Peanuts and peanut butter are among America's most popular foods. Americans consume more than 600 million pounds of peanuts and about 700 million pounds of peanut butter each year. The good news is that peanut products are nutritious as well as delicious.

Peanuts have lots of protein to make you grow – and lots of vitamins & minerals including Vitamin E, Niacin, Thiamin, Copper, Phosphorous, Magnesium and Iron. Peanuts and peanut butter are naturally cholesterol free and are good for your heart. Because peanuts and peanut butter are packed with so many nutrients, they are a great part of breakfast, lunch and dinner and can be used to make oil and even candy. Do you like to cook? Click on our list to download recipes containing peanuts and peanut butter.

Some people are allergic to peanuts and should avoid eating peanuts, peanut butter, and some oils. People with food allergies have different reactions to certain foods but through certain tests and keeping a food diary, diagnosing a food allergy is not difficult. If you have been diagnosed with a food allergy or think you may have one, click here for more information.

How A PB&J Stacks Up
A peanut butter and jelly sandwich stacks up well against other popular food items such as a chicken filet sandwich, a hot dog, a slice of pepperoni pizza and a hamburger.

A PB&J on white bread contains a lower percentage of calories from fat, less saturated fat, and almost no cholesterol (the small amount is from the bread) than the other items. The PB&J contains more fiber and less sodium than the other items (with only one exception -- the hamburger contains 2 mg less sodium than the PB&J).