The National Ants on a Log Day is celebrated on the second Tuesday of September in honor of a protein-packed snack we all love and falls on September 9 this year. Playing on the words, the ‘Ant on a Log’ is actually celery, coated with peanut butter and topped with raisins. As kids go back to school, this iconic American snack is the brain food they need to stay recharged throughout the day. If you are a fan of peanut butter, occasionally enjoy celery, and can tolerate raisins, then this is the perfect day for you.
Americans have always had a hit-or-miss relationship with snacks. While some healthy snacks like carrot & ranch, nuts, and yogurt are household favorites, some are loaded with fats and other unhealthy stuff. For a nation that loves snacks more than a three-course meal, it is hard to find the right balance in consumption.
Thankfully, there is one snack that is both delicious and nutritious: peanut butter on celery sticks. Stamped and approved by the McKinley Health Center at the University of Illinois, this iconic snack is a mouthful of healthy delight.
Breaking down Ants on a Log, you have the bottom-most layer which is celery. Moving up, you have a spread of finger-licking-good peanut butter, an excellent source of protein. Finishing it up, you have a generous topping of raisins, a stealthy source of selenium, zinc, and vitamin C.
Although the first time ‘Ants on a Log’ was used was in the 1950s, it wasn’t until 2014 when Peanut Butter & Co. and Duda Farm Fresh Foods submitted a request to recognize the second Saturday of every September to honor this snack. And we are glad they did it. This low-calorie, nutritious, and delicious snack most certainly deserves a day of its own.
