Today, April 2nd, is National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day!! Yes, it's true! While I couldn't find a lot of 'facts' behind the origin of the day, I figured that it most likely was started by a clever peanut farmer somewhere.

AND I think there are some great reasons to celebrate this day! Beside the fact that PB&J's simply taste delicious (my humble palate's opinion), there are the positive nutritional and sustainability factors to enjoy too.

Of course peanut butter is high in calories, but when weighed against all its benefits, the yummy spread comes out a winner. Consider this: the type of fat found in PB is monounsaturated, which can lower cholesterol and decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease. And our star of the day also has a fair amount of fiber, protein and micronutrients -- all good news for a helathy diet.

Moving on to the environmental factors to consider! Basically, what it boils down to is any time you choose a plant-based food over an animal protein, you are going to lower your carbon footprint by lowering greenhouse gas emissions, saving water and saving land.

At the end of the day, PB&J is something I can feel good about sending my girl off to school with, and she likes it!  All I can see from here is win, win, win.

Just a couple of quick tips from my kitchen...to me it's worth the extra pennies to use whole grain bread, organic peanut butter, and 100% pure fruit jelly. On a good day, I include organic milk and some fresh fruits and veggies in the mix. That way I know my Lily is eating a healthy lunch!