Food Trends Usher in a New Era of Simplicity, Flavor and Nutrition ... and Peanuts are a Flawless Fit
By the National Peanut Board, www.nationalpeanutboard.org

  Few foods deliciously fit into today's emerging dietary trends more appropriately than peanuts, the nation's most beloved legume. A mainstay on the American food scene for almost a century, peanuts have long enjoyed their status as a stand-alone great-tasting food. Recently, though, in addition to providing its simple pleasures, the peanut is proving its "across the board" appropriateness in many of today's most talked-about culinary and nutritional trends.

Growing Interest in Global Cuisine
  According to Greg Drescher, senior director of strategic initiatives at The Culinary Institute of America, Americans are embracing global cuisine more enthusiastically than ever before. "Foods that once were considered exotic, and perhaps even intimidating, are now becoming mainstream," Drescher explains. "There's a growing movement toward sampling dishes from other cultures ... enjoying ethnic food in its most authentic form as well as infusing world flavors into traditional American dishes."
  Peanuts have played an integral role in world cuisine for centuries, most notably in Asia, Africa and in their native Latin America, where they are a central culinary asset and a key provider of protein. Peanuts are ground and made into sauces, prized for their thickening ability, and commonly eaten as a snack, either boiled, fried or roasted. In fact, the robustly flavored legume is featured in almost every authentic Asian and African kitchen, food bazaar and restaurant.
  As Americans forge beyond U.S. borders for culinary inspiration, peanuts will enjoy a newfound status as people begin to use them not just as a snack and ground as a spread, but in new and different ways as an ingredient in a variety of complex, main meal dishes.

Focus on Nutrition
  Food trend analysts also are noting that as obesity awareness grows, Americans are beginning to pay closer attention to nutrition, and as the result of being better informed about health, are starting to recognize nutritional nuances. While the 90's shunned all fat as "bad," most Americans now realize that what really matters is the type of fat in one's diet. "Good" fats are polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, the type of fat found in peanuts, which decrease LDL ("bad cholesterol") levels and increase beneficial HDL levels.
  The USDA's recently-released "Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005" advises people to consume most of their fat from polyunsaturated and monounsaturated sources, like peanuts, to eat less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fat, and to keep trans-fat consumption as low as possible.
  According to the Food Network, "healthy is hip" when it comes to snack foods in 2005. That translates into snacks that are trans-fat free, nutritionally sound, and of course, quick, convenient and portable. Peanuts are a trans-fat free, easy-to-carry, and convenient snack appropriate for any time of day.

Demand for Unprocessed Foods
  The recent focus on trans-fat has prompted consumers to recognize the benefits of consuming food in its natural state. As people grow more nutritionally savvy, wholesome eating is increasingly equated with foods that are "close-to-the-earth," or minimally processed. In the meantime, natural food stores like Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats are experiencing a surge in popularity and local farmers markets are receiving renewed attention. Peanuts are a wonderful choice for those seeking whole, unprocessed foods. Eaten roasted or raw, peanuts are free of additives, artificial ingredients, colors and preservatives.

Attention to Portion Control and Flavor
  While people shy away from processed foods, they're also moving away from diet fads and embracing a more holistic approach toward eating. The low-carb craze is over. The new diet strategy is to exercise portion control rather than shun entire food groups.
  According to the Food Network, we're about to experience a shift in how Americans order and serve food. The shift will be toward smaller portions as Americans begin to base the enjoyment of a meal not on how large it is, but by how well it satisfies. Moderation is the new key.
  As portion size shrinks, the importance of flavor and satiety grows. Anyone who has eaten a handful of peanuts or a spoonful of peanut butter knows that doing so will stave off hunger for hours. Peanuts and peanut butter are not low-calorie foods. But they are nutrient-dense and tremendously filling, so that when consumed in moderation, they can be an effective weight loss tool. That is the reason Prevention magazine created the Peanut Butter Diet, whose underlying theory is that by replacing calories with peanut butter, dieters will feel full and satisfied longer, and thus be less apt to reach for food and empty calorie snacks throughout the day. In the end, people who eat fewer calories shed pounds.
  "Peanuts are the ultimate functional food ... Just a handful a day can give a good nutrient boost to the diet and, far from causing weight gain, can help with dietary control as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle," explains Jeya Henry, Professor of Human Nutrition at Brookes University. "Peanuts, with their low GI (glycemic index), may be a better option to satisfy appetite and reduce overeating."(1)

Interest in Disease Fighting Foods
"You can't open a magazine or newspaper without seeing information about blueberries as antioxidants, pomegranate juice as an antioxidant, foods as medicines," said Karen Caplan, president of the specialty produce company Frieda. "So there's a huge interest in, and a realization that, eating food, as opposed to taking supplements, is better."(2)
- New results from a three-year study at the University of Florida show that peanuts have a moderately high antioxidant capacity in relation to other fruits and vegetables.
- A Harvard School of Public Health study shows eating peanuts or peanut butter daily cuts the risk of type 2 diabetes by 27 and 21 percent, respectively.
- The FDA affirmed a qualified health claim in July stating, "Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts [such as peanuts] as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease."
- Peanuts contain resveratrol, a naturally occurring phytochemical also found in red wine, which has been associated with reduced cardiovascular disease and reduced cancer risk.
- Both commercial and natural peanut butter contain no detectable trans-fats.

For more about peanuts:
Celebrate March, National Peanut Month!
Peanut Nutrition
Food Trends Usher in a New Era of Simplicity, Flavor and Nutrition ... and Peanuts are a Flawless Fit
Fun Facts About Peanuts
Fun Facts About Peanut Butter
40 Ways to Enjoy Peanuts and Peanut Butter

Peanut Recipe Collection
How does a peanut grow color in page for Kids
Power Your Day With A Peanut & Banana-Packed Breakfast
THAI It All Together ... with Peanuts