26 Almond Facts
SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2014
Almonds Are America’s
New Favorite Nut
The Washington Post’s popular “Wonkblog” reported last week that “America has a new favorite nut,” citing
USDA fgures that the country’s appetite for almonds has grown by more than 220 percent since 2005. That
growth rate is much faster than demand for pecans, walnuts, macadamias, pistachios, cashews or peanuts.
In fact, the article notes, almonds have surpassed peanuts in popularity. “In 2012 Americans ate more almonds per capita than
shelled and unshelled snack peanuts combined (not including peanut butter),” according to a USDA report ‘Economic Research
Service 2012 Food Availability Per Capita Data.’
The article attributes almonds’ growing popularity to nutrition research and changing consumer perceptions of fat, falling
demand for meat, an increasing interest in plant-based protein sources, and increasing demand for convenient, satisfying and
nutritious snacks. It adds, “The Almond Board of California happily touts the nut's nutritional benefts prominently on its
website. No wonder no other nut is considered as nutritious by consumers.”
“Almonds have become so popular that they're now creeping into just about everything we eat,” the article reports. “Almond
milk now accounts for nearly 5 percent of national milk sales, and almond butter can now be found on supermarket shelves
around the country. Even almond four is making its way into the limelight on the heels of the nation's gluten-free kick.”
To read the whole story, go to www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/08/06/the-rise-of-the-american-almond-
craze-in-one-nutty-chart