of protein when following a low-calorie diet for weight loss. Protein:
- has a high satiating effect.
- is the macronutrient with the highest thermic effect. About 30% of calories of protein are burned during digestion!
- prevents muscle mass loss during dieting. When we lose weight, we lose more than fat mass. We lose muscle mass as well. It’s vital to minimize the loss of muscle mass, though.
Moreover, prefer eating PB&J sandwich with whole grain bread. Brown bread has 3 times more fiber than white bread. Eating a PB&J sandwich high in fiber is key for weight loss. Fiber delays digestion, providing a feeling of fullness for hours!
In fact, PB&J sandwich with brown bread is one of the best vegan snacks for weight loss because it can keep you full for a couple of hours with less than 300 calories!
Drink a glass of water with your favorite PB&J sandwich for a greater filling effect. Meals high in protein, fiber, and water have the highest satiating score![1]
At breakfast
In addition, a great time to eat a PB&J sandwich is at breakfast or at brunch. Protein and fiber in peanut butter and bread keep you full for a long time. So, a PB&J sandwich can regulate appetite. So, it can help reduce total energy intake!
Furthermore, peanut butter has many health benefits, as it’s packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It’s good for you to boost your daily intake of health-promoting compounds in the morning.
For instance, it may help manage blood glucose levels, which is crucial for maintaining or losing body weight.
After exercise
Another great time to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is after exercise. It’s a great post-workout snack.
Protein
Firstly, PB&J sandwich is high in protein. In fact, it’s a high-quality vegan protein source. PB&J sandwich has 20 amino acids, and it has a high protein digestibility score!
Net carbs
Furthermore, the best time to eat a PB&J sandwich with white bread is right after a workout.
Both white bread and jelly have a high glycemic index. White bread has simple carbs, and it’s low in fiber, while most jellies are packed with added sugar. A common PB&J sandwich is high in sugar!
Thus, white bread and jelly can spike insulin levels. In general, that’s bad for health and weight loss. Only after strenuous exercise, a spike of insulin is beneficial. It helps replenish muscle glycogen stores, which is vital for fast muscle recovery.
What’s the worst time of the day to eat a PB&J sandwich?
We should avoid consuming PB&J sandwiches before exercise or before bed.
Before Bed
A PB&J sandwich before bed may help sleep better at night, as it’s packed with beneficial sleep-promoting compounds, such as tryptophan, niacin, magnesium, and resveratrol.
However, eating a PB&J sandwich right before bed could make you gain weight. We tend to overeat at night. Most people consume significantly more calories than they think. Especially those who eat while watching their favorite TV show.
Certainly, you can eat a PB&J sandwich at night while dieting, but, you have to be very cautious with portion sizes and total energy intake.
Before Exercise
Most noteworthy, the worst time of the day to eat a PB&J sandwich is before exercise. Peanut butter, in particular, isn’t easily digested. Therefore, although PB&J gives energy, it isn’t a good pre-workout snack.
It can make you feel fatigue or bloated. Also, a PB&J sandwich before exercise may cause stomach discomfort and gas!
