By: Tom Nolan, VP Sales and Marketing, Hampton Farms
You may have seen a headline or two recently that people are eating more almonds than peanuts. The short answer is that’s just not true.
The average American eats 6.6 pounds of peanuts per year (in the form of snack peanuts, peanut butter, peanut flour, peanut oil and other products).(1) In contrast, the average American eats 2.0 pounds of almonds per year. (2)
All nuts, including peanuts, are nutritious, but don’t let the wrong information lead you into believing peanuts are no longer the king of the category.
Americans have long had a love affair with peanuts. And why shouldn’t we? Not only do peanuts have a powerful 7 grams of protein per serving, they are also packed with flavor and shine in snacks and meals from savory to sweet. Plus, peanuts deliver a comparable nutritional bang for much less buck. Peanuts cost about 16 cents per ounce at retail while almonds costs about 51 cents per ounce.(3)
Check out the recipes on the National Peanut Board website and continue to enjoy America’s preferred nut.
Sources:
1. Peanuts: US supply and disappearance. Calculated by ERS/USDA based on data from various sources (see http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-availability-(per-capita)-data-system/food-availability-documentation.aspx). Data last updated Feb. 1, 2015.
2. Almond supply and utilization (shelled basis). 2014. Calculated by ERS/USDA.
3. Information Resources Inc. 52-week ending July 12, 2015. Total US Multi-Outlet.