Eatz Roasted and Shelled Peanuts (Family Dollar)

I grew up eating peanuts. They’re one of my favorite snack foods. I like other nuts, too — cashews are fun — but peanuts sit atop the nut hierarchy for me.

Now, normally I eat peanuts in a can or jar, because they’re easier to eat and don’t make a mess, which suits me well for things like taking them to work as part of lunch. But if I’m at home, especially, there’s no beating shelled peanuts for me … even if they’re a bit messy.

I’ve tried peanuts from just about everywhere. I’ve tried Planter’s peanuts in a plastic container. I’ve tried Aldi jarred and shelled peanuts. I’ve sampled Trader Joe’s Virginia peanuts. I’ve tried shelled peanuts from my local grocer. And I’ve tried dry roasted peanuts from Dollar General and Dollar Tree.

Recently, I happened into Family Dollar. I was looking specifically for its house brand peanuts in a container, but the store was out that day. I did, however, spot a bag of shelled peanuts. I grabbed them immediately.

Eatz Roasted and Shelled Peanuts are a Family Dollar exclusive. They come in an 8-ounce bag and cost me $1 even. That comes out to 12.5 cents an ounce. My regional grocer sells shelled peanuts for closer to 20 cents an ounce, so as far as price goes, these look like a pretty good deal.

The bag isn’t very large, and (like most shelled peanut bags) it is not resealable. It’s easy enough to open, though. The bag notes that the peanuts are a product of the United States.

The peanuts are pretty good, actually. I’m not sure if they’re quite on par with what I’d get at a baseball game, but they’re tasty enough. They’re salted just right, and the shells are easy to crack open. I don’t expect them to last long around here.

Nutritionally, they have just two ingredients — peanuts and salt — and they have the calories, fat, and sodium you’d expect from peanuts. Assuming you’re not allergic to them, peanuts also have some modest health benefits, too.

The Verdict:

Family Dollar is a surprisingly good place to grab a bag of shelled salted dry roasted peanuts. They’re competitively priced, both per ounce and in total cost, and they taste good. Worth a look if you’re a fan of shelled peanuts.