This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
If you love a PB&J sandwich, this meal prep idea is perfect for you! Classic peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are packed with fresh veggies and a ranch dip for a tasty lunchbox for kids of all ages!
Ingredients & substitutions
- Bread: You can make your PB&J sandwiches with most breads, but whole wheat hold ups well as well as containing some healthy whole grains.
- Peanut butter: You can use smooth or chunky peanut butter, whatever your preference is. Natural peanut butter is best avoided as the oils can separate and make your bread soggy.
- Jam: Strawberry jam works so well with peanut butter, but you could also use grape or raspberry if you prefer.
- Veggies: Add in some celery sticks and baby carrots for some vitamins and minerals. Snap peas or sliced bell peppers are great additions too.
- Dip: Add in a little ranch dip to dip the veggies in.
- Cheese: Finish the lunchboxes with a cheese stick for a boost of calcium and protein.
How to make pB&J sandwiches for meal prep
- Spread peanut butter on one piece of bread and jam on the other.
- Close the sandwiches, cut off the crusts and cut into quarters.
Tips for meal prepping PB&J
- Use a firm type of sliced bread. Some breads can be very airy, which may lead to peanut butter and jam oozing out of the bread or making the bread too soft. Go for something sturdy so they sandwich lasts.
- Don’t over fill the sandwiches. If you add in too much peanut butter or jelly, your lunchboxes will end up a sticky mess. A coupe of tablespoons of each on each piece of bread is plenty.
- Cover with plastic if making further ahead of time. These are great to make the night before, but if you want to make your sandwiches further ahead, once cut, wrap them in plastic wrap and keep the refrigerated, then you can just pop them into lunchboxes.
- Lightly toast your bread to keep it from getting soggy. If making the pb&j sandwiches further ahead of time, lightly toast the bread. This will remove moisture and keep them from getting soggy.
Frequently asked questions
These are great to make the night before, or they are so quick to put together in the morning to take to work or school. If you want to make them further ahead of time, keep them covered and refrigerated and consider toasting the bread.
This peanut butter and jelly is great for meal prep for school lunches, and they are pretty filling for grown ups too! You can easily add in other veggies or some fresh fruit to bulk them up further.
Because of the ranch dip in these boxes, they are not vegan, but you can easily swap this for hummus or vegan spinach artichoke dip to make these plant based.
This easy PB&J meal prep recipe is perfect for kids and adults alike. Little ones will love that they get to enjoy their favorite sandwich and you’ll feel great about knowing they are eating a well balanced lunch and including nutritious veggies in their diets.
More meal prep recipes:
- Quinoa Buddha Bowl
- Chicken Meal Prep
- Taco Salad Meal Prep
- Vegetarian Cobb Salad Jars
- Breakfast Egg Cups
If you try this healthy-ish feel good PB&J Meal Prep recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
preorder MY book
The Feel Good Foodie Cookbook is now available everywhere books are sold!
Amazon Barnes & Noble Books A Million Hudson Booksellers BookshopSCHULER Books (SIGNED)
PB&J Meal Prep
Ingredients
- 8 slices whole wheat bread
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter creamy or chunky
- ½ cup jam of choice
- 4 cheese sticks
- ½ cup baby carrots
- ½ cup celery
- ½ cup ranch dip
Instructions
- Spread 2 tablespoons peanut butter over 1 slice of bread. Spread 2 tablespoons jam on a second slice. Put the two pieces of bread together to form a sandwich. Cut off the crusts and cut the sandwiches into fourths. Repeat with remaining 6 bread slices.
- Divide the PB&J sandwiches, cheese sticks, baby carrots, celery and ranch dip into meal prep containers.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
The ingredient list calls for ¼ cup each of peanut butter and jelly.
The instructions say to put 2 tablespoons of each on each sandwich.
There’s only enough for 2 sandwiches, not 4.
Otherwise, a great recipe for an old classic!
Thanks for flagging this!
👍
Peanut butter on both sides keeps the jelly from making the bread soggy
Love this tip!