The snackdown: Peanuts are the humble ingredient we’re too trend-obsessed to notice

Key takeaways:

• Peanuts are an underused but highly functional ingredient that deliver protein, sustainability and affordability at a time when snack makers need all three.
• RUTF shows the extraordinary nutritional and logistical power of peanuts, offering a lesson in simplicity, stability and lifesaving efficiency that the snack industry often overlooks.
• Brands chasing novelty risk missing a proven, purpose-driven ingredient whose taste, versatility and consumer trust can strengthen products across every price tier.

Globally, nearly half of deaths among children under five are linked to hunger and 45 million children experience ‘wasting’ – severe, rapid weight loss that leaves the body at risk of shutting down. Against this brutal reality, one small invention has quietly saved millions of young lives.

One little packet has helped pull children back from the edge of starvation. Plumpy’Nut, a ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) developed in the 1990s, combines peanuts, milk powder, oil, sugar and vital micronutrients into a shelf-stable paste that doesn’t need water, refrigeration or medical supervision. And because it isn’t water-based, the risk of bacterial growth is extremely low. It’s safe for caregivers to administer at home, even in regions where clean water is scarce and waterborne diseases are widespread.

A two-year shelf life, no need for mixing, no spoilage, no contamination risk – it’s a formula built for places where survival depends on simplicity. And the results speak for themselves: roughly 90% of children who receive RUTF recover from severe wasting.

At the heart of this lifesaving innovation are peanuts – the humble legume packing a nutritional and logistical punch few ingredients can match.

So here’s the real question: if peanuts can save lives this efficiently, why are they still underutilized in mainstream innovation? Why is the industry still obsessing over fava crisps, mushroom jerky and cricket flour while ignoring the ingredient that already does everything consumers say they want?

If we’re serious about health, sustainability, functionality – and let’s be honest, profitability – peanuts deserve to be at the center of the conversation.

From aid work to snack workhorse

Peanuts aren’t flashy. They aren’t exotic. They’re not the star of influencer recipe videos. But nutritionally? They’re a powerhouse: around 7g of protein per ounce, heart-healthy fats and more than 30 essential vitamins and minerals.

And the science keeps piling up. Recent research published in Clinical Nutrition has linked frequent peanut consumption to improved memory, attention and mood; while a 2021 systematic review in Nutrients found that regular nut intake is associated with better cognitive performance and a lower risk of cognitive decline in older adults. If you’re developing cognitive-boosting snacks (and who isn’t right now?), peanuts should already be on your bench.

The sustainability story is just as strong. Peanuts use a fraction of the water required for almonds and cashews and naturally fix nitrogen in the soil. They’re drought-resilient, land-efficient and reliable – everything you want when climate-driven volatility is reshaping global agriculture.

There’s a safety angle, too. While peanut allergies have long been a concern, cashew allergies are now increasing among children in Europe and the US, according to recent public health data in Switzerland. Some clinicians warn that cashew allergies may be more severe and harder to diagnose early. Yet manufacturers continue leaning heavily on cashews for dairy alternatives and premium snack blends.

Shelf-stable, globally available, affordable, nutritionally robust and deeply familiar to consumers – peanuts tick every box retailers are screaming for. So why aren’t we using them to their full potential?

Missed potential

RUTF works because peanuts deliver energy, protein and micronutrients in a stable format that doesn’t spoil and doesn’t rely on clean water – a combination you simply can’t replicate with most trending plant proteins.

And innovation doesn’t stop with the product itself. RUTF sachets were once nearly impossible to recycle due to their multilayer aluminum-plastic structure. But progress is happening. Concern Worldwide partnered with Karö Enterprise in Chad to collect more than 59kg of used Plumpy’Nut packets – roughly 12,800 sachets – and recycle them into 600 construction-grade bricks and paving stones. What used to be scattered litter in rural landscapes is now infrastructure.

If that’s not the kind of sustainability story the snack sector should be studying, what is?

