From sandwiches and snacks to drizzles and dips, peanut butter is a classic staple that can do it all. So it’s no wonder that it’s America’s favorite nut — with peanuts and peanut butter accounting for about 2/3rds of all nut consumption in the United States.
But what makes this nut butter so much better? Well, there’s a lot to love!
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1. Healthy Building Blocks
A single serving of peanut butter (about 2 tablespoons) provides 7 grams of hunger-satisfying protein, along with hard-to-get nutrients that we might otherwise miss — including dietary fiber, potassium, magnesium, thiamin and vitamin E.
2. Affordably Delicious
Dollar for dollar, peanuts and peanut butter pack all those nutrients into the most affordable protein package around. In fact, they don’t just beat other plant-based sources, they’re also more affordable than most animal-based protein too.1 Which is great news, since swapping meat for plant-based protein can help you live a longer life.2
3. Manage Weight
Peanut butter’s combo of protein, fiber and unsaturated fats help you feel full without weighing you down, but there’s more to love! Studies have shown eating peanut butter in the morning can reduce the urge to snack throughout the day,3 while other studies found peanuts may even help improve the effectiveness of certain diets.4
4. Grow Up Strong
There’s a reason (well, maybe a few) that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 cites nuts like peanuts for their nutritional powers, stating they are “important sources of iron, zinc, protein, choline, and long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids,” all of which can contribute to healthy development.5 (Dive into other ways peanuts support a healthy childhood here, or how it can help you live a healthier life at any age.)
5. Nutritious and Low-Glycemic
As low-glycemic foods,6 peanuts and peanut butter are digested more slowly, which helps prevent sugar spikes that can lead to crashes. It’s just one reason why the American Diabetes Association lists nuts as one of their “Diabetes Superfoods.”
Foods with a low glycemic index (like peanuts) have also shown to significantly improve glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes, similar to the amounts achieved with medication.7
(For more info on healthy nutrition, check out our simple guides covering Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.)
6. Cancer Fighting
A daily serving can offer some pretty big benefits — in fact, just 10 grams of nuts like peanuts per day has been associated with a 20% reduced risk in overall cancer mortality.8
7. Great for Gut Health
In addition to earlier research, a recently released study shows that daily peanut consumption can “enhance key bacterial communities” that support a healthy gut — including many that are linked to cardiovascular health.9
8. Keeping Hearts Healthy
But gut health isn’t the only benefit of peanuts and peanut butter can offer cardiovascular health; The heart-healthy fats in peanuts have been linked to improving blood pressure levels and helping to improve overall cholesterol levels.10,11
9. Brain Boosting
In addition to providing the energy your body needs to stay focused, researchers have found an antioxidant in peanuts (p-coumaric acid) could have similar anxiety-reducing effects as some leading anxiety-reducing drugs.12
Nutrients found in peanuts may also help to slow or prevent cognitive decline in old age. Niacin, for example, has been associated with a 70% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease.13
10. Sustainable Snacking
Peanut butter production creates lower levels of CO2 compared to other protein sources, including meat, eggs and cheese.14 And, because they’re legumes, peanuts don’t require as much water to grow as other nuts — needing less than half the water almonds do.15,16
They also replenish nitrogen in the soil they grow, which makes it a great choice for crop rotation.
And, according to the U.S. Sustainability Alliance, even the hulls, husks and oil find a purpose as animal feed and biodiesel.
And a bonus reason: Oh Right, Great Taste!
And with all those great benefits, we couldn’t forget one of the most important things: peanuts and peanut butter are delicious! To prove it, we’ve assembled ten simple-to-make recipes that have your back from snack time to dinner time.
And if you’re thinking of incorporating a daily serving into your diet, we have plenty of additional recipes (from quick hacks to full entrees) that make it as easy as it is delicious.
(Have dietary restrictions? Don’t worry, we’ve got recipes made for those who are vegetarian, gluten free, have diabetes, and more.)
The Bottom Line
Whether you’re eating for your mind, your heart, your wallet or the planet, peanuts and peanut butter give you more than enough reasons to make more room on your plate every day.