According to the National Peanut Board the average kid eats 1,500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before they graduate high school. That's a lot of PB&J, my friend.No one's exactly sure where the PB&J came from. Peanut butter wasn't invented until 1890. It then gained real popularity at the 1904 World's Fair and in the 1920s and 1930s, commercial brands of peanut butter like Peter Pan and Skippy hit the shelves. Around the same time, pre-sliced bread started showing up in American supermarkets. Still, there are no mentions of PB&J sandwiches before the 1940s.
Some historians believe the PB&J was invented by the American GI since both peanut butter and jelly were included in military rations during WWII. Wherever it came from, the classic combination of salty and sweet still finds its way into lunchboxes across the country.
What's not to love about a PB&J!
So I ask you: Smooth or creamy? Strawberry or grape? White or wheat? How did you eat your PB&J? Do you still eat them? Have any interesting combinations you love? Share!
