Lovers of sticky mouth roofs and jelly, unite! November is National Peanut Butter Lover’s Month.
Peanut butter has always been one of my favorite “comfort foods.” My grandmother used to keep a jar by her bed—she was a total peanut butter fiend—and she would eat a tablespoon every evening while she watched television or did a crossword puzzle. I would always sneak up the stairs—we lived in the downstairs apartment—and crawl in bed with her, rustling the newspaper as I stole a nibble of peanut butter, too.
Peanut butter is also a decent health food, as long as it’s not indulged in too often or too much. Two tablespoons have nearly two hundred calories, making it pretty heavy in the energy department; that said, it’s also full of protein and contains fiber, which can also make you feel full, saving you from eating a ton of calories later.
According to Nancy Clark, RD, peanut butter has other benefits as well. It’s considered a great food for athletes, as well as for the heart. A peanut butter sandwich, she maintains, is healthier than anything you’re going to get from the drive thru window. It’s also a source of healthy fats and some vitamins and minerals.
Though it has its haters, peanut butter is a favorite food of many Americans. It’s found in about 75% of American households and can be used in everything from breakfast toast to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch—and even peanut butter cookies in between.
This month, celebrate your love of peanut butter by:
Making peanut butter cookies with your kids. Show them how easy it is to make those little fork designs on the top.
Eating some and being grateful you aren’t allergic to peanuts.
Trying different varieties, from creamy to crunchy go mixed goober varieties.
Making a new peanut butter recipe. Try peanut butter dip, slaw, cake, soup, muffins, pasta and any of these other recipes.
Learning about peanut butter and its history. Did you know that Kellogg (yes, the cereal guy with all the kids) is credited with the first peanut butter making process, when the food was called “nut meal”? Peanut butter goes far further back then that, however; peanuts were crushed and used in early forms of peanut butter in both ancient China as well as in Africa long before the peanut butter we know today was even thought of.