What Are the Health Advantages of Peas?

We all know that fruits and vegetables are excellent for us, but it is not always evident why and how these meals benefit the human body.

Peas are one of the most regularly eaten green vegetables, so it’s crucial to understand the specific health advantages of peas, the nutrient content of various types, and how to cook them to get the most out of them.

Now pass the peas, because we’re addressing all of your burning health and nutrition concerns about this little member of the legume family!

Are Peas Good for You?

To put it simply, absolutely! Peas, like other legumes like soybeans and black beans, have several nutritional advantages. Eating green peas (whether fresh, frozen, or canned) has several health advantages, including helping to regulate blood sugar, lowering the risk of heart disease, and promoting a strong immune system! How can these little green orbs accomplish it all? Let’s get started.

Nutrition Content of Peas

To be clear, the peas we’re talking about here are green peas, sometimes known as green garden peas. Some legumes known as peas, such as black eyed peas, are really forms of beans with a very different nutritional profile than fresh green peas.

How Many Calories Are in Peas?

About 60 calories per half-cup serving

Peas, like many other fresh vegetables, are low in calories, with just around 60 calories per serving. The majority of the calories in peas come from their carbohydrate content, which, as we’ll see, is mostly made up of good dietary fiber.

This difference is critical, since diets high in carbs from dietary fiber are significantly healthier than those high in simple carbohydrates, or simple sugars that are easily broken down in your system. More on that in a moment, but for now, just believe us!

Do Peas Have Protein?

Yes! About 4 grams per half-cup serving

Peas, like many members of the legume family, have a good quantity of protein. In fact, one half-cup portion is almost equivalent to two teaspoons of peanut butter!

Yet, one significant distinction between plant-based protein sources like peas and animal-based protein sources like meat and dairy is something called amino acids. As proteins are digested, they are broken down into smaller molecules known as amino acids. There are several kinds of amino acids, each of which plays a crucial purpose in the body.

Complete proteins are protein sources that include all necessary amino acids, yet peas, sadly, fall short. But don’t worry, you can simply fill out these amino acids via meal combination! You may make a complete protein by combining green peas with foods like quinoa or brown rice, which have the amino acids that peas lack.

How Many Carbs Are in Peas?

About 10 grams per half-cup serving

When it comes to starch content, peas are towards the top of the list among green vegetables. The natural sweetness packed into those little peas is an indication of a high quantity of natural sugars. This, however, does not make them unhealthy! Fortunately, peas have a relatively low glycemic index.

As previously stated, fiber is essential for balancing the carbohydrates in peas. When carb rich meals also include fiber, your body takes longer to metabolize them, so slowing the speed with which the starch is turned into sugar and enters your circulation. Carbohydrates are beneficial since they are our primary source of energy! Yet, it is preferable if the carbohydrates we eat come from fiber-rich sources such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

The carbohydrate content of peas varies depending on the variety, with some having more fiber than others. Peas that you ingest the whole pod, such as snow peas and sugar snap peas, provide more fiber to your system than garden peas, which you simply eat the seeds of. The pea pods are too fibrous to eat in these circumstances.

How Much Fiber is in Peas?

About 4 grams per half-cup serving

Speaking of fiber, it does considerably more for the body than just decreasing a food’s glycemic index. Consuming enough dietary fiber is beneficial for a variety of reasons, including avoiding digestive pain and supporting healthy gut flora.

Peas, and notably their fiber level, are advantageous to the cardiovascular system in addition to being vital for digestive health. This is due to something known as the blood glucose response, which is simply how quickly your blood sugar increases after consuming a meal. Low glycemic index meals, such as peas, will cause this spike to be moderate and steady, and then gradually drop. Foods with a high glycemic index, on the other hand, cause blood sugar to surge and plummet. Fiber is essential in low glycemic index diets because it forces the body to digest the food more slowly, preventing the quick sugar rise.

What Vitamins and Minerals are in Peas?

