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Uncrustables — a very popular, heavily processed, store bought item in many homes and school lunches. **sigh** Do you know what you are paying for when you buy a box of these? One look at the ingredient list is enough to tell you this is not a good option…
BREAD: ENRICHED UNBLEACHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), WATER, UNBLEACHED WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: SALT,WHEAT GLUTEN, DOUGH CONDITIONERS (DISTILLED MONOGLYCERIDES, SODIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE, DATEM, ENZYMES [WITH AMYLASE, LIPASE, ASCORBIC ACID, CALCIUM PEROXIDE, AZODICARBONAMIDE, WHEAT STARCH]), YEAST. PEANUT BUTTER: PEANUTS, DEXTROSE, SUGAR, MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES (PALM AND/OR SOYBEAN OIL), CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: FULLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS (SOYBEAN AND/OR COTTONSEED AND/OR GRAPESEED), SALT, MOLASSES. GRAPE JELLY: GRAPE JUICE, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CORN SYRUP, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: PECTIN, CITRIC ACID, POTASSIUM SORBATE (PRESERVATIVE).
With a list full of additives linked to health problems, words I can’t pronounce, and the majority of the ingredients being manmade, and not real food, I think it’s best we skip the Uncrustables from now on. Convenient? Yes. Affordable? Sure. Impossible to make on your own, and for the same price, or less without all the additives? NO!
At the store I found one of the breads listed on the Clean Breads post for $2.50, which had enough bread for 8 sandwiches. I didn’t included the end pieces, in case anyone is wondering. Then I found supermarket brand natural peanut butter, which did not have partially hydrogenated oils, for $2.56 (14 servings per jar), and a natural jelly without high fructose corn syrup and preservatives for $2.48 (25 servings per jar).
- Price Per Sandwich: Bread $0.31, PB $0.18, Jelly $0.10 = $0.59 / per homemade, additive-free sandwich
- Uncrustables: Box of 4 is $2.93, which is $0.73 / per store bought, heavily processed uncrustable
Making these was the perfect job to get the little ladies involved! I let them add a little peanut butter and jelly to one slice of bread, then I lined up the second slice of bread, and together we pushed down on the Cut-N-Seal.
Once we had several sandwiches made, I put them on the cookie sheet, and into the freezer they went. After they were frozen, I wrapped them individually, placed them in a plastic bag and put them back in the freezer.
These will be great for lunch, after school snacks, or the mornings we are running behind…that never happens with a two and four year old in tow. ; )
Real food doesn’t always require more money, and hours of your time. It just takes a commitment to your health and the health of your family. Kick the artificial ingredients and harmful additives out and add these homemade sandwiches to your Sunday Night Prep next week.
10 comments… read them below or add one
Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting this. I cringe at that ingredient list that so many children eat.
You and me, both!
Thank you for the reminder that it really is NOT that hard to make healthy alternatives to the highly processed, artificial, and highly advertised foods that kids seem to have fallen in love with. My 4th grader will LOVE these sandwiches, and he’ll never miss all the bad stuff in the manufactured version. I appreciate the time you put into showing us how simple and cost effective it is to make a healthy lunch alternative! And, just in time for the start of school…
Thank you so much, Erin! Happy to be able to provide a little inspiration. Have a great day!
Thank you for the post! Silly question….but after you freeze and wrap them, are you storing them back in the freezer or fridge? Thanks!
Not a silly question! I stored them in the freezer so they would last until I needed them. Have a great day!
Hi,
and have been looking for resources like yours to help me out! I have a question about soy products. We are eating vegan twice a week, and I have begun to use tofu a bit, and thinking I was being pretty healthy. I realize I probably need to read the label, but do labels tell what soy products use GMO’s? Also, what oils do you use for cooking? Thanks!
I found you on pinterest. I am wanting to try to eat clean and also clean clean
Hi Jennifer! GMO’s do not have to be labeled. A best way to make sure it’s not GMO is to buy organic, but if it’s not available you can look online on, http://www.nongmoproject.org/. Also, a great resource for toxin-free cleaning and products is http://www.safemama.com. It’s great to hear from someone looking to make the changes! Have a great day.
I found your website while I was in Ecuador during the last 30 days. What I LOVE about the place (among other things) is that most food is clean! They do use some artificial sweeteners, but since they do not grow corn for its by-products, there is no HFCS. If they want to sweeten something, they use sugar. Imagine that?
Anyway, I thought of you the day before we left. I went to the local grocer’s and picked up 3 jars of peanut butter. Ingredients? Peanut and salt? The jelly they use is boiled fruit, thickened with natural pectin, so it provides enough sweetness to counteract the unsweetened peanut butter.
I’m definitely going to make our own Uncrustables. School is about to start and we are planning lunches. The kids asked for Lunchables, Uncrustables, etc. and don’t believe me when I say we can make it on our own
And, they get to use cookie cutters, so it’s a win-win for everyone.
Thanks for your inspiration!
Thank you for the message, Nicole! I love that Ecuador has so many clean, natural products for you to use while there. Hope you and your kids have fun making the uncrustables. We did!
I wrote a post a while back on lunchables. I was able to make them for less money, using no artificial ingredients! http://www.greenplaterule.com/health-nutrition/lunchable-makeover/
So glad you found the website, and very cool you found it while so far away from my home in Atlanta!
Have a great weekend.