Did you know that peanuts aren’t really nuts? Find out what they are and other surprising facts about this nutritional wonder.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Whether you eat them boiled from a bag or on a PB&J sandwich, peanuts are a big part of our diet.
In fact, the average American consumes more than six pounds a year.
Half the peanuts grown are made into peanut butter.
Peanuts are jam-packed with nutrients and have good fats, which may protect against heart disease.
And they’re a great source of protein.
They also contain resveratrol, an antioxidant commonly associated with red wine that may help your heart.
But peanuts aren’t for everyone. About one percent of kids in the U.S. are allergic.
Did you know that peanuts aren’t really nuts? They’re legumes.
Unlike walnuts or pecans, which grow on trees, peanuts grow in the ground.
They were first cultivated in the U.S.. to enrich soil for other crops like cotton.
Farmers ended up with lots of extra peanuts.
George Washington Carver invented plenty of uses for them, 325 to be exact, ranging from cooking oil to printers ink.
Peanuts have even gone to the moon. Astronaut Allen Shepard smuggled one aboard Apollo 14.
Though they’ve risen to great heights, peanuts still go by their humble nickname: goobers.