Peas include a diverse range of nutrients! Peas include vitamin C and vitamin K in addition to vitamins A and B. Vitamin A is essential for good eyesight and immunological function, while B vitamins are essential for the synthesis of red blood cells, which keeps you energetic. Vitamin C is a well-known antioxidant, while vitamin K is essential for bone health!

Peas are also strong in heart-healthy minerals like magnesium and potassium, which may help to lower blood pressure and relax blood vessel walls. Peas include lots of polyphenols, which assist to protect the body against cancer and other degenerative illnesses, in addition to vitamins and minerals that improve heart health.

Ideas for Getting More Peas Into Your Diet

We don’t blame you if eating peas straight up isn’t your thing! Not everyone like their sweet flavor and creamy texture, and the quality of the peas may have a big impact on how tasty they are.

Whether you are a pea fan or will have to make an effort to get these round green legumes into your diet, here are some ways to incorporate peas into more of your meals:

• Peas are delicious as a snack! That’s right, we said it: try nibbling on peas. Numerous grocery shops and health food stores sell freeze dried fruits and vegetables, including peas. Indeed, even dried vegetables have lots of minerals and goodness that make them worth eating.
• Do you like it hot? Choose wasabi peas! These are dried peas sprinkled in a spice combination consisting of sugar, salt, and wasabi powder. These small bits are packed with taste and fiber; just be sure to read the label and make sure they aren’t overly sweetened. Keep in mind that peas are inherently sweet!
• Mash cooked green peas gently and toss them into a large quantity of robust mashed potatoes! The pea-to-potato ratio may be whatever you (or your children) choose. Add a sprinkling of minced fresh mint or basil and freshly cracked black pepper to make it even more flavorful.
• Peas may even be baked into a dessert! Try our Pea and Pistachio Cake recipe.
• Try out pea protein powder. This product is manufactured from dried and powdered yellow peas and is high in protein and nutrients. You may believe that the only thing you can do with protein powder is incorporate it into a drink or smoothie, but this is not the case! Pea protein powder may be included into baked items, casseroles, and even creamy soups.
• When it comes to soup, split pea soup is an all-time favorite way to consume peas. Split peas, which resemble lentils in appearance, are really dried and split peas that may be produced from either green or yellow peas.

How Should You Cook Peas?

There are several methods to cook and prepare peas, but how should you cook peas for best nutrition? The secret to retaining the nutrients in your peas, or any vegetable, is to cook them without a lot of water. As a result, that big ol’ pot of boiling water that you’ve been doing for years is tragically causing a lot of nutritional loss in your poor peas.

Eat Them Raw!

Fortunately, peas are wonderful raw and may be eaten straight from the pod! There is no nutritional loss here, however some people’s systems may have difficulty digesting raw peas owing to their high fiber content, which stays robust and intact when they are raw.

Steamed Peas

If you want to boil peas, use as little water as possible. Instead of boiling the peas in a large pot of water, steam them in a covered, shallow saucepan with a few spoonfuls of water. After the peas are cooked, add butter and spices to make a lovely sauce with the remaining water, the best method to keep any nutrients that have leaked into it.

Roasted Peas

Roasting peas is another excellent approach to maximize their nutritional value. Toss the peas with olive oil and fresh herbs before roasting them in a hot oven. The moisture will be lost by the peas, but this will only help to concentrate their taste and nutritional worth.

Are Peas Healthy? You Bet!

If you aren’t persuaded that eating peas is a good idea for your general health, we don’t know what else to tell you! They are not only low in calories, but also rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, all of which are essential components for a healthy body.

If you dislike the taste or texture of peas, try incorporating them into your diet by incorporating them into other meals you consume on a daily basis, such as potatoes or casseroles, and don’t be afraid to try some of the new items on the market! Fresh out of the pod is not the only way to enjoy and get the advantages of eating peas; there are numerous high-quality products that provide pea health benefits in other ways.

How do you like to eat green peas? Please contact us and let us know!