With stories of rising food costs hitting the news, it’s important to look for ingredients with the most value. Peanut butter offers an affordable, nutritious and versatile option for many Americans each day.

Affordability: At less than 20 cents per serving and shelf-stable for up to two years, peanut butter is an unbeatable protein source. Thrifty cooks craving economical meals and full flavor can try the following three recipes, each ringing up for less than $2 per serving:

• Peanut Butter Breakfast Bread Pudding – $0.88 per serving
• Southern Peanut Soup – about $1 per serving
• Edamame Dumplings with Thai Peanut Sauce – about $1.93 per serving. Recipe from Robin Asbell, author of Big Vegan: More Than 350 Recipes – No Meat, No Dairy, All Delicious (Chronicle Books, 2011).

Nutrition: Peanut butter offers great nutritional bang for your buck. It is a great source of plant-based protein, and can help prevent diseases and manage weight when consumed as part of a healthy diet. One 2-tablespoon serving of peanut butter provides 8 grams of protein. Get the facts on food allergies, and learn how to incorporate peanut butter into your diet for healthy eating.

Versatility: Peanut butter’s rich, nutty flavor profile and texture lend themselves perfectly to savory and sweet treats alike, from African stews and Thai dipping sauces, to breakfast smoothies and sweet desserts. Try these simple, spreadworthy PB suggestions:

- Stir with honey to create a topping for yogurt, cottage cheese or ice cream
- Add it to your breakfast smoothie, blending yogurt and banana with PB for a protein-packed meal to jump start your day
- Surprise your taste buds by mixing it with chili sauce or creamy cheese
- Apples, bananas and pears love peanut butter, but get adventurous and spread it on some other favorite fruits, like watermelon and figs…and don’t forget the veggies
- Serve on whole wheat alongside soups, chili or stew, for a hearty, healthy treat

Sydney’s Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bites

2011 National Peanut Festival Recipe Contest

Student Grand Prize Winner

Sydney Ginther, Headland, Alabama

Ingredients for cheesecake:

1 ½ cups dark brown sugar

1 ½ pounds cream cheese, at room temperature

½ cup heavy cream

2 large egg yolks

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 ¾ cups creamy peanut butter

Ingredients for chocolate:

5 tablespoons vegetable shortening

12 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

Wooden pop sticks

For the cheesecake, position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with foil, letting long flaps overlap on each side. Spray foil with nonstick spray. 

Beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until very smooth. Add the cream and beat slowly; then add the yolks and vanilla, mixing until just combined. Gently stir in peanut butter.Take care not to over beat the mixture – this incorporates too much air and causes the cheesecake to crack. 

Pour and evenly spread the batter in the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Open the oven to release some heat, and then lower the temperature to 200 degrees. Continue to bake the cheesecake until the outside is set but the center is still loose, for about 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and cool cheesecake in the oven for 45 more minutes. Cover and refrigerate at least eight hours or overnight.

Lift cheesecake from the pan by lifting up the foil. Transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes. Stick a wooden pop stick halfway into each bar and freeze for one hour.

Meanwhile, put the shortening and chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with an inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching, the water. Stir the chocolate occasionally until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. 

Dip the pops into the chocolate mixture, and stand on waxed paper to set, about five minutes. Serve cold (straight from the fridge), or freeze up to 2 weeks. Frozen pops make a cool summer treat, or can be allowed to temper for 10 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Luscious Peanut Coconut Pie

2011 National Peanut Festival Recipe Contest

Adult Grand Prize Winner

Mollie Enfinger, Dothan, Alabama

Ingredients:

17-ounce bag of coconut

1 cup chopped toasted salted peanuts

¾ stick of butter

1, 12-ounce jar caramel ice cream topping

1, 16-ounce container whipped topping

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1, 8-ounce package cream cheese

¼ cup creamy peanut butter

2 deep-dish pie crusts

Prepare pie crust according to directions for a one-crust pie and allow to cool. Melt butter in a skillet, add coconut and peanuts. Brown and set aside. Combine cream cheese, peanut butter, and milk using a mixer. Fold in whipped topping. Layer ¼ of cream cheese mixture then drizzle with caramel. Layer ¼ of coconut mixture and repeat the layers for one pie. Repeat layers for the second pie shell. Freeze overnight. Remove two hours before serving. Makes two pies.

 An important new study released in the August issue of Diabetes Care shows that replacing carbohydrates with two ounces of nuts, such as peanuts, everyday improves blood glucose control and blood lipids in people with type 2 diabetes.

 David Jenkins, MD, PhD, DSc, Principal Investigator and a pioneer in the area of glycemic control for diabetics said, “Nuts, including peanuts, can make a valuable contribution to the diabetic diet by displacing high glycemic index carbohydrates and replacing them with vegetable fats and vegetable proteins which have been shown in the long term to be associated with better cardiovascular health and diabetes prevention.”

 Peanuts have more protein than any other nut and are a source of mono and polyunsaturated oils.  The paper reports that “increased proportions of fat and protein, especially of plant origin, may confer metabolic benefits and reduce the risk of developing coronary heart disease and diabetes.”

 The study, “Nuts as a Replacement for Carbohyrates in the Diabetic Diet”, was conducted at the University of Toronto.  During the study, 117 men and women with type 2 diabetes were randomized into three groups where they received either a full portion of mixed nuts including peanuts, a half portion of both nuts and muffins, or a full portion of muffins. The muffins were made of healthy whole wheat with protein from egg and skim milk powder.  Participants’ fasting blood glucose were tested every other week.

 After three months, participants receiving the full portion of nuts showed the biggest decrease in glycated hemoglobin (HgA1c), a measure of blood glucose control. The difference was significantly more than the decrease shown in the participants receiving the half portion of nuts and muffins, and in those solely receiving muffins.  Peanut and tree nut intake also decreased total cholesterol and bad LDL cholesterol in the blood compared to the other groups. It is notable that reductions in HgA1c and LDL cholesterol were achieved even though the majority of the subjects were already on antihyperglycemic medications and statins that lower cholesterol.

 The authors conclude that nuts, such as peanuts, “may be used to increase vegetable oils and protein intake in the diets of type 2 diabetic patients as part of a strategy to improve diabetes control without weight gain.” 

 The article says that weight maintenance could have occurred in nut eaters for a few reasons including increased resting metabolic rate, enhanced satiety resulting in decreased intake of other foods, or incomplete absorption of energy.  Studies done specifically on peanut eaters have demonstrated each of these factors.

 This new clinical trial is an important milestone demonstrating glycemic control and  builds on an earlier population study published in JAMA in 2006.  Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health concluded, “Our findings suggest potential benefits of higher nut and peanut butter consumption in lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes in women.” 

 Peanuts are the most commonly eaten nuts in America.  Combined with peanut butter, peanuts comprise over two-thirds of U.S. nut consumption according to USDA data.  Numerous studies have shown that consumption of peanuts and peanut butter is beneficial in keeping blood glucose stable, improving satiety and decreasing hunger, maintaining weight, and reducing risk of heart disease.

 The 2010 U.S. Dietary Guidelines called for Americans to shift towards a more nutrient-dense, plant-based diet.  Peanuts, peanut butter and nuts are foods to encourage daily.  This may be particularly useful in preventing the onset of diabetes. Diabetes prevalence is growing at a dangerously rapid rate.  Worldwide, the number of people with diabetes has increased over 40% since 1980.

 The study was funded in part by The Peanut Institute, the International Nut Council, and the Canada Research Chairs Endowment Fund.

 The Peanut Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting nutrition research and educational programs that contribute to healthful lifestyles.  For further information on this and other studies visit www.peanut-institute.org