I’d normally come up with a more creative title for this blog entry, but there’s something so enticing about a classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It’s healthy comfort food at its finest, so why tamper with perfection?

PB&J can also be one of your secret weapons in the war against childhood obesity, according to Dr. Gayl Canfield, a nutritionist at the Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa who we recently interviewed for our feature article Organic Food Fights Childhood Obesity.

“PB&J sandwiches, an old favorite, get much healthier when you use 100% whole-wheat bread and no-sugar-added or 100% pure fruit preserves,” she tells Organic Authority. “You might even find that your child prefers the nutty, firm texture of whole-grain breads to spongy white breads, which often get smashed paper-thin in their lunchbox. If your kids are banana lovers, use bananas instead of jelly. Slice the banana crosswise, and arrange your ‘banana pennies’ right on top of the peanut butter.”

I like my PB&J with slices of fresh pear (see photo, above). Couldn’t be juicier, and it’s a great summer lunch or snack—especially when it’s too hot to turn on the oven!

Note: Because you follow an organic lifestyle, OrganicAuthority.com recommends using certified organic ingredients, when available, in all recipes to maximize flavor and nutrition, while minimizing your risk of exposure to pesticides, chemicals and preservatives.

Photo courtesy of USA Pears