National Peanut Butter Lovers Day
For those who simply adore this delicious food, it’s tons of fun to enjoy and celebrate everything to do with peanut butter.
Peanut butter is a well-loved high performance food that is great for snacks, baking and cooking. It’s an extremely versatile food that offers a whole variety of ways to appreciate and enjoy it. Though it has a little bit of sugar, it also contains a lot of beneficial components that can be part of a healthy and tasty diet.
And for those people who absolutely love peanut butter? Well, this day is just perfect because it’s time for National Peanut Butter Lovers Day!
History of National Peanut Butter Lovers Day
Peanuts have origins that go far back into human history. Some researchers believe that peanuts (which aren’t actually nuts at all but are really legumes) have been domesticated by humans for thousands of years! But it wasn’t turned into the modern food we call peanut butter until more recently.
After some rudimentary experimenting with peanut paste and a patent granted in 1884 to Canadian inventor, Marcellus Gilmore Edson, an unnamed doctor seems to have used peanut butter as a way to feed some of his patients a nutritious, easily edible food in the year 1890.
National Peanut Butter Lovers Day was first celebrated in 1990 to commemorate the first commercially available peanut butter in the United States. The day was founded by a collaboration between the National Peanut Board and the Adult Peanut Butter Lovers Fan Club in the US.
One great fact about National Peanut Butter Lovers Day is that it actually falls on the first day of March, several months after National Peanut Butter Lovers Month, which is in November. That way, peanut butter lovers have the opportunity to spread the celebration around throughout the year!
As it turns out, there may just be a great geographical divide in the United States among peanut butter lovers! It seems that those people who live in the West Coast of the US tend to prefer crunchy peanut butter while those living toward the East Coast would typically prefer creamy peanut butter. But whether it’s creamy or crunchy, in the west, in the east – or anywhere else in the world – National Peanut Butter Lovers Day is the perfect time to celebrate!
National Peanut Butter Lovers Day Timeline
1884
Marcellus Gilmore Edson patents peanut butter
Peanut “paste” is patented by a Canadian inventor, Marcelllus Gilmore Edson.[1]
1904
Peanut Butter is introduced at the World’s Fair
A St. Louis business man starts selling peanut butter as a snack food, and he introduces it at the St. Louis World’s Fair.[2]
1941
National Peanut Week gets started
Started by the Alabama Peanut Producers Association, National Peanut Week has its first celebration in early March.[3]
1990
First National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day
In celebration of the anniversary of the commercial availability of peanut butter in the US, National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day is founded.
How to Celebrate National Peanut Butter Lovers Day
National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day is the perfect time to enjoy and show appreciation for peanut butter in all its glory. Get started with some of these ideas for celebrating the day:
Learn Some Fun Facts about Peanut Butter
Raise awareness for National Peanut Butter Lovers Day by learning and sharing some delightful bits of trivia related to peanut butter. Try out some of these:
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It takes approximately 540 peanuts to make a twelve ounce jar of peanut butter.
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Peanut butter and banana sandwiches were favorite sandwiches of singer Elvis Presley as well as former US president, Bill Clinton.
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The United States has four different cities named Peanut, in these states: California, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and West Virginia. Plus, Pennsylvania also has cities named Lower Peanut and Upper Peanut.
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Enough peanuts grow on one acre of a peanut butter farm to make approximately 35,000 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!
Host a National Peanut Butter Lovers Day Party
National Peanut Butter Lovers Day is a great reason to have a little gathering with a few friends to celebrate the beauty of peanut butter. Invite some friends over (just be sure they aren’t friends that have a peanut allergy!) and have an entire party celebrating the merits of PB.
It might even be fun to ask friends to dress up in peanut or peanut butter lover costumes. For instance, they could come as Mr. Peanut, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or even Elvis Presley. Of course, the center of attention and guest of honor at this party would obviously be all of the peanut butter themed food that is served.
Get Creative with Peanut Butter
Enjoy the fun and versatility of this delicious food on National Peanut Butter Lovers Day! Sure, it makes a great peanut butter and jelly sandwich or a tasty cookie, but this might be a day to use peanut butter in some more interesting and creative ways. Try out some of these ideas for dishes to make with peanut butter in honor of the day:
- Spicy Peanut Butter and Pulled Pork Sandwich (with jalapenos!)
- Slow Cooker Thai Butternut Squash Peanut Butter Soup
- Southern Peanut Butter Mayo Sandwich with Cheddar Cheese
- Smoky Peanut Butter Chili with Beans
Create a National Peanut Butter Lovers Day Playlist
In celebration of National Peanut Butter Lovers Day, don’t forget to have a collection of tunes on hand to help enjoy the day! And, of course, this would be a great playlist to add some tunes to that party noted above.
Make a start on the playlist by enjoying some of these fun songs around the theme of peanuts and peanut butter:
- Peanuts by Little Joe and the Thrillers (1957)
- Peanut Butter by the Olympics (1991)
- The Peanut Vendor by Dean Martin (1952)
- Peanut Butter by the Marathons (1961)
Perform a Peanut Butter Taste Test
When it comes to loving peanut butter, many people are particular about the different brands of peanut butter they prefer to eat. So National Peanut Butter Lovers Day might be the ideal time to perform a little taste test, whether on your own, with family or with friends. Although it is easier to do a blind taste test when accompanied by someone else!
Arrange a blind taste test by putting peanut butter into bowls and marking them with numbers that coordinate with the different brands of peanut butter. Then choose to eat it by the spoonful, place it on a piece of bread, or dip a cracker into it. Try each type of peanut butter and see which brand is the favorite. It’s a delightful way to celebrate the day!
National Peanut Butter Lovers Day FAQs
Is peanut butter good for you?
Peanut butter has many health benefits, including protein, Vitamin E, magnesium, selenium and more. But it is high in sugar so should be enjoyed in moderation. [1]
Who invented peanut butter?
The original peanut paste or peanut butter was created by Marcellus Gilmore Edson, a Canadian chemist and pharmacist. [2]
Can dogs eat peanut butter?
Sure, dogs can eat peanut butter in moderation.[3]
Does peanut butter go bad?
A jar of peanut butter that has been opened can stay in the pantry for up to three months, or longer in the fridge.[4]
Does peanut butter have protein?
Yes, peanut butter is a good source of protein, with 8 grams per 2 tablespoon serving.[5]
