If the thought of eating peas brings back memories of hiding them in your napkin at childhood dinners, it might be time to rethink this much-maligned vegetable. Fresh green peas can be delicious raw or cooked, and dried peas are a staple of a hearty soup. Peas are showing up in less likely places these days, too, thanks to the proliferation of pea chips, roasted pea snacks, and pea protein powder.
No matter what you pick, you’ll get some valuable nutrients. But the nutritional profile of peas changes depending on how you eat them. In other words, while peas in all forms offer some nutritional value, not all forms are equally healthy. Here’s how they do it.
The benefits of green peas
When they come fresh from the garden (or when you buy them in the produce aisle or even from the freezer), green peas are classified as a starchy vegetable, but that doesn’t mean they’re prohibitively expensive.
“Even with three times the calories of some other vegetables, peas are still a relatively low-calorie food and one of the most nutrient-dense vegetables. So the benefits of those nutrients outweigh any extra calories or carbohydrates,” says Marc O’Meara, a nutritionist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. One cup of cooked peas (fresh or frozen) has approximately 135 calories and 25 grams of carbohydrates. Compare that to about 45 calories and 10 grams of carbohydrates in a cup of green beans or about 150 calories and 34 grams of carbohydrates in a medium red potato.
Also supplies 9 grams of protein and about one-third of the daily value for fiber and vitamin K. (The daily value is a measurement used on food labels and represents an average level of a nutrient that someone who eats 2,000 calories a day should consume.) And a cup of peas has the 25% Daily Value for the B vitamins folate and thiamin, along with decent amounts of niacin, vitamin B6, iron, magnesium, and zinc.
In addition, peas contain phytochemicals that help support the body’s antioxidant defenses, says Karen Collins, nutrition advisor for the American Institute for Cancer Research. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, compounds that can cause the kind of cell damage that contributes to inflammation in the body, and an increased risk of conditions like heart disease and cancer. Antioxidants in peas include polyphenols, vitamin C, and lutein and zeaxanthin (important for eye health).
Keep peas fresh in their pods until ready to cook, and use soon after buying them so they taste sweet and not starchy. Frozen peas are quickly blanched in hot water or steamed before freezing, which maintains their sweetness. But frozen vegetables still need to be cooked.
You can’t go wrong with a simple side dish of steamed peas drizzled with olive oil or butter, but there are plenty of other healthy options. Try these tips from Michael Garrett, a chef-instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City.
Roast or air fry frozen peas to a crunchy appetizer. Add olive oil and season with any spices you like. Cayenne, chili, wasabi powder and curry are some that go well with peas.
Sauté and mix with other vegetables. The peas and mushrooms are a good combination of earthy and sweet flavors. Asparagus and peas are delicious when dressed with fresh basil or mint. Add fresh peas and strawberries to a salad and make a lemon-pepper vinaigrette to bring out the flavors. Or, try adding peas and arugula or watercress to the pasta; drizzle with olive oil and cover with grated Parmesan.
Make a pea soup. Put the peas and cold water in a saucepan with salt and boil for 1 or 2 minutes. Let cool, then blend in a blender or food processor with raw cucumbers and plain yogurt, and serve cold. Make pea humus. Instead of chickpeas, puree green peas, tahini, mint, lemon juice and zest, and olive oil. Serve on whole grain toast or as a dip.
Fresh peas also come in edible pods, like sugar snap peas and snow peas. These are less starchy, so they have fewer calories and carbohydrates than snap peas, but also less protein and fiber. One of the things that green peas stand out for is their vitamin C content. While cooked garden peas have the 22 % Daily Value in a cup, a cup of cooked edible snap peas has the 85%.
Dried Peas split
When dried, fresh peas typically lose their skin and split open. Dry peas are part of the family of foods called legumes (a category that also includes dried beans and lentils).
“Drying peas makes some nutrients (such as fiber and protein) become more concentrated, but some heat-sensitive nutrients (such as vitamin C, lutein, folate, and vitamin K) are lost,” says Collins. One cup of cooked peas provides 16 grams of protein and fiber and 2.5 milligrams of iron (the 14% Daily Value). “Their high protein content makes them a good substitute for animal protein in a vegetarian diet,” says O’Meara. Split peas are also a rich source of magnesium and potassium, essential minerals that can help regulate blood pressure.
Once cooked, you can use split peas in soups, salads, hummus, or even roast them in a pan for a crispy snack. “In general, Americans don’t get enough fiber, and dried peas — like other legumes — are a good source,” says Collins. Research has shown that consuming more fiber in the diet may be linked to reduced inflammation, a healthier gut microbiome, and a lower risk of colorectal cancer.
Crispy Pea and Biscuit Snacks roasted peas
When you open a bag of snacks made with peas, it sure seems like they should be better for you than your typical potato chip. But is that really true or is it just another junk food with a health halo? “In most cases you’re still getting some protein and fiber, so snacking on peas will be a better choice than chips or pretzels when you’re in the mood for a crunchy snack,” says O’Meara.
The key, as with all snacks, is to watch how much you eat. For example, a serving of Harvest Snaps Green Pea Snack Crisps is 1 ounce (or about 22 crisp pea pods). Eat just that serving and you’ll consume 130 calories, 5 grams of fat, and only 75 mg of sodium, while still getting 4 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein. Compared to pea snacks, the same size serving of French fries has about 150 calories and about twice the fat and sodium, less than half the protein and practically no fiber.
Wasabi peas are a popular version of a roasted peas snack, but some are higher in fat (thanks to added oils) and sodium, and may contain food coloring or other chemical additives . For a healthier option, season fresh peas and roast in the oven or air fryer until crisp.
Pea Protein Powder
As more people turn to plant-based sources for their protein, pea protein isolate has found a niche, appearing in protein powders, veggie burgers, snack bars and other vegetarian foods. But there is a debate about the need to use protein powders to supplement the diet, instead of just eating unprocessed foods (in this case, peas).
“Most Americans are not protein deficient to the point of needing a supplement,” says Collins. And the steps that go into turning the peas into powder make pea protein fit the definition of ultra-processed food. His concern is that by isolating only the protein from peas, they are missing out on all the other nutritional benefits the legume has to offer. “Processing removes all the fiber and most of the nutrients and phytochemicals that you would get if you ate peas,” he says. Whenever possible, opt for natural foods.
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Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with the advertisers on this site. Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works with consumers to create a fair, safe, and healthy world. CR does not endorse products or services and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2022, Consumer Reports, Inc.