It’s time to celebrate one of America’s favorite foods! March is National Peanut Month. Americans love peanuts and we consume almost 2 billion pounds each year, about half in the form of peanut butter. But are all of those peanuts good for us?

Peanuts and other nuts help prevent many chronic diseases. Peanuts have monounsaturated fat & help to lower LDL cholesterol (14%) without lowering HDL levels. They lower Triglycerides 24%. Peanuts are rich in phytosterols, which reduce cholesterol absorption. In addition, they contain magnesium, potassium, copper, zinc, vitamin E, folic acid, fiber, arginine and resveratrol, all of which help to reduce heart disease, normalize blood pressure and reduce diabetes and cancer. Researchers at Penn State found eating a peanut butter diet (35% mono fat) was twice as good for preventing heart disease as a low fat diet (20% fat). A Harvard study found adding peanuts to the diet helps people lose weight & significantly reduces the risk of developing type II diabetes.

Here’s some of the benefits peanuts provide. They lower LDL cholesterol levels, lower homocysteine and lower elevated blood pressure too. Peanuts also reduce type 2 diabetes. They’re credited to helping with weight loss too.

You may wonder if there’s any health problems associated with peanuts. If you have a peanut allergy do not eat them! Peanut allergies are almost never outgrown. While peanuts are high in fat and calories (80% fat), they are healthful as long as they don’t contain trans-fat. Avoid those with partially hydrogenated oils on the label. Peanuts are contaminated with pesticides and often are contaminated with aflatoxin, a carcinogenic mold that is associated with increased cancer risk. Discard peanuts that are discolored, moldy or rancid with an off taste.

There are 10 varieties of peanuts, 4 are popular in the U.S. All are similar in calories & nutrients. One ounce of raw peanuts has about 160 calories, 14g fat, 2g fiber. Two tablespoons of peanut butter has 180 calories and 16g fat.

These are the most popular peanuts in the U.S. Runner peanuts are medium in size and grown in Alabama and Georgia. Runner peanuts are mostly used in peanut butter. Virginia peanuts are the largest. They’re grown in Virginia and the Carolinas. Virginia peanuts are used in cocktail nuts. Spanish peanuts are small, red skinned peanuts grown in Texas and Oklahoma. They are used for peanut oil and candy. Valencia peanuts are also small in size. These are sweet and mostly grown in New Mexico. They’re considered the best because they have no aflatoxin.

Peanuts and other nuts are beneficial when you reduce harmful fats in the diet like trans and damaged fats. The standard serving size is about 2 tablespoons of peanut butter or from one to one and a half ounces of peanuts a day.

Peanut Recipes:
Asian Chicken Salad -- combine rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, garlic, gingerroot, tamari, red pepper flakes; whisk in peanut butter. Drizzle over mixture of shredded spinach, lettuce, carrot, broccoli, pea pods & bok choy
Peanut Curry Pork Stir Fry -- combine peanut butter and curry paste; stir fry pork cubes in oil, remove; stir fry scallion, red pepper, mushrooms, broccoli; add tamari and water; whisk in peanut butter mix
Peanut Butter Popcorn -- heat peanut butter, honey, cinnamon & cayenne, then drizzle it over popcorn
Chocolate Peanut Butter Dip -- melt together 6 oz. chocolate, ½-¾ c milk + ½ c peanut butter
Maple Peanut Butter Dip -- stir together ¼ c peanut butter + ¼ c Greek yogurt + 1 T maple syrup
Peanut Butter Snacks -- combine ½ c peanut butter + ½ c honey + 2 T coconut flour + 1 c ground flax. Stir in ½ c raisins. Shape into balls and roll in coconut, cocoa or sesame seeds