The Stunning Amount Of Peanut Butter The Average Human Consumes Each Year
Whether you like it creamy, crunchy, or organic, you may have experienced the joy that comes from spreading peanut butter on a sandwich, banana, pretzels, celery, or with chocolate. And if you think of all the things you haven't thought of trying peanut butter with yet, the list can be endless. While it is no secret that peanut butter has captivated much of the U.S., you may be surprised by just how much peanut butter the average American takes in every year.
In 2021, WSAW-TV reported that people in the U.S. consume three pounds of peanut butter per person every year. (This number equates to 700 million pounds, which is enough peanut butter to cover the Grand Canyon's floor.) The Texas Farm Bureau reported in 2020 that at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans had consumed even more peanut butter. And as one organization found, there might be a good reason for that.
How much peanut butter do Americans consume?
In 2021, the National Peanut Board gathered data from the USDA and U.S. Census that marked the consumption of peanut butter per capita went up by nearly 8 pounds. President and CEO of the National Peanut Board, Bob Parker, said it made sense why people consumed more peanut butter during the pandemic and that they "take pride that peanuts have helped people meet their nutritional, convenience, financial and even emotional needs during stressful and hectic times."
In another article, the National Peanut Board shared findings that in the U.S., the average person will consume about 3,000 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches during the course of their life. In a country where more than one peanut farmer has become U.S. president — Thomas Jefferson and Jimmy Carter — it is not surprising that Americans may turn to peanut butter in times of need. But does the rest of the world share a similar relationship with peanut butter?
Is peanut butter popular in Europe?
While the U.S. appears to go nutty for peanut butter, various sources highlight how in other countries, the spread rarely generates as much hype. Brian Sternthal, a marketing professor at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, told HuffPost in 2014 that "in many parts of the world, peanut butter is regarded as an unpalatable American curiosity." The piece goes on to cite the National Peanut Board's statistic that "the average European eats less than 1 tbsp of peanut butter a year."
Several Reddit threads address whether Europeans like peanut butter, with some Redditors saying, "I bought some once, and I didn't like it much. It tasted bland, it got stuck between my teeth and on the roof of my mouth, and it's got too many calories." Another Reddit user said they think peanut butter "isn't a common thing around European supermarkets." While other countries may not share the same levels of affinity for peanut butter, you're likely to find it nearly everywhere in the U.S., from peanut butter chocolate eggs to chocolate peanut butter banana bread, you just have to look for it.