Meanwhile, forward-thinking brands are banking on what peanuts can do. RXBAR built a multi-million-dollar platform with peanuts as a headline ingredient. KIND uses them to anchor clusters and bars. Wild Friends, Big Spoon Roasters and Misfits Health all leverage peanuts in spreads, snacks and protein-forward formats. PB2 has expanded from powdered peanut butter into roasted oils and peanut flours ideal for bakery and snack formulations.

Ingredient suppliers are scaling up, too. TreeHouse and Golden Peanut now offer defatted peanut flours, high-oleic peanut oils and stabilized peanut butters – all designed for industrial manufacturing.

And consumers? They never stopped loving peanuts. It’s the industry that keeps assuming they want something more exotic.

The global peanut ingredient market reached $31.7 billion in 2025, with projections hitting $39.5 billion by 2030. That growth is driven by exactly what brands say they want: plant protein, clean labels, affordability and sustainability.

Peanuts aren’t just well-positioned. They’re inevitable.

Actionable rethink

You don’t need to reengineer your entire portfolio to make peanuts work harder for you. Reformulation is the quickest opportunity. Peanut flour delivers clean label protein and performs seamlessly in cookies, bars, crackers and even batters, adding structure and depth without complicating your ingredient list. In filled bakery items, peanut butter brings both functional stability and emotional pull. People trust it. They crave it. And unlike almond or cashew butter, it won’t break your COGS.

Peanut oil offers another easy win. Neutral in flavor, highly stable and ideal for extrusion, baking and frying, it’s a quietly powerful tool for improving both texture and shelf life. For brands targeting budget-conscious shoppers, peanuts let you deliver genuinely premium nutrition without premium pricing. And for those chasing the upscale tier, there’s enormous untapped space in peanut inclusions, clusters and bold flavor-led concepts.

Peanuts also carry a built-in sustainability story. They require little water, replenish soil and remain stable in long supply chains. As retailers demand credible environmental narratives, peanuts give brands a legitimate platform rather than marketing fluff. And if you’re looking for a campaign angle, few ingredients offer a more compelling blend of indulgence, nutrition and humanitarian impact.

Above all, peanuts taste good. They’re comforting, familiar and indulgent – without tipping into decadence. In a market where shoppers want to feel good and snack better, peanuts bridge that gap more naturally than almost anything else in the R&D toolkit.

Innovation doesn’t always mean chasing the newest thing. Sometimes it’s about recognizing the potential you’ve been underestimating. And that’s the real snackdown: if you’re still sleeping on peanuts, you’re not just missing a trend. You’re missing a proven, purpose-driven opportunity that’s already delivering in every way that counts.

So let’s end the year on a positive note – by recognizing the potential of an ingredient that’s been quietly doing good all along.

Studies:

Fetriyuna Fetriyuna, Ratna Chrismiari Purwestri, Ignasius R.A.P. Jati, et al. Ready-to-use therapeutic/supplementary foods from local food resources: Technology accessibility, program effectiveness, and sustainability, a review. Heliyon, Volume 9, Issue 12, 2023, e22478, ISSN 2405-8440, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22478

Kerkhof L, Mensink RP, Plat J, Nijssen KMR, Joris PJ. Longer-term skin-roasted peanut consumption improves brain vascular function and memory: A randomized, single-blind, controlled crossover trial in healthy older adults. Clin Nutr. 2025 Nov 1;55:170-179. https://doi.10.1016/j.clnu.2025.10.020

Theodore LE, Kellow NJ, McNeil EA, Close EO, Coad EG, Cardoso BR. Nut Consumption for Cognitive Performance: A Systematic Review. Adv Nutr. 2021 Jun 1;12(3):777-792. https://doi.10.1093/advances/nmaa153

Höfer V, Dölle-Bierke S, Sabouraud-Leclerc D, et al. A Growing Concern for Cashew and an Unexpected Risk From Almonds: Data From the Anaphylaxis Registry. Allergy. Vol 80, Issue 10, Oct 2025. https://doi.org/10.1111/all.16619