Low-Carb Craze Boosts Peanuts' Popularity

ATLANTA – Peanut farmers are having a good year — not because of the weather but because of the low-carb craze.

America’s love affair with low-carbohydrate, high-protein foods has helped boost consumption of peanuts and peanut butter by 10 percent over the past year.

Tyron Spearman, director of the National Peanut Buying Points Association (search), said crop prices are reaching record heights — from $355 to $404 a ton on the posted price, which translates into $3 to $5 million for farmers.

The current peanut crop will be ready for harvest in about two months. This year, growers have increased planting by 3 percent nationwide and 6 percent in Georgia to meet the increased demand.

The popularity is a welcome change from effects that other diet fads have had on the industry. The low-fat craze, for instance, was not good for peanut farmers, who hope the latest diet trend is more than just a passing phase.

Click on the video box at the top of this story to watch a report by FOX News' Jonathan Serrie.