The goal of nutrition is to provide a slow, consistent energy release that maintains your physical stamina and mental concentration. Bottomline, when you put together foods with the right combination of carbs, protein and fats, your golf round will be much more enjoyable
When I head out to the golf course, I always bring an old-time favorite food… a hearty peanut butter and jelly sandwich. But not that soft squishy white bread kind of sandwich that gets soggy and mushy. I have found a great way to make a healthy version of this sandwich that travels well and delivers a great combination of high-quality protein, fat, and carbs to keep my energy level up for 18 holes.
I hadn’t eaten a peanut butter jelly sandwich for years when I discovered my healthy version of the PB&J by accident. I was heading out to the golf course one evening to play 9 holes and didn’t have time to eat and I needed something quick to throw into my golf bag. I had some Ezekiel bread in my freezer… a bread that is a very firm, dense bread. I grabbed my jar of Once Again Natural Peanut Butter and Strawberry Polaner Spreadable All Fruit (jelly) to make a quick sandwich, put it in my golf bag and off I went.
Our tee time was 5:30 pm and about half way through our round I started to get hungry …time to munch on my sandwich. I was relieved to see my sandwich wasn’t soggy or squished when I pulled it out of my golf bag — my cart mate immediately laughed …. “omg a PB&J she says…. how fun!”
As we were coming to the end of the round, I noticed the other players in my four-some were definitely tired and were hitting some pretty bad shots. But I actually felt pretty energetic without my typical end of the round crash (even at 8:30 pm). I was able to sustain a consistent round of golf! But, why?
I had actually stumbled upon the perfect snack and now I always make sure I bring this sandwich with me whenever I play a round of golf. I was curious to learn why this particular food is perfect for maintaining your energy level whether you play 9 or 18 holes.
When you put together a healthy version of the PB&J here is how it benefits your golf game…
Peanut butter is a high fat and high protein food that promotes satiation (the sensation of feeling full soon after eating). Most of the carbohydrates in peanuts are complex carbs, the type your body breaks down gradually for metabolism – think long term fuel for your body. Consuming peanut butter (as long as it doesn’t contain added sugar) is low in carbs and you won’t get those quick high sugar spikes and subsequent energy crash.
The Ezekiel Sprouted Grain bread has lower carb and higher fiber content and the lowest glycemic index (the measure of how quickly a food raises blood sugar in the body) of any bread. Additionally, the grains absorb water during the sprouting process making sprouted grain bread lower in calories.
Now that we have the health benefits of sprouted bread and natural peanut butter, I complete my sandwich with the best brand of jelly that adds a little bit of sweetness and to make it less dry and definitely tastier… but try not to choose a product that is loaded with sugar. Using the natural peanut butter and sprouted bread is great but by choosing a jelly with no added sugar will keep your peanut butter and jelly sandwich on the healthy side…. I use Polaner All Fruit Spreadable (they call it this instead of jelly or jam). You would never know there was no sugar in this product which is sweetened only with fruit juice and none of the high fructose corn syrup so no sugar highs and lows for me.
So, that’s my secret to maintaining my energy level when I play a round of golf –my little snack that delivers a quick energy boost from the bread, that keeps my blood sugar stable, and delivers a slow steady stream of energy from the peanut butter to get me through a round of golf with a strong finish.
If you want to end your round with a consistent level of concentration and less fatigue, you just might be surprised to see how much difference a small change in your golf snack can make with your overall performance!
Ezekiel Bread (link to Amazon and to this article…
To buy Ezekiel Bread you are going to have to look for it at your local grocery store in the freezer section. Since there are no preservatives, the bread needs to be frozen and when I bring my loaf home from the grocery store, I store it in my freezer and pull out a couple of slices when I need them.
Polaner All Fruit Spreadable Fruit, Assorted Flavors, 15.25 oz (Pack of 3)
I purchase my Polaner from Amazon. The 3 Pack is perfect and honestly, all the flavors are good and I don’t have a preference of which one I use. They are all delicious.
- 1-strawberry, 1-seedless raspberry, 1-seedless blackberry
- Sweetened with only fruit juice
- Non-GMO verified
- No artificial flavors or colors
- No high fructose corn syrup
Once Again Organic Creamy Peanut Butter, 16oz – Lightly Salted, Unsweetened
This is my favorite brand of natural peanut butter as I find the oil and the peanuts separate far less than other brands and it really is very good! You would never know it has no added sugar.
– USDA Organic, Gluten Free Certified, Vegan, Kosher – Glass Jar
About this product
- CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER || 16 oz deliciously creamy, certified organic peanut butter. Our peanut butter is made by roasting and grinding blanched, dry roasted peanuts until they are wonderfully creamy
- LIGHTLY SALTED, UNSWEETENED || This product contains peanuts, with a hint of salt to bring out the exquisitely roasted flavor. Unsweetened
- ETHICALLY SOURCED || Our peanuts are sourced from Nicaragua, Argentina and the USA
- CERTIFIED || USDA Organic, Non-GMO, Gluten free, Vegan, and Kosher Certified. No added preservatives
- MINIMAL WASTE || Once Again Nut Butters are packaged in recyclable glass jars
