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All We Are Saying, is Give Peas a Chance…

8 Replies

We recently got this question from Mike:

Dear Fooducate, I would appreciate an answer to a question that I have tried to get a reasonable reply to from various and sundry food experts to no avail about the dark green vegetables that are the nirvana of the foodies:

The humble pea never gets a favourable mention. It is a vegetable that is dark green and all kids/adults enjoy.

Is there some sinister pea disease or nutritional crime to attribute to the pea? I would love to feel that I was eating a vegetable super star when gobbling down those delicious peas.

I fear that yet again the anti-pea conspiriousy will prevent an answer. Keep up your good work. Thank you

Well Mike, for starters, peas are not the “dark green vegetables” most nutrition experts refer to. They usually mean the leafy kales, chards, and spinaches of the world. But fear not, peas have many nutritional benefits, as we shall explain.

What you need to know:

Peas are part of the legume family. They are packed chock full of nutrients. Boiling the peas actually increases the nutrient bioavailability. A 1 cup serving has less than 150 calories but comes with the following benefits:

  • 9 grams of fiber (over a third of daily requirement)
  • 9 grams of protein
  • almost no fat
  • 38% of the daily value for vitamin C
  • 26% vitamin A
  • 12% potassium
  • 42% manganese
  • 52% vitamin K

Peas are sweet too! You’ll get 9 grams of sugar (2 and 1/4 teaspoons) per serving. They also come with 7 grams of starch. The total carb count is therefore 25 grams (9 fiber, 9 sugar, 7 starch).

Is this a big deal?

Not at all. The high fiber count makes the sugar and starch a non-issue for most people.

At least by our book, peas are a wonderful food, whether eaten straight from the pod, or as part of a tasty dish.

What to do at the supermarket:

Fresh peas are rarely seen in supermarkets, but are available in farmers markets in the spring. You options are to buy frozen or canned. We recommend frozen peas because canned peas tend to be high in sodium. That said, even the frozen peas may have added sodium. Before use, rinse the peas in order to reduce the sodium count.

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  • Ruths Real Food

    Not to mention that taste-wise, a frozen version of any vegetable will be much tastier than a canned version, (though not as good as fresh).

  • http://quipstravailsandbraisedoxtails.blogspot.com Michele Hays

    I won’t disagree, canned peas aren’t as good as frozen.  However, I thought this research on rinsing & draining canned beans (I’m fairly sure peas come out the same) might be useful here: http://www.vegetablewithmore.com/PDF/04/DrainRinse.pdf

  • http://quipstravailsandbraisedoxtails.blogspot.com Michele Hays

    I won’t disagree, canned peas aren’t as good as frozen.  However, I thought this research on rinsing & draining canned beans (I’m fairly sure peas come out the same) might be useful here: http://www.vegetablewithmore.com/PDF/04/DrainRinse.pdf

  • Kelli

    I read once that fresh peas turn starchy very quickly so unless you picked them yourself or get them from a farm stand or something and use immediately their flavor and texture decay very quickly.  Frozen peas get my vote too.

    I would also like to recommend pea greens if you can find them in the spring. I didn’t know that they were edible until I saw them at the farmers market. They are delicate and crisp and taste like peas. Eat them raw or lightly cooked.

  • Monica

    Well done and good question Mike.  Peas certainly get the thumbs up from the kids, especially when still in the frozen state -kind of like a frozen pea icecicle :)
    Monica -the none other

  • Sparkina

    Peas are very nutritional and TASTE ABSOLUTELY DIVINE, so when the Head Honcho said we have to “eat our peas,” I say, “gladly! And I’ll have a second helping.”
    Frozen peas TRUMP the canned ones as far as taste. It’s true that fresh peas are a rare sight in supermarkets, and I think the reason for this is because most of our pea crop is fed to livestock, and what’s left over for human consumption is sold to the food indistry – restuarants, hotels and food companies. But peas are one of the tastiest foods going! 

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