The protein of the legumes is of the same nature as the casein of milk. It has been called vegetable casein.
Peanuts. While an underground vegetable, grown like potatoes, peanuts resemble nuts, inasmuch as they contain so much fat. The extracted oil is used in several commercial products.
Like other legumes, they require cooking. They are roasted because this develops the flavor.
Because they contain a more balanced proportion of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, they will sustain life for some time without other food, as they provide rebuilding material, energy, and heat. Used alone, however, there is no counteracting acid, and it is better to add some fruit, such as apples, or apples and dates. For this reason lemon juice is mixed with peanut butter.
In eating peanuts it is imperative that they be masticated until they are a pulp, otherwise they are very difficult of digestion. The pain which many people experience after eating peanuts is probably due to eating too large a quantity and not fully masticating them, forgetting that they are a very rich, highly concentrated food.
The habit of eating peanuts between meals and then eating a hearty meal is likely to overload the digestive organs.
Both peanuts and peanut butter contain over twenty-five per cent. of protein and about thirty-nine per cent. of fat; therefore they yield much heat and energy.
Peanuts have been made into a flour; they are also to be had in the form of grits which are cooked like oatmeal. When nuts or peanuts are used as an after-dinner relish the quantity of meat should be cut down.
Their popularity is evidenced by the fact that between 4,000,000 and 5,000,000 bushels are raised annually in America.
Peanut Butter. While peanut butter contains 46.5 per cent. fat, it contains only seventeen per cent. carbohydrates. Since sugars and starches are protections to fat, being used for energy before the fats are consumed, if these sugars and starches are not supplied in other food, the fats in the peanut butter are consumed for energy. If starches are consumed in other foods, it is clear that one who wishes to reduce in flesh should avoid peanut butter, as well as other fats.