How Many Calories Are In a Peanut Butter Sandwich?

Are you wondering about those peanut butter sandwich calories after enjoying your favorite childhood treat?

Many of us grew up on these delicious lunches. And as adults, peanut butter sandwiches are still easy and filling meals. But are they healthy? More importantly, do they contain more or fewer calories than you’re wanting to eat in a given day?

Peanut Butter Sandwich Calories

In this post, we’ll dive into everything you need to know about the number of calories in a peanut butter sandwich.

We’ll cover the nutrition facts of peanut butter and even discuss alternative nut butter options. 

What is a Peanut Butter Sandwich and How is it Made?

Before we dive too deep, let’s make sure we are on the same page. What exactly is a peanut butter sandwich?

Essentially, this is two slices of bread filled with peanut butter. These are very easy to make. You simply spread peanut butter on one side of bread and sandwich the filling with the second slice. 

These sandwiches can be dressed up by using different types of bread or adding jelly. Some people even choose to add bananas, honey, or other fillings to their peanut butter sandwiches. 

Nutritional Info and Calories of Peanut Butter

Let’s focus on the main ingredient in these tasty sandwiches: peanut butter. 

Nutrition Facts for a 2 tablespoon serving of Peanut Butter:

While peanut butter offers many health benefits, it should still be eaten in moderation. When you think about it, 2 tablespoons actually isn’t that much peanut butter.

It is really easy to use a lot more than this when you make a sandwich. But, this will only increase the amount of fat and number of calories in a peanut butter sandwich.

Peanut Butter Sandwich Protein

As you can see, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter are packed with calories, fat, and protein. Since peanut butter is a high-protein food, it can help you stay full. That’s one reason why peanut butter sandwiches are a popular lunch option. 

Peanut butter also has a significant amount of fat. But, most of the fat in peanut butter is monosaturated. This is considered “healthy fat” and helps promote heart health. 

Although peanut butter contains about 8 grams of protein per 2 tablespoons, it contains double that in fat. So, if you’re counting calories or macros, you’ll need to take this into consideration.

Peanut Butter Sandwich Carbs

Peanut butter is a low-carb food. It clocks in at only 7 carbs per 2 tablespoons, making it a great low-carb food option.

However, when you add 2 slices of bread, this will increase the carb count of the food.

Luckily, there are a number of low-carb breads on the market today that are very tasty. Our personal low-carb bread option is this one, clocking in at just 9.5 carbs per slice and 1.5 grams of fiber, which makes one slice just 8 grams of net carbs.

Benefits of Peanut Butter

Peanut butter also contains some important nutrients. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps keep your skin healthy. Vitamin B3 can help regulate your digestion and reduce the symptoms of arthritis. 

How Many Calories Are in a Peanut Butter Sandwich?

As you think about the number of calories in a peanut butter sandwich, keep in mind that this number can vary. The type of bread, amount and type of peanut butter, and any add-ons (like jelly) that you use all affect the number of calories. 

Let’s look at the calories in a standard peanut butter sandwich made with 2 TBSP of smooth peanut butter and 2 slices of whole wheat bread. In this example, a peanut butter sandwich has 327 calories.

How Can You Lower the Calories in a Peanut Butter Sandwich? 

Now that you know how many calories are in a peanut butter sandwich, you might be wondering if you can lower the amount. 

Good news, there are a few ways you could do this:

How Many Calories Are in a PB&J Sandwich?

We’ve been talking about PB&Js but haven’t looked at the calorie content yet. It shouldn’t be a surprise that these sandwiches have more calories than peanut butter sandwiches. 

As we mentioned earlier, the number of calories will vary depending on the type and amounts of bread, peanut butter, and jelly you decide to use. In a standard PB&J with two slices of bread, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, and 1 tablespoon of jelly, your sandwich will clock in at 378 calories.  

Types of Peanuts

As you probably know, there are tons of different types of nut butter.

In this post, we’ve focused on peanut butter. This is made from peanuts, which are technically a legume and not a nut. (They are part of the same family as lentils and peas).

There are many different types of peanuts, but runner peanuts are most commonly used to make peanut butter. These are grown in the American South and have a uniform kernel size.

All About Peanut Butter

When you enter the peanut butter aisle at your local grocery store, you’ll likely notice a shelf full of different options. This spread can be

Full fat is likely what you ate as a child and is made with added sugar. Natural peanut butter is a healthier alternative made with just peanuts and salt. Powdered peanut butter, like PB2, is a newer product. It is made by pressing roasted peanuts to remove oil, which means it has less fat and calories. You can mix this with water to create a paste.

Types of Nut Butters

Of course, peanut butter isn’t the only type of nut butter. You can find other options like:

These all offer different nutritional benefits and are a great alternative for anyone with a peanut allergy.

Final Thoughts on Calories in a Peanut Butter Sandwich

We hope this post helped you learn more about the nutrition behind peanut butter sandwiches!

The next time you prepare a peanut butter sandwich, you’ll know how to make it a low-calorie meal or just how many calories you’re ingesting while enjoying the tasty food.

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