Apple and Celery with Peanut Butter

Other Xerophagy Published February 15, 2026

This is not glamorous. A sliced apple, some celery sticks, and a scoop of peanut butter — it sounds like a child's after-school snack. But during xerophagy, when your options have narrowed to raw uncooked foods with no oil, this combination delivers something almost nothing else can: crunch, sweetness, salt, fat, and protein in a single plate. The apple gives you quick sugar and vitamin C. The celery gives you fiber and water. The peanut butter gives you the fat and protein that keep you upright through an evening service.

Keep these ingredients on hand during every fasting period. You will eat this more often than you expect.

FASTING LEVEL: Xerophagy (the strictest level — no cooked food, no oil, no wine)
SERVINGS: 1
TIME: 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS

- 1 large crisp apple (Fuji, Honeycrisp, or Granny Smith), sliced
- 2-3 stalks celery, cut into sticks
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter (ideally raw — see notes)
- Honey for drizzling (optional)

METHOD

1. Slice the apple into wedges. Cut out the core as you go.

2. Cut the celery into sticks roughly the same length as the apple slices.

3. Place the peanut butter in a small bowl for dipping, or spread it directly into the celery channels.

4. Dip the apple slices and celery sticks into the peanut butter as you eat. Drizzle honey over the apple if you want extra sweetness.

NOTES

- The peanut butter question: most commercial peanut butter is made from roasted peanuts, which technically means the peanuts were cooked. Truly raw peanut butter exists but is harder to find. Some xerophagy practitioners accept regular peanut butter as a staple food in the same category as bread (an allowable processed food). Others insist on raw. Consult your priest or spiritual father if this distinction concerns you.
- Almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter are all valid substitutes with the same caveats about roasting.
- Tart apples (Granny Smith) work best with the richness of peanut butter. Sweet apples (Fuji, Honeycrisp) work best if you skip the honey.
- Suitable for any xerophagy day. This is a particular lifesaver during the Nativity Fast (November 15 - December 24) when xerophagy days can fall on dark, cold evenings.