From Over the Hill: Peanut Butter by Peter Bloch-Hansen
and I do indulge in the occasional sweet treat. The key word here is ‘indulge’. I guess I’m just (proudly) old- fashioned enough to think that eating is for nourishment, not self-pleasuring. Don’t mistake me: I enjoy eating. I do it every day. Three times, even. And, I have to admit that when I look in the mirror, I see a little more ‘me’ than I would like. So while I’m not without sin, my peanut butter is innocent. And for my penance, I do clean and recycle the plastic containers. In case you feel I’m waxing preachy. Okay: I am. You’re perfectly entitled to hate me for it. Except that hating is not good. Oops! There I go again. I just can’t seem to stop wanting for people to take care of themselves. In my defence, I don’t really expect anyone people to pay any attention to me so, think me not a preacher, but a fool. Especially when I rant about peanut butter. Speaking of which, a little verse I wrote long ago: Crunchy peanut butter is what it’s all about Crunchy peanut butter makes your tummy firm and stout; Crunchy peanut butter keeps you warm in frosty weather And crunchy peanut butter makes your gums all stick together.
I love the stuff. Eat it several times a week, for breakfast on whole wheat toast (yes, with coffee). I like the crunchy kind – eating something I have to crush makes me feel I’m achieving
something, or at least, earning the nutrition. I admit to buying it in plastic containers -- plastic, bad: glass, good (repeat three times) – because the butter is generally much fresher and DOESN’T CONTAIN ANY SUGAR!!! Properly roasted, lightly salted peanuts are delicious. That’s why people eat mountains of them every year! So why, in the name of all that’s holy, do people put sugar in peanut butter? Sugar is for candy, pastry, cake, pudding and cookies, none of which are actually good for us, all of which are mostly bad for us. But the humble peanut? The USDA says 1 ounce of dry-roasted peanuts contains: 18% fat; 5% sodium; 2% carbohydrates; 10% or 2 grams dietary fibre, and 15 vitamins and minerals. Pretty good, eh? Good for seniors, better for kids. So again; why make something good for us into something bad for us? Could it have anything to do with seducing children to reach for sweet, not in desserts, but in actual food? For profit? I have nothing against dessert, though I use fresh fruit for that (keeps things moving down below)
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Page 12 Boomers and Beyond – Elgin • July-August 2025
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