Shout Out to George Washington Carver!

Written by: Chelsea Samms, Community MVPs Intern 

Many of us have grown up on that savory, filling, basic lunch sandwich, called peanut butter and jelly. Whether you preferred chunky peanut butter over smooth, strawberry jelly over grape, or the crust cut off as opposed to on, it was a meal that you could never go wrong with as a child. Even as adults, some still enjoy a good old fashion PB&J sandwich to hold them over throughout the day or as a quick snack before bed.

However, have you ever sat down and wondered where peanut butter came from? Who took the time to experiment with peanuts and come up with all of its versatile uses? He or she must’ve been a genius! 

Born a slave, George Washington Carver went on to become one of America’s most famous agricultural scientists. After slavery was abolished, Carver persevered through racial discrimination and political strife in order to obtain a quality education.  He completed his Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Agriculture at Iowa State College and then served as an educator and mentor at Tuskegee Institute for 47 years. Carver's work at Tuskegee included groundbreaking research on plant biology that brought him to national prominence. Many of these early experiments focused on the development of new uses for crops, including peanuts! Contrary to common beliefs, Carver was not the initial inventor of peanut butter, however, he played a significant role in popularizing it. Carver was one of the greatest inventors in American history, discovering over 300 hundred uses for peanuts! 

Although peanut butter is a high-calorie and high fat food, it’s been found to have many health benefits and is generally recommended as part of a nutritious diet. Peanuts contain mono-unsaturated fat (the heart-healthy kind), as well as Vitamin E, niacin, folate and fiber. Peanuts alone offer tons of health benefits and when made into a butter, boy does is make for a delightful treat! Here are some awesome ways you can incorporate peanut butter into your diet:

1.     Add a spoonful of peanut butter to your morning smoothie for added protein.

2.     Smear some peanut butter on apples, pears, or bananas for a satisfying snack (check out how the Community MVPs used it last year in their Crunchy Monkey Peanut Butter Snack recipe from the pictures in the text)!

3.    Spread some on your toast or a warm breakfast muffin to make for a smooth, gooey topping.

4.     Melt a spoonful of PB into stir-fried noodles for a silky and flavorful sauce.

5.     Mix creamy peanut butter with nonfat Greek yogurt for a light and tangy dipping sauce for fruit, veggies or even whole grain pretzels!

These are just a few ways to delve into the awesomeness of peanut butter. And, in honor of Black History Month, we’d like to thank to George Washington Carver for all of his peanut filled contributions to the world!