In March, during National Peanut Month, you can join the celebration featuring one of America’s favorite snack foods.
This little legume is a powerhouse of flavor, they say, and with versatility. Humans have been consuming the peanuts since 1400 BC, a long time. Also known as ground nuts, the peanut grows underground and belongs to the leguminae family, which includes peas and beans.
But according to the National Peanut Board, peanut consumption increased to 7.9 pounds per capita in 2021. This is an astounding amount of peanuts each year. This is the time to buy another jar of peanut butter for your home and bag a few candy bars for the office.
When it comes to plants packing protein power, peanut provides a whopping 8 grams per ounce, more than any other nut according to the Peanut Institute. And remember, it’s not a nut. Nuts grow on trees, the peanuts grow underground and are high in antioxidants.
But it’s National Peanut Month, some other celebrations. March 1st is National Peanut Butter Lovers Day. January 24th is National Peanut Butter Day, recently.
And now they’ve got the Peanut Proud Peanut Festival coming up in Blakely, Georgia on March the 28th. It’s Peanut Month, let’s celebrate.
Audio Reporting by Tyron Spearman for Southeast AgNet.