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r Peas
(Snow pea pods [sugar peas], split peas)
See also Beans.Nutritional Profile
Energy value (calories per serving): Moderate
Protein: High
Fat: Low
Saturated fat: Low
Cholesterol: None
Carbohydrates: High
Fiber: High
Sodium: Low
Major vitamin contribution: Vitamin A, folate, vitamin C
Major mineral contribution: IronAbout the Nutrients in This Food
Like most legumes (beans and peas), fresh green peas are a high-fiber, high-
carbohydrate, low-fat, high-protein food.
Peas are a good source of dietary fiber, both insoluble cellulose in the
skin and soluble gums and pectins in the pea. They start out high in sugar
but convert their sugars to starch as they age. A few hours after picking,
as much as 40 percent of the sugar in peas may have turned to starch. The
proteins in peas are plentiful but limited in the essential amino acids tryp-
tophan, methionine, and cystine.
Peas have moderate amounts of vitamin A derived from deep yellow
carotenes, including beta-carotene, masked by their green chlorophyll.
They are also a good source of the B vitamin folate, vitamin C, and non-
heme iron, the form of iron found in plants.
Fresh peas, sometimes known as garden peas, are peas straight from
the pod. Petits pois is a French term for “small peas,” peas that are mature
but not yet full size. Dried peas are whole peas minus the natural moisture,
with more nutrients per gram than fresh peas; they must be soaked before
cooking. Split peas are dried peas that have been boiled, skinned, and split
in half so they can be cooked without soaking. Pea pods are very young
pods with only a hint of peas inside.