With the MLB post season in full force, game day snacks are a hot item.  One of the long standing staples of the game is a good ole bag of peanuts.

Peanuts are a major crop in the Southeast region of the United States.  Georgia, Alabama and Florida are the biggest producers at 60% production for the entire country.  Texas, Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Oklahoma are also growers.

Florida alone has over 100,000 acres planted in peanuts.

Peanuts are what you might call part of the Old South.  They originated in South America and were then transported to Africa.  They came to America as an inexpensive, high protein food and were started in commercial cultivation by farmers in the 1700s.  In 1903 George Washington Carver suggested planting them in rotation with cotton crops.

Over the years, they have been referred to as goobers, groundnuts, ground peas, earth nuts, pinder, pinda, monkey nut, and Manilla nut.  There are only four varieties grown in the US including Runners, Virginias, Valencias and Spanish.

Peanuts actually grow underground, hence the term ground nut.  After the plant flowers, the petals fall off and the “peg” turns to the ground where it penetrates and begins to grow the pod.

About 75% of peanuts grown in the US are sold domestically.  The other 25 % are exported to Canada, Japan and Western Europe.

Peanuts are a legume along with beans and peas.  They are an incredibly healthy food crop, containing 21-36% protein and no cholesterol.  They are also significantly cheaper than other sources of protein like meat and cheese.

Not only are they healthy for humans, certain varieties are an efficient forage source for livestock owners in the southeast.  The nutrition content found in Peanut grass rivals that of alfalfa and is generally cheaper by 5 to 8 dollars a bale.  It is also used as a ground cover in many water deficient areas since it is hardy, disease resistant and requires little mowing.

While you and your buddies are being coaches of the couch take the time to have a little peanut trivia and consider how beneficial they are to a healthy diet.  For more information or to find recipes go to www.peanut-institute.org.