When Marcellus Gilmore Edson first patented peanut butter in 1884, he probably didn’t realize it would become a taste sensation that would sweep the nation. Whether you go crunchy or smooth, on January 24 we put down our cell phones and pick up our spreading knives to celebrate National Peanut Butter Day.
National Peanut Butter Day timeline
One popular theory suggests a resident of New York, Rose Davis started making peanut butter.
Other historians say that a Canadian chemist named Gilmore Edson filed the first patent for his ‘peanut candy.’
Kelloggs’ patented their ‘Process of Preparing a Nut Meal,’ which also included ‘ a pasty adhesive termed nut butter.’
The first recipe for peanut butter and jelly sandwich was written by Julia Davis Chandler for the Boston Cooking School Magazine of Culinary Science and Domestic Economics.
Peanut Butter was introduced at the St. Louis World’s Fair.
National Peanut Butter Day Activities
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Go Peanut Butter Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
As a fun challenge, see if you can eat peanut butter in every meal today. You could start with peanut butter on a bagel in the morning, perhaps a peanut butter based dressing for your lunchtime salad, and even a Thai peanut curry (which often uses peanut butter as an ingredient) for dinner!
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Host a Peanut Butter Party
Sure, there are parties for foods like pizza, but why not have some nostalgia for that smooth or crunch food you had growing up? It makes a great party for the kids, too!
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Get Your Sweetie Something Nutty
Gifts are always good, but surprising gifts on unexpected occasions are even better! If peanut butter is one of his or her favorite foods, surprise them with a gift that says you noticed!
Why We Love National Peanut Butter Day
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Peanut Butter is Perfect for All Occasions
Peanut butter is versatile. You have the option of spreading it on something, baking it, mixing it with noodles, coating meat with it or turning it into a delicious sauce, just to name a few. Seriously, the options are endless.
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Peanut Butter Can Help You Stay on Your Diet (No, Really!)
Even though peanut butter has a good amount of fat in it, it’s also a very filling food. Therefore, it keeps dieters fuller for longer, helping them resist the urge to mindlessly snack. Researchers at Harvard and Brigham and Women’s Hospital found in a study that people eating moderate-fat items, like peanut butter, were able to stay on a diet longer and keep weight off for a longer period of time than those who ate a low-fat diet. Is that good news or what?
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Peanut Butter is Good for the Planet
Each time you eat a PB&J for lunch instead of red meat, like a burger or a ham sandwich, you’re shrinking your carbon footprint by almost 3.5 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions. You’ll also save 133 gallons of water and 24 square feet of land per each peanut butter and jelly lunch. Going green never tasted so good!
National Peanut Butter Day dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | January 24 | Tuesday |
| 2024 | January 24 | Wednesday |
| 2025 | January 24 | Friday |
| 2026 | January 24 | Saturday |
| 2027 | January 24 | Sunday |
