I'm on the chemical diet.

So there I was, trying to breeze through the grocery store at 7 am Super Bowl Sunday, because as I've learned the hard way, it's crazy busy 4 times per year; Thanksgiving, Christmas, 4th of July and the Superbowl.  Quite possibly the four most gluttinous days of the year...but I digress. 

As I got to the peanut butter aisle (because kid #2 would have nothing to eat for lunch otherwise), a yellow label caught my eye:  "Calorie Free".  Huh?  Calorie-free peanut butter?  Anyone knows that peanuts and other nuts are chock-full of calories...how on earth could a jar of peanut butter be no calories at all?  Upon closer inspection, I noted that the label also said "Whipped Peanut Spread"...not peanut butter.  That was the second clue that something was odd.  So, like any curious person, I picked up the jar and read the ingredients.  Yeah, no peanuts here, per se...just a lot of "fillers", "natural roasted peanut flavor" and "peanut extract".  Ew. 

What have we come to, that we would rather eat fillers and additives to avoid the all-evil calorie, or fat, or cholesterol (or insert any "bad food component" here) rather than eat real food in moderation, and think it's ok.  There's so much information out there that points to all our advances in food science (flavorings, colorings, refinement, etc.) as a major contributor to our obesity issues now...not to mention cancer, heart disease....the list goes on. 

Long story short, I hope the "Calorie Free Peanut Spread" tanks.  And the glamour of eating something that "tastes like real food!" is realized for being as ridiculous as it truly is.  If you want to eat chicken, eat chicken.  In the mood for something fruity?  Eat some fruit!  Want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?  Try some freshly ground peanuts - eat real food!