Vern Evans
My family hates peanut butter (PB) and honey sandwiches. We took a trip down to Costa Rica for five weeks, and our go-to lunch was PB and honey sandwiches for the majority of the trip. We had PB and honey sandwiches for lunch, 5-6 days each week. By the end of the trip, my boys told me they would never have another one again. Prior to this trip, we had taken them as meals during hikes, road trips, and days at the beach, but they were all just day trips or, at the longest, a weekend.
Here is how the PB and honey sandwich became our meal for the road. We were in Costa Rica during the summer, and we didn’t want to (nor had the space to) carry a cooler everywhere we went while hiking, surfing, and riding on tourist transportation. We needed a meal that would not spoil if it got hot or ruined by getting crushed in our packs. We found some local honey to add to the peanut butter and bread we bought at the supermarkets. Locally sourced honey is supposed to aid in the relief of seasonal allergies. Every morning, I would get up, make the sandwiches, and put them in individual Ziplocs. I’d then throw some drinks and the sandwiches into our day packs before heading out.
PB & Honey Health Benefits
Besides the fact that PB and honey sandwiches travel well, there are other health benefits to packing them for high-activity days. Depending on the ingredients you choose, the average PB and honey sandwich provides: 13gm – Fat, 15gm – Protein, 5gm – Fiber, 15gm – Sugar, and 300 – 400 calories, depending on your bread choice. Coupled with a non-sugar drink, this is easily a full meal and just the right amount of energy. We usually packed two sandwiches per person a day. Sometimes we ate both in one sitting, and other times we spread them out over the day depending on time and activity. We based it on what our bodies told us. (Basically, we ate when we were hungry). They were definitely a pick-me-up on the long hikes or surf sessions.
For a modified emergency version, you could keep individual packets of peanut butter and honey in your bug-out bag to eat on the go for many of the same nutritional benefits.
Hydration
One of the effects of eating peanut butter and honey sandwiches is that it makes you thirsty with that sticky roof of your mouth. It forces you to drink while you are eating them. This is an excellent opportunity to rehydrate by drinking at least 16oz of water, which helps with the digestion and absorption of the nutrients. The PB and honey sandwich is full of electrolytes that will assist with proper hydration and absorption, including potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, and other minerals. The fiber in the sandwich aids in hunger suppression, allowing us to avoid feeling hungry while burning more calories. This can assist with eating a lighter meal when on the road. The niacin and folic acid found in peanut butter help convert food to energy, leading to a slower release over time. Coupled with the slower energy release of honey, which helps avoid blood sugar spikes, it’s perfect for high-activity days.
Health Benefits
We get some overall long-term health benefits from eating PB and honey sandwiches. Some benefits are obvious, like how protein aids in building muscle and a boost of energy from the natural sugars. Other benefits are less known, like the omega-6 fatty acid in peanut butter that lowers bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol. Peanuts are a natural source of arginine, which promotes healthy blood vessel function and may prevent heart and vascular disease. The antioxidants found in honey can lower your blood pressure. Eating PB and honey sandwiches frequently can lower the risk of heart disease and decrease blood sugar spikes, making them a good sugar substitute, especially for diabetics.
Cost Effective
Besides all the health benefits and after-lunch energy boosts, PB and honey sandwiches are some of the most inexpensive meals we have had, both in the US and abroad. The peanut butter and honey travel well if you have to change residences while traveling and won’t spoil if they aren’t able to be kept cool like other foods you might typically buy when traveling. Nor will you be upset about wasting the leftovers when it is time to empty the fridge at the AirBnB on check-out.
Final Thoughts
As much as my boys remembered how much they hated eating the same meal almost every day in Costa Rica, my oldest boy uses it as a last resort meal for his work lunch when he doesn’t meal prep nor have any leftovers in the house. The youngest recommends it to others and still defaults to it when we have to pack a lunch on our backs. They both concede that they are an energy-packed meal that doesn’t spoil in heat or matter if it gets crushed in our packs. We may just need to change it up every now and then.
Bon Appetit!
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