From flours and spreads or to use as a legume, peanuts can be eaten in so many different ways. While we are most familiar with peanut butter, peanut confections and just plain peanuts, other applications are just as good for you and make cooking and eating more fun and exciting. Here is a look at how the foodservice industry can incorporate peanut products to create healthy and delicious recipes for their customers.

Desserts are the most eagerly awaited course in all meals. In the restaurant industry, desserts make the last impression and can ultimately make or break your relationship with your customers. Here are a few simple but mouth-watering ideas that will get customers coming back to you for more.

Magnesium is a mineral you need every day for good health – but are you getting enough? According to Health Canada, many adults have inadequate intakes of magnesium.

The summer and back-to-school seasons are times when shoppers are looking for convenience, portability, variety, and, of course, value for their purchasing dollar. This is where the perfectly powerful peanut comes in.

What’s better than the classic taste of peanut butter? Why, new flavoured peanut butter, of course! With the recent growth of the entire peanut butter category, new peanut butter flavours have been introduced – and their popularity is spreading rapidly. Now, Canadians can enjoy tasty twists on their favourite snack: honey, banana granola, cinnamon granola raisin, cranberry and even chocolate-flavoured peanut butter for those who want to enjoy a treat.

It doesn’t matter if you like your peanuts plain, roasted, salted or flavoured with chili spices. New research shows that the health benefits of peanuts are independent of how the snack nuts might be flavoured or seasoned. Researchers at Purdue University led by Dr. Richard Mattes reported this month that seasonings/flavours on snack peanuts did not offset their nutritional benefits.

The Canadian Pediatric Society (CPS) recently released a new position statement on the dietary exposures and allergy prevention in high-risk infants.¹ Infants who are at high-risk for developing allergies are defined as usually having a first-degree relative (at least one parent or sibling) with an allergic condition such as a food allergy, atopic dermatitis or asthma.

The history of peanut butter in the Canadian diet dates back to 1884 when Montrealer Marcellus Gilmore Edson first patented modern peanut butter for peanut candy. Since then, peanuts and peanut butter have been inseparable from the Canadian diet.

With spring and summer fast-approaching, we soon will see melting snow give way to patios anxiously waiting to open up once again. Warmer weather revitalizes our lazy taste buds and rejuvenates our interest in healthy eating. This means eating more snacks and salads, and adding a little creativity to our meals.

Here’s some really good news to spread around. A large and powerful prospective epidemiology study published in September’s issue of Breast Cancer Research and Treatment found that American girls consuming peanut butter, peanuts and other nuts may reduce their risks for developing benign breast disease (BBD) when they are young women in their ‘20s. Even better news is that their risks in later life of developing breast cancer may also fall significantly.

We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A nutritious protein-packed breakfast will help keep kids focused and build strong muscles and bones. As for adults, many studies have suggested the beneficial link between breakfast and moderating obesity, blood pressure, diabetes and other health problems.

According to a recent Times & Trends report titled “How America Eats: Capturing Growth with Food on the Run” released by Information Resources, Inc. (IRI), an increasing number of Americans are eating on the run. Coined “opportunists” by IRI, these eaters represent 21 per cent of Americans and eat “mini meals” throughout the day as opposed to the traditional, three-meals-a-day.