Hello beautiful people. Today’s foodie spotlight is on peas. Yeah, peas. Stick with me here ok?
I haven’t led you astray yet have I ? Don’t answer that…
I recently had a new revelation on the lowly little pea. Over the weekend I had thrown down the usual big meal for the fam. I had made mashed potatoes, a slow roasted brisket and also an amazing carrot recipe that everyone went nuts over. You can find it in my spotlight on carrots post ( hint it’s the one wrapped in bacon)
https://sassyfitnesschick.com/2018/03/02/spotlight-on-carrots/
In a crazy way I thought peas would go good with all of it. What was I thinking??
Me, trying to pass them to people around table, “here, have some peas”
The response ranged from “ewww gross no!” to looks of horror as if I were attempting to poison them at the table.
Where did I go wrong? How did I fail as a mother? Heck, as the main provider of cooked food, how is it I couldn’t convince them that peas are indeed, tasty little morsels?
What is the pea, exactly?
The pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the pod fruit Pisum sativum. Each pod contains several peas, which can be green or yellow. Pea pods are botanically fruit, since they contain seeds and developed from the ovary of a (pea) flower.
How’s that for an interesting fact you probably didn’t know?
Green peas are a very good source of vitamin K, manganese, dietary fiber, vitamin B1, copper, vitamin C, phosphorus and folate. They are also a good source of vitamin B6, niacin, vitamin B2, molybdenum, zinc, protein, magnesium, iron, potassium and choline.
A one cup serving of peas contains 8 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber. Peas are also really high in Vitamins A and C
Peas have many good things in them but it’s also important to remember they are a part of the “starchy” vegetable group ( corn, potatoes, peas, beans) meaning they contain three times the amount of carbs as their non-starchy counterparts.
If you can’t have fresh green peas, the frozen variety retains their color, texture, and flavor better than canned, and it’s great to know that the above characteristics aren’t affected when they’re frozen for one to three months. But neither frozen nor canned peas have an unlimited shelf life. Research on the matter has shown that the nutrient content of frozen peas begins to diminish during storage, so they should be eaten within six to 12 months.
Only about 5% of the peas grown are sold fresh. The rest are frozen or canned.
Canned or frozen peas are also high in sodium due to processing methods, to eliminate a lot of that, wash them first.
When buying frozen the petite types are often more flavorful.
Are there any health benefits to eating peas?
Yes! they have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits ( hello anti-aging food) they could help support blood sugar regulation, they promote a healthy heart, and could protect against stomach cancer. They also contain 45 percent of the Daily Value in vitamin K for blood coagulation, and nearly a quarter of what’s needed daily in thiamin, vitamin A, and folate.
How about some fun pea trivia?
Green peas are the immature seed of dried peas often called field peas.
Dried peas which have been eaten for over 5000 year and were a stable during the Middle Ages. Field peas were easy to grow and saved many from starving.
Fresh green peas did not become popular till the 16 century.
Peas have such high quality protein that many commercial protein powders are starting to use it. This avoids the possible side effects of soy, or dairy products.
Canada is the largest producer of peas in the world!
Peas aren’t just for eating…
ok well, yeah, they are but do you know a frozen bag of peas makes an amazing ice pack? the peas are moldable around areas on your body to direct cold treatments. I’ve often used bags of peas as ice packs.
Have you ever used peas as ice packs ?
Time to eat…
Here’s a few fun recipes to try out if you wanna experiment with peas….
In summary although peas are often treated like a cheap side “green” veggie in restaurants to add color to a plate, they are a tasty, healthy and nutritious “fruit” that offers many health benefits to us.
Do you enjoy them? If so do you have ways that you like eating them?
sassyfitnesschick 