In the News - March 2008
Peanuts pack big nutritional punch in little shell
LITTLE ROCK - Peanuts have long been a mainstay of our diets and whether
enjoyed as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich at school or as the traditional
baseball game snack, peanuts pack a big nutritional punch, says Carla Haley,
Miller County extension agent for the University of Arkansas Division of
Agriculture.
March is a good time to go nuts. Since 1974, it’s been National Peanut Month.
Among the nutritional surprises inside a peanut’s shell:
- A variety of minerals and vitamins, including folic acid, niacin,
vitamin E, magnesium, zinc, copper and potassium
- Zero cholesterol
- Mostly beneficial monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats
- High fiber and protein content.
"Peanuts and peanut butter would fall under the meat section of the My
Pyramid guide, due to their high protein content," Haley says.
Although peanuts are often thought of as a type of nut, they are actually
legumes that are grown as annual crops. According to the National Peanut Board,
peanut plants are unusual in that they flower above the ground, but fruit below
ground.
Unlike Georgia, which is the largest peanut-producing state in the country,
Arkansas is not a big peanut grower. Little River County Extension Agent Joe
Stuart says he has one peanut grower in his county: Matteson Farms in Foreman,
which has 200-300 acres of peanuts. Arkansas is home to two major food
processing plants that use peanuts - Skippy Peanut Butter and Planters Peanuts.
Skippy’s plant in Little Rock is its only one in North
America. Fort Smith is home to the Planters nut-roasting and packaging facility.
For more information about peanuts and peanut growing, please contact your
county extension agent or visit
www.uaex.edu. The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the U of A
Division of Agriculture.
March 28, 20088
By Rebecca Norman
For the Cooperative Extension Service
Media Contact: Lamar James
Extension Communications Specialist
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2187 or (501) 753-0207
ljames@uaex.edu
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