Friday, March 22, 2013

National Peanut Month



     March is National Peanut Month in the United States.  Peanuts and peanut butter are healthy to eat. They are believed to have more protein than any other nut.

     Peanuts were first grown in South America. Spanish explorers introduced them to Europe, and traders later spread them to Asia and Africa.

     Peanuts were grown in the United States as early as 1800. Because they were difficult to grow and harvest, there were not very many peanut famers at this time.

     Peanuts were a common food given to soldiers during the Civil War. After the war peanuts were roasted and sold by street vendors, and at games and circuses. However, because they were still difficult to grow and harvest, peanuts were still seen as livestock food and food for the poor.


     Better equipment was invented by 1900, making growing and harvesting peanuts much easier. Peanuts became more widely grown and sold. It was around this time that peanut butter was invented. It was introduced to the US markets at the 1904 Universal Expedition (a kind of fair), held in St. Louis.


     Peanuts and peanut butter are popular in the United States today. According to the National Peanut Board (NPB) Americans eat over 600 million pounds of peanuts each year. But we seem to like peanut butter a little better; the NPB reports we eat over 700 pounds of peanut butter each year.

     Do you like peanuts or peanut butter? Do you believe peanuts are a healthy food?

Sources:

17 comments:

  1. I'll try to make Mambà, as well, so it is called in Santiago, a town in my country. I like peanut butter, and I love the story where it comes from. Thank you Dana.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi I am Ildiko!

    I love peanuts. My country also have. We like it. But we don't have peanut butter. I never ate it before just when I was coming here. I thought it was crazy because we never at peanut butter and jelly sandwich before.The taste of the salt and sweet combined together.But I like it!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. In Ukraine we do not have peanut butter ,but we have peanuts. My family likes to eat peanuts. Once in a while someone would send us peanut butter from Us it was e desert for us.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I THINK THE BRASILIAN NUT IS THE MUST HEALTH NUT IN THE WORLD...IT IS CALLED "CASTANHA DO PARA"....

    :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You may be right. I don't know which are considered the healthiest. My personal favorites are hazelnuts.

      Thanks Mirene!

      Delete
  5. I love peanuts and peanut butter!!! And I believe they are healthy food , do you know the peanuts contribute more than 40 billion to the USA economy each year? And the peanut is not a nut, but a legume related to beans and lentils. Two peanut farmers have been elected president of the USA Thomas Jefferson and Jimmy Carter.
    Peanuts have a higher antioxidant capacity over grapes Concord grape juice,green tea, tomatoes, spinach, broccoli carrots and many more.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I don't understand why peanuts were seen as livestock food and food for the poor when they were difficult to grow and harvest. They should be an expensive treat for rich people because of its lack on the market. Well, at least poor people had something healthy to eat, which is good. Sometimes it is hard to understand how market runs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You make a good point, Agnes. I agree. I didn't quite understand using peanuts as a livestock feed, poor people's food, and soldier's food if they were so difficult to grow and harvest. Perhaps more well-to-do people really didn't like peanuts? It's ifficult to know for sure. Thanks!

      Delete
  7. March is National Peanut Month in the United States. Peanuts and peanut butter are healthy to eat. They are believed to have more protein than any other nut.

    ReplyDelete
  8. ABOUT PEANUT I LOVE IS MORE ENERGY TO ME I EAT EVERYDAY AT MY WORK.AND I'M MAKE SOURCE. FOOD TO .AND FOOD THAT NAME AND JERRY CHICKEN .AND MANY PEOPLE AMERICAN THEY LOVE MY JERRY CHICKEN .HELP ME MAKE MORE MONY

    ReplyDelete
  9. Alicia a like peanut butter wint cerely or break ; I remember when I was 5 years old my father work for planting peanut and pickup barrow 20 gallon I know the penut is a protein only I remember it is delicios.

    ReplyDelete
  10. When I was a child I liked to eat peanuts but always made a big mess with shell,
    especially whet I put them in the pockets of my uniform or left them in my classroom desk.
    When I came to this country I learned more abaut peanuts.One day when we took a
    trip out of town,we ran into a farmer selling peanuts at the kiosko on the street.The farmer had large boiling pot with different flovored peanuts.
    I really like peanuts, peanut butter,and the variety of recipes but specially
    mix with various fruits. Ruth.

    ReplyDelete