PB&J as a kid versus now

Peanut mobileWhen I was a kid I would sometimes have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. PB&J, as we called it, was a good choice for lunch. No refrigeration needed, not that we worried that much about that kind of thing back then just like seatbelts and secondhand smoke.

Thinking back, PB&J in the 1970s was a very different creature than today.

My PB&J as a kid came most often on something like Wonder Bread. The peanut butter would like have been Skippy or Jif. The jelly probably was grape or strawberry, and my mom or I would put a really thick layer.

Today I still every so often eat a PB&J, but the me of the 1970s might have been a bit puzzled at this PB&J of today.

My PB&J is always on whole wheat. There’s no white bread in our house. For the peanut butter we are spoiled to have the Davis Food Co-op’s freshly ground from peanuts. It smells really good. You can even grind it yourself there and it comes out warm. The “jelly” for PB&J today for me is often the whole fruit kind of thing. Taken together it is delicious.

The other thing that is different about PB&J today is something I learn from my kids. At school they often are not allowed to eat PB&J at all because of fellow students’ peanut allergies or if they are they have to be wary of where they sit because sometimes there are peanut-free tables.

In December I was in Atlanta for a meeting (see my post on visiting MLK’s birth home) and saw a peanut mobile (above). I know that 1970s kid version of me would have loved to have seen both MLK’s house, as he was a hero of mine, and a peanut mobile.

What do you think of PB&J’s? Take the poll.

2 thoughts on “PB&J as a kid versus now”

  1. Now that you are talking about some serious stuff, Paul, I would like to put a vote in for peanut butter and sliced dill pickles on toasted sourdough. Wonderful combination with the acidic pickles nicely complimenting the gooeyness of the peanut butter, which should be crunchy for best results.

    1. Dave, I’ve never heard of that combo. Would we all it a PB&J&P?
      Every week or so it’s good to have a post that is more lighthearted or not just about hardcore science, policy, etc. 🙂

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