Federal Fruit and Presidential Palates

Whether corner, cubicle, home, or Oval, The FruitGuys believes all offices are created equal in their right to have fresh fruit and nutritious fare available in the workplace. In honor of Presidents’ Day, I researched The White House’s favored fruits and snacks throughout its history. Presidents knew that a healthy diet, including Fruit At Work, works:

• George Washington did enjoy fresh cherries, but the famous cherry tree-chopping story has been proven false by his biographers. Washington also favored watermelons, muskmelons, apples, and peaches at his table.
• The dessert menu from Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural dinner offered a simple selection of fruit-ices, and “Grapes, Almonds, Raisins, etc.” Most mornings, Lincoln breakfasted on a single apple and coffee. First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln was exceptionally fond of fresh strawberries and well known for entertaining guests to the White House with her “Strawberry Socials.”
• John Quincy Adams felt access to fresh fruit was so important that he planted plum, apricot, apple, and pear trees on the White House grounds.
• Martin Van Buren was legendary for his resistance to sugared treats. He once memorably ate an apple while addressing dinner guests, describing his preference for fresh fruit over sweets and explaining the lack of pastries and puddings at the table.
• Teddy Roosevelt loved melons and had cantaloupe slices with his breakfast every day when they were in season.
• Richard Nixon was famous for the never-verified rumor that he enjoyed cottage cheese with ketchup, but First Lady Pat Nixon avoided the tasteless scandal. One of her favorite summertime salads was a simple mix of grapefruit and avocado slices.

Enjoy and be fruitful! chiefbanana@fruitguys.com