New York Times anecdote about how the president eats only ‘seven lightly salted almonds’ as a late-night snack was told to reporter ‘as a joke’, Obama says

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Rumors of Barack Obama’s particular fondness for almonds have been greatly exaggerated.

Politicos marveled at the president’s discipline after a New York Times article published earlier this month asserted that the commander-in-chief consumes only “seven lightly salted almonds” as a late-night snack, particularly in light of his tour de force speech at the Democratic national convention in Philadelphia on Wednesday night.

Matt Pearce (@mattdpearce) That was a 10-almond speech.

The New York Times reported:

To stay awake, the president does not turn to caffeine. He rarely drinks coffee or tea, and more often has a bottle of water next to him than a soda. His friends say his only snack at night is seven lightly salted almonds. “Michelle and I would always joke: Not six. Not eight,” Mr. Kass said. “Always seven almonds.”

The paper sent out a memorable news alert to the piece reading: “After dark, President Obama spends hours alone, time he says is essential to think, write and have a snack – exactly 7 almonds.”

But although it is true that Obama spent nearly three weeks writing six different drafts of the address, he told NBC’s Savannah Guthrie in an interview aired on Thursday that he was running on more than just a handful of heart-healthy tree nuts.

“This is an example of the weird way that the press works,” Obama, when asked why he doesn’t ever cut loose and eat eight almonds.

“So, Michelle [Obama] and Sam Kass, who was our chef here, one night they were talking about me and teasing me about how disciplined I was, that I didn’t have potato chips or I didn’t have a piece of cake,” Obama explained.

“And this is when Michelle said: ‘Yes, and he just has seven almonds. That’s it.’ To really drive home the point that I needed to loosen up a little bit. And Sam relayed this joke to the New York Times in the article and somehow it was relayed as if I was counting out the seven almonds.”

In reality, Obama has a fondness for junk food, once telling a children’s state dinner meant to encourage healthy eating habits that his “big thing” is tortilla chips and guacamole.

When a bowl is in sight, “he loses it”, first lady Michelle Obama said with a rueful head shake at the event.

“I lose my mind,” Obama responded. “I lose my mind!”

Perhaps with the first lady’s nutrition platform in mind, Obama said that despite the exaggeration in the original report, “almonds are a good snack – I strongly recommend them.”

“I am so glad I had this opportunity,” Obama continued. “This has been really weighing on me.”