Markita Lewis, MS, RD
Everywhere you look, people are searching for ways to increase their protein intake to help reach their wellness goals. Eggs have often been a go-to food for quick protein, but recent price increases have led many people to look for protein alternatives to meet their nutrition goals in affordable and accessible ways. Luckily, peanuts are a plant-based protein that’s up to the task, with a serving of peanuts or peanut butter costing only $0.19 on average1. While eggs are still a great nutritional bang for your buck, keep reading to learn about how peanuts can be a nutritious and versatile protein for your budget, and how you can integrate peanuts into your healthy diet.
Let’s look at the facts when it comes to the nutritional powerhouse that is the peanut. Peanuts contain 7 grams of protein per ounce, which is more than any other nut. To add to that, peanuts have 14 grams of good fats, are a good source of fiber, and have a vast number of important nutrients including manganese, niacin, magnesium, vitamin E, and phosphorus.
While eggs are considered a complete protein (meaning that it contains adequate amounts of all nine essential amino acids), it doesn’t mean that plant-based protein sources that don’t are inadequate. There’s a concept in nutrition of complementary proteins where plant-based foods that contain varying amounts of amino acids can be paired together to provide all essential amino acids2. These pairings don’t even need to be complicated – a peanut butter sandwich or a noodle stir-fry with peanut sauce can give you the amino acids you need!
Peanuts provide additional health benefits that have been backed by research. You can support your heart health with regular consumption of peanuts. According to the FDA, scientific evidence suggests, but does not prove, that eating 1.5 ounces of most nuts, including peanuts, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of peanuts. Peanuts and peanut butter are also low glycemic index foods, meaning that they don’t cause rapid spikes in blood sugar, and they can help regulate blood sugar3. The American Diabetes Association recommends peanut butter as a protein choice for diabetes4.
If you’re looking for versatility in your diet, peanuts are where it’s at! Peanuts, peanut butter, and peanut butter powder are different forms of peanuts that you can use in your snacks and meals throughout the day. You can have a hearty breakfast with Peanut Butter Overnight Oats, power up your smoothies with some peanut butter powder, or make a quick snack of roasted nuts or peanut butter and apples! Many cultures from around the world also use peanuts in their respective cuisines, so you can add different flavors to your meals with a spicy Peanut Harissa or fusion Thai Peanut Chicken Tacos.
Overall, peanuts make a great protein alternative that is affordable and nutritious and might be a little bit easier on your wallet. You can learn more about the health benefits of peanuts, find recipe ideas and more at nationalpeanutboard.org.
References
- Circana Scan Data Comparisons 2024 Q4 for Peanut Butter and Snack Nuts.
- Gardner CD, Hartle JC, Garrett RD, Offringa LC, Wasserman AS. Maximizing the intersection of human health and the health of the environment with regard to the amount and type of protein produced and consumed in the United States. Nutr Rev. 2019;77(4):197-215. doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuy073
- Tindall AM, Johnston EA, Kris-Etherton PM, Petersen KS. The effect of nuts on markers of glycemic control: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2019;109(2):297-314. doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqy236
- American Diabetes Association. Protein Food for Diabetes. Available at https://diabetes.org/food-nutrition/reading-food-labels/protein