Healthy Jelly

Last night I was chattin' on the phone with the BF while he was wandering the aisles of the grand Rainbow foods when he asked is there a healthy jelly?

I immediately thought no. Then I thought wait Jelly is all sugar and flavoring but what about Jam? What's the difference?

Jelly- no chunks of fruit

Jam(or preserves)- chunks of real fruit

Calorie wise they are the same(about 50 calories per TBSP), and contain the same amount of sugar. Yet I think Jam must have more "natural" sources of sugar than jelly since it contains pieces of real fruit. Otherwise there are low-sugar versions of Jam and Jelly that have less sugar. Still I don't think these are necessarily "good" for you. I say if you like jelly or jam go ahead and eat it! One teaspoon of sugar substance on toast a couple times of week isn't going to kill you. Just make sure you don't eat the entire jar in one sitting :)

If you want something healthy, or healthier, or just different, to spread on your toast (hopefully whole wheat or my fave ezekiel bread) try some of these ideas:

Breakfast Toast: Try putting some nut butter on your toast for a protein boost that will keep you fuller longer. Fresh fruit will give you an sugar energy boost in the morning as well.

-1 TBSP of PB and banana/strawberry/pear/honey
-Any Nut Butter (walnut, sunflower, almond...)
-Apples/Banana and cinnamon
-Cream Cheese and Jam (maybe this one isn't healthy...)
-Cottage Cheese and Jam
-NUTELLA and any fruit
-Reese's PB Cup Toast top with nutella + PB or chocolate chips + PB
-Butter + Sugar + Cinnamon (my fave when I was little)
-Egg on top
-Open Faced Breakfast Sandwich- Fried Ham, Egg, cheese and lettuce
-Ricotta Cheese, raisins and cinnamon
-Fast Strawberry Shortcake- strawberry jam + whipped cream
-Pancake Toast- PB + banana + maple syrup
-Any kind of yogurt on top

Snack/Lunch/Dinner Toast: Options are limitless, again try adding some protein/high fat to your toast in order to give you sustained energy and fullness.

-Dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette
-Avocado and Hummus
-Hummus and Tomato slices(or any veggie)
-Parmesan Cheese and Tomatoes(or any veggie)
-Garlic powder (or clove) and butter for quick garlic bread!
-With marinara/spaghetti sauce and cheese for a quick pizza
-Cream Cheese and Jalapenos (never tried it...think I might have to...)
-Brie Cheese
-Cheese and Cucumber Slices
-Open Faced PB and Jelly sandwich
-Hummus and Sprouts

Toast is the perfect low-impact snack/meal, it's cheap, easy, and healthy(depending on the topping). Toast is pretty plain tasting alone so it can absorb a lot of different flavors, which is nice when you don't have a lot of food to choose from in your cupboard or when you want to try something new. I make toast into a meal all the time. For breakfast my favorite is toast with PB, banana, and raisins. I think sandwiches are too bland because of all the bread so I prefer mine in the form of a wrap or on as an open-faced sandwich on toast. Toast is way more satisfying than plain bread to me! One time I had hummus, avocado, quinoa, lettuce, tomato, and green peppers piled high on a piece of toast!

Have fun creating!

What's your favorite way to eat toast?