5 Food Swaps You Can Make That Are Good For the Planet
5 Simple Food Swaps You Can Make That Are Good For the Environment
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Although technically considered a legume, peanuts are often enjoyed in the same way other nuts are. Whether enjoyed in a classic PB and J, shelled at a baseball game, or sprinkled on a salad, peanuts are a versatile and popular food that you can feel good about eating.
Food crops are using more water than ever. In fact, the USDA reports that America's agriculture uses approximately 80 percent of the average water consumption. Choosing peanuts over other "nuts" helps conserve water, because the majority of peanut crops are non-irrigated and rely on rainwater. Additionally, peanuts require less water than nuts like almonds and pistachios. For example, it takes 4.7 gallons of water to grow one ounce of peanuts, but it takes more than 80 gallons to grow one ounce of almonds. When peanuts don't get enough rain water, they pause their growth and consume less water.
Another feature of peanuts? The plants have a unique ability to improve soil. They are nitrogen fixing, which means they take nitrogen from the air and produce their own in the ground, which benefits other crops.