They taste great shelled, boiled or smashed up into peanut butter, but peanuts tend to get a bad health rap. In reality, nuts are a healthful and sensible snack in moderation. They contain about 15 percent of your daily protein needs, plus folate, vitamin E, niacin, vitamin B6, and many other vitamins and minerals. Peanuts contain mainly polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, which lower levels of bad cholesterol in the blood. These fats and protein also help you to feel full and satisfied, which goes a long way when you're dieting. Peanuts even contain resveratrol, the antioxidant present in red wine that acts as a blood anticoagulant, reducing blood clots and stroke risk. This is great news, especially for non-drinkers -- and kids, of course. Unfortunately, all that healthful fat is still high-calorie fat, so moderation is key if you're dieting.
Peanut snacks are best limited to a small handful, or the amount you receive in the once-ubiquitous packages handed out on airplane flights. Due to allergy risks, many airlines have replaced peanut snacks with other crunchy options. Peanut allergies are on the rise among children and can be lethal in some cases, resulting in anaphylaxis, or suffocation. Many schools have designated "peanut-free" zones, in which peanut butter and other peanut products are prohibited in order to protect the as many as 4 in 100 allergic children. An allergist can perform a skin test on children who exhibit symptoms such as difficulty breathing and hives. The good news lies in the health benefits for those who can enjoy peanuts.