Pea in a Pod

I dressed Basil up as a Pea in the Pod for Halloween. My husband thought it was kind of a lame costume, but I thought it was pretty darn cute. I mean, what dietitian doesn't want to dress her first born as a green vegetable?

The Pea Pod baby inspired me to write about the nutritional aspects of peas. I am not a huge fan of regular green peas, but I absolutely LOVE sugar snap peas.

The nutritional profile of sugar snap peas is pretty impressive. They are only 40 calories per cup with 2.5 grams of fiber. As far as green vegetables go, they are high in protein at 2 grams for sugar snap peas and 4 or more grams per half cup for shelled garden peas.

Very high in iron, thiamin, Vitamin A, Vitamin C High in manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and Vitamin B6

If you are thinking about growing peas, check out this link. Peas like cool, moist weather with soil at least 45 degrees. I guess that means I will not have much luck growing them in Florida. Good thing because I have yet to start a garden here.

I love sugar snap peas raw. One of my favorite healthy snacks is a pile of fresh sugar snap peas dipped in some hummus. They are so naturally sweet, though, that you don't even need anything to dip them into.

My other favorite use of sugar snap peas is in a good stir fry. They are especially good stir fried with mushrooms and a few Tablespoons of sesame seeds.

In honor of my son, here is a recipe for Basil Sugar Snap Peas.

I always love to see the history of different vegetables, too. If you are a history buff or just a food lover like me, click here to read about the history of the green pea.

Labels: Tara Gidus, vegetables

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