When Jams burst onto the scene with its Protein PB&J, it made a huge amount of noise and has continued to do so since then. The innovative functional brand makes a delicious peanut butter and jelly snack that is higher in protein than the classic Uncrustables, packing 10g per piece in Berry and Strawberry flavors. The category got even more interesting when a few months later, Smucker’s introduced its doubled Protein Uncrustables.
The situation has now taken another turn with the food giant Welch’s getting into that format with its Real PB&Js, and while it may not say it in the name, these are packed full of protein, more in fact, than Jams. Welch’s functional innovation has 12g of protein per delicious peanut butter and jelly sandwich with low added sugar at 4g. The other nutrition numbers are unfortunately radically higher and worth paying attention to, as the fat is 18g and the total carbohydrates are 38g with 13g of that sugar, all leading to a huge calorie count of 350 to 360.
While it is great to see another player in the small category of protein peanut butter and jelly snacks, Welch’s has mostly just pushed the protein up, not necessarily made the product low in carbohydrates, sugar, or calories. It’s definitely no replacement for a protein bar or your typical protein treat, but we bet it tastes great. You can grab a box of Welch’s Real PB&Js from the aisles of Walmart at $8.87 in Strawberry, Grape, and Mixed Fruit flavors.
