Parisa Bahmanyar

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Nutty for Peanut Butter
Peanuts seem like such a simple product used to make peanut butter and jelly
sandwiches or peanut butter cookies. It is also very popular to many vegetarians, as well as
body builders and those focused on getting fit and lean. Peanut butter has a high content of
protein, making it desirable to vegetarians because it replaces the protein from meat. It is
also especially popular with body builders because it is a quick and easy way to get their
protein after a hard workout. When I think of peanut butter I think of my mom making my
sandwiches everyday for school, but surprisingly this idea was derived from the early
1900s and during World War I. Peanut butter and peanut products are some of the most
popular products in the U.S. This includes all products by Reeces including peanut
buttercups, serial, M&Ms, protein bars, and many other things.

This product didnt become popular until the 1920s when it was first produced.
The product became desirable after World War I when there was a meat shortage; this
product was able to take its place (www.slate.com). It is said that peanuts are the 12th most
valuable cash crop in the United States (www.nationalpeanutboard.org). Peanut butter is
made up primarily of grounded dry peanuts, but other versions have become very popular
in the recent years, including crunchy or creamy peanut butter, almond putter and cashew
butter. The popularity of peanut butter skyrocketed in the early 1980s and 1990s, being
promoted by large companies like Proctor & Gamble. The product had a reputation for
being cheap, nutritious and a comfort food. There are three major brands of peanut
butter: Jif, Skippy and Peter Pan. Each brand has created many different variations of
peanut butter as well. The Europeans first discovered peanuts in Brazil. There was much

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trade of peanuts between continents before Africa started trading with North America in
the 1700s (http://nationalpeanutboard.org). As mentioned earlier, this product became
extremely popular during World War I because soldiers discovered the high contents of
protein in the product. Many people also turned to peanuts as a harvest crop in thoughts of
replacing cotton.

Peanuts are grown primarily in North America. Major farming plants are located in
all of Canada, although many southern states in the U.S. have large peanut farms. In the
United States, we receive majority of our peanuts from 11 major state growers, including
Texas, Florida, Mississippi and more (http://nationalpeanutboard.org). Peanuts are grown
in warm climates around the world, but the United States makes up 10 percent of the entire
worlds crop. The United States exports around 250,000 metric tons of peanuts each year,
bringing in roughly $244.5 million (http://nationalpeanutboard.org). Another large
moneymaker is the distribution of peanut oil from the U.S. around the world, including
Canada, Hong Kong and many other places (http://www.agmrc.org).

The demand for peanuts and peanut butter products has remained extremely high
over the years, especially in North America. Many people consider this product to be cheap
and nutritious because of the high contents of protein and minerals, also using it as a
replacement for diary products and red meat. Peanuts can be used for many different things
including ingredients in all sorts of meals like cookies, cereal, bread and many others. The
most popular of all products is peanut butter.

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Peanut butter is made up of dried roasted peanuts, which turns into a peanut paste,
sweetener, salt and many other ingredients (https://www.google.com/patents/US3619207).
Another source of peanuts is peanut flour. This flour is a gluten-free product, which has
been shed of the fat in peanuts and used for pastries, meat and even fish. Peanuts and
peanut butter are the number one consumed snack product in the United States. Anything
from cookies to milkshakes, candy bars, and even protein shakes. Many people are
introduced to peanut butter at a young age because of the great price and high source of
protein, especially for young kids.

Although peanut butter is considered a cheap snack and easy source of protein, that
was not always the case. In 2011 during a drought, the peanut crops were unable to grow
and develop, leaving farms with little to no peanut crops. During this time there was a large
peanut shortage, raising the price of all peanut butter brands. Prices practically doubled in
grocery stores and some brands, including Trader Joes who makes their own line of peanut
butter, had to discontinue the product during the shortage. This was a difficult time for
peanut farmers and consumers because many people turn to peanut butter because of the
cheap price and high protein content, rather than purchasing expensive meat.

This peanut shortage may not have been a very big deal to many other people
though. The shortage and price increase on products had no effect on those with peanut
allergies. Allergies to peanuts are one of the most common allergies, especially in the
United States. The percentage of children born with zero tolerance to peanuts tripled in just

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10 years (https://www.foodallergy.org). Some cases are so severe that people cannot even
smell peanuts or peanut butter without having an allergic reaction to the scent.

Although this product may not be used in the process of making and baking every
popular dish around the world, it is important to learn about peanut butter because of the
many positive effects it does have. This food gives people just enough protein if they are
not getting protein from any other source, although it is important to be aware of the high
fat content the product may have. Peanut butter is still growing in popularity, especially as
new healthier peanut products are being developed.

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WORKS CITED
1. Boriss, Hayley, and Marcia Kreith. "Peanut Profile." - Agricultural Marketing
Resource Center. 1 Sept. 2013. Web. 5 May 2015.
<http://www.agmrc.org/commodities__products/nuts/peanut-profile/>.
2. Dzurik, Joseph, Eddy Hair, Michael Hardy, and Edward Perves. "Patent
US3619207 - Peanut Butter Containing Homogenized Peanut Paste." Google
Books. 9 Nov. 1971. Web. 7 May 2015.
<https://www.google.com/patents/US3619207>
3. "History of Peanuts & Peanut Butter." National Peanut Board History of Peanuts
Peanut Butter Comments. 5 Mar. 2014. Web. 5 May 2015.
<http://nationalpeanutboard.org/the-facts/history-of-peanuts-peanut-butter/>.
4. Naudziunas, Jessica. "Pricier PB&J's In The Forecast, Thanks To Peanut Shortage."
NPR. NPR, 28 Sept. 2011. Web. 5 May 2015.
<http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2011/09/28/140873567/pricier-pb-js-in-theforecast-thanks-to-peanut-shortage>.
5. "Peanut - Food Allergy Research & Education." Peanut - Food Allergy Research &
Education. Web. 5 May 2015. <https://www.foodallergy.org/allergens/peanutallergy>.
6. Press, The Associated. "Peanut Shortage Sending Peanut Butter Prices up."
CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 12 Oct. 2011. Web. 5 May 2015.
<http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/peanut-shortage-sending-peanut-butter-prices-up1.1029364>.