The National Peanut Board (NPB) officially kicked off its 2025 Health Nut Club campaign this April with two Campus Peanut Days at the University of Georgia and the University of Massachusetts. Designed to engage Gen Z through food, wellness, and interactive experiences, the events showcased the versatility and nutritional power of peanuts in fun, flavorful ways.The message was clear, take a crack at wellness by joining the new Health Nut Club community, and learn from our health nut creators and influencers how to integrate peanuts into on-the-go lifestyles!
At UGA, the NPB teamed up with the culinary and nutrition teams to host a lively year-end food bash at Village Dining Commons. Industry partners from The Southern Peanut Growers and The Peanut Institute joined on-site, engaging students with interactive peanutty challenges. Students enjoyed flavorful peanut smoothies, sauces, and desserts, while winning custom UGA Fuel Boxes filled with innovative products from 10 brand partners!
A campus dining tour offered the chance to spotlight NPB’s new “Something Missing” campaign, driving fresh ideas for peanut forward menu innovation. A surprise visit from Little Peanut sparked conversations to serve peanuts safely on campus.The night ended on a high note with one lucky student winning a custom pair of shoes!
At UMass, peanuts took center stage in a sunrise to sunset celebration of flavor and fuel. In partnership with campus award winning chefs, marketing teams, and auxiliary enterprises, the teams collaborated to orchestrate a full day culinary journey:
- Breakfast:Grab-and-go peanut options to kickstart the day
- Lunch: A food truck dished out quick & tasty peanut banana quesadillas
- Dinner: Over twenty peanut infused dishes delighted students across campus
Pop-up peanut snack stations kept students fueled, while the soccer pros from The18 delivered a five-hour energizing Fuel Zone.Students competed in soccer challenges, won custom UMass Fuel Boxes filled with 10 brand partner innovations, and enjoyed a lively soccer viewing party – all while exploring new ways to enjoy more peanuts more often as they grabbed nutrition packed peanut products from onsite brand partners and The Peanut Institute.
The day culminated at Berkshire Dining with an interactive peanut cooking workshop led by Chef Caleb Pham. NPB’s Lonnie Fortner emceed the packed event, hosting a live “ask the grower” session.The grand finale?Qualifiers thru the entire day heard Lonnie’s announcement for the winner of the custom kicks!
Want to experience the peanut-powered fun? Click here – and coming soon are event videos and a sneak peek on our fall 2025 collegiate experiential tour.