Define "balanced meal".

My general answer would be no. Bread is a pretty simple carb, and you're looking at 200+ calories from 2 slices of bread, all simple carbs. The glycemic response from that would be: not good.

At least the fat in peanut butter will reduce the glycemic load.

And then most peanut butter has added sugars unless you specifically buy peanut butter without sugar.

The only time I've ever heard the term "balanced meal" is in a commercial for super unhealthy foods, so I'm not even sure "a balanced meal" is real and not just a buzzword used to sell sugar for breakfast.

Too much sugar, and likely not a ton of fiber.

is it balanced? no is it perfect? yes

Bro, no.

You've got some minimal protein, mostly carbs and fat. You're hurting for protein the most, but fiber is way short, and carbs are way high.

If you're a 20 something you can look amazing on a diet of vodka and cigarettes, but at 30 or so a PB sando is not gonna cut it. You'll be needing a protein, a leafy green, and a healthy fat. The carbs will basically always take care of themselves.

most sandwich bread in the us is processed garbage. if you had homemade or another high quality bread then itd be different. i tried daves killer for awhile and even gave that up because it still tastes so sweet.

I think most bread that's available to buy is actually junk. Even the 'wholemeal' stuff, which itself obfuscates what you actually want: wholegrain. Ideally, the carbs percentage shouldn't be more than 5 times the fibre percentage (according to the 'How not to die' book), but I've found that very little that actually meets that.

This is why people can become obese without understanding why: the over-processing of food considered as staples.

Mainly sugar, oil and fat and carbs from the wheat.

Pick a good bread that’s low in fat & sugar, and high in fiber, and pair it with a glass of milk to ensure a complete protein is formed with the PB, and you’re good.

Add in sliced banana for some sweetness, and toast that bread first (so your PB gets gooey) for a real treat!

It has the "stuff", but not in the ideal proportions. It's not balanced at all. Even if you made the bread and the PB yourself, avoiding the processed filler that companies use, that'd still be, at best, a snack: something that's good to eat, but never to fill yourself with.

It really depends on your goals and alternatives. I like to think of foods on a spectrum. The worst: drugs and candy. The best: depends on your goals. The PB sandwich is completely fine to eat if you enjoy it and it's working for you.

No, but if you use natural peanut butter (even Costco has natural peanut butter) and an actual a whole wheat bread without all the additives, it isn't the worst meal. Maybe throw a sliced banana in there to help round it out.

If you use something like PB2 (defatted peanut butter) and don't use a lot of a sugary jam (consider fresh fruit instead) then you should be okay