The National Peanut Board has an exciting new website that now hosts our blog. You’ll get the same consistent, quality posts you’ve come to expect from us and you’re just one click away from our wealth of new recipes, peanut facts, farmer stories and more. So come on over!
Spring is here, and if you’ve been covered up during the colder winter months, I bet you’re looking forward to showing a little skin! Are you ready for the 2013 season? Or are you contemplating that dreaded four-letter word?
All ‘diets’ work, if by diet you mean you use someone else’s food pattern/program to decrease your calories. Going on a diet doesn’t have to mean avoiding one food group entirely—or eating foods in prescribed combinations. But it does mean changing from what you usually eat to eating differently.
One of the most common misconceptions associated with dieting is that doing something short-term will have long-term results. It’s been shown conclusively that without permanent lifestyle change, weight loss is typically temporary, and most people regain all the weight they lost within a few years.
As a parent, you have so many decisions to make when caring for your baby including when to introduce solid foods. Past recommendations encouraged parents to wait until one year to introduce milk, two years for eggs, and up to three years for peanuts, tree nuts and fish. Yet, the research does not support this approach as a way to prevent food allergies. The American Academy of Pediatrics changed their recommendations in 2008 to state that there is no reason to avoid potential allergens during pregnancy or breastfeeding, and that potential allergens can be introduced when solid foods start at four to six months.
Not only is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich nutritious, tasty and convenient, it can also get you a job—seriously! We’re celebrating National PB&J Day by highlighting a unique job ad from Buzzfeed which asks applicants to toss out the traditional cover letter and create the greatest PB&J sandwich as part of their application.
Alice DuBois, BuzzFeed’s product lead for editorial tools, said they expect this challenge to be “a more fun, illuminating way to get a sense of how a job applicant communicates.”
What creative way are you celebrating National PB&J Day?
The solution to a healthy lifestyle is not as simple as taking a magic pill or eating a specific food. There’s no need for complicated, hard to follow diets! The solution is the total dietary approach. The total dietary approach is great because it is not a “one-size fits all.” It is flexible and can be adapted to different social and cultural backgrounds.
The good news is with the total dietary approach, we can keep the pleasure of eating and there is no need for forbidden foods. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics defines the total dietary approach as an overall eating pattern that includes important health benefits and supplies adequate nutrients within an individual’s energy needs.1
The total dietary approach takes away the need to label foods as “good” or “bad,” because doing so can have a negative psychological effect on individuals.1 Many people associate the word “diet” with restricting or forbidding foods they love. More Americans are realizing the importance of diet and nutrition, so a focus on what we should eat instead of what we should not eat is much easier to follow!
Peanut researcher George Washington Carver and former president and peanut farmer Jimmy Carter may be the world’s most recognizable names in peanuts but there are many women who are affecting the world of peanuts’ today—from restaurant owners to food allergy researchers.
Of course, we’re fans of our female Board members who are peanut farmers, Cindy Belch of North Carolina, Laura Robbins of New Mexico and Gayle White of Oklahoma; plus our favorite nutty dietitian @PeanutRD. Here are some other highlights. Who would you add?
Mercury Amodio
Mercury Amodio, PBandU owner
Amodio embraced her childhood dream and opened a restaurant with menu items that have one thing in common: peanut butter. Diners have endless options for combinations—from the popular peanut butter, bacon, cheddar and pickle sandwich to monthly specials like the cinnamon sugar peanut butter, cream cheese and shredded coconut sandwich. A mother of two, Amodio was recently highlighted in QSR magazine about balancing work and family. Read More
Spring Break—it’s the time we usually hit the road to our favorite vacation spot or just have more time to get out of our routine and explore personal interests 
at home.
Being on-the-go usually means we snack between meals more often. Here’s a good snack mix recipe to keep your energy going all day long. Peanut-Pick-Me-Up Snack Mix is full of good-for-you fruits and of course, peanuts!
This snack mix can be made ahead of time and stored for up to three weeks in plastic bags. Just a handful of this yummy mix gives 8 grams of protein along with essential vitamins and minerals. And the peanuts in the mix help fight hunger with a combination of mostly good fats, fiber and protein. Adults and kids enjoy this portable, nutritious and delicious snack.
For more tips on staying energized during Spring Break, or any time of the year, click here.
The Easter bunny will be hopping along door to door in just a few days to deliver sweet messages, Easter eggs and baskets filled with peanut butter goodies! We found several great DIY projects that you can make at home with your family this weekend.
Peanut Butter Easter Chicks from Inside Bru Crew Life
Peanut Butter and Chocolate Egg Blondies from I Wash You Dry
Homemade Peanut Butter Eggs from Kelly Bakes
Readers often ask us how they can make peanut butter at home. Well, we created this step- by- step instructional guide for you to use to make freshly ground peanut butter in your kitchen.
©National Peanut Board
Recipe created by Chef Jennifer Iserloh
Yummy it’s that time of the year again, “International Waffle Day”! Breakfast is definitely an important part of the day for me just as it is for you. That is why I enjoy eating peanut waffles for breakfast because they give me energy and boost the rest of my day.
Let us celebrate with this scrumptious recipe for Peanut Berry Waffles that is quick and easy to make. Remember, whether you want to enjoy an iconic breakfast staple or when those “breakfast for dinner” cravings set in, this recipe is definitely your best bet! The addition of healthy peanut flour pumps up the protein and peanutty flavor. Nobody ever turns down a warm peanut berry waffle. Enjoy! Read More
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