Peas Nutrition:
Vitamins, Nutrients and Health Benefits
They can be descried as
small round leguminous vegetables that grow in a row,
inside a pod - hence the common expression 'like two
peas in a pod'. The garden pea pods are approximately 2-3 inches long. Standard garden
peas are rich green in color, however, there are other
varieties such as black eyes peas
which are not green. Despite the name, they are not actually black. Please refer
to the 'types' section for further
information, descriptions and facts. It is believed
that the history dates back centuries,
possibly as early as 5700BC. Peas have provided
people with their high nutritional value for years!
They are grown on a plant, they grow rapidly and
require a trellis as support throughout the growth
process. This legume vegetable is ready to eat once per year for
approximately 3-4 weeks, at the beginning of the
summer.
Peas Nutrition:
Storing and Picking
to Maintaine Vitamins and Health Benefits
Fresh peas are not always available
all year round, obviously depending on the country in
which they are grown. Peas are usually ready for eating
during the early summer time for approximately 3-4
weeks. When buying fresh peas, look for healthy pea pods
that are not limp nor wilting. The pea pods should feel
firm and appear vibrant. The pod color should be rich
green. If you are unable to find fresh varieties, try to
buy a good make of frozen peas. Check the packaging to
find out as much information as possible about the
picking of the peas. Some brands now state the time
taken between picking and freezing peas. The quicker
they are frozen from picking, the better as their
freshness and nutritional value will have been well
maintained.
Peas Nutrition:
Preparing and Shelling Peas for Cooking
How to shell peas:
Shelling is very easy. Simply split peas by
pressing open the pea pods and pushing them out using
your thumb. Some varieties, such as mangetouts, will
need to be topped and tailed before popping the pod open
for shelling.
Peas Nutrition:
Cooking
without losing Vitamins and Health Benefits
Follow
the instructions above 'how to shell pea pods'. Boil
peas in rapid boiling water for a few minutes. They
will float to the top during the cooking process. It is
easy to cook fresh peas, they can be microwaved,
steamed, and in many pea recipes, they are baked. These
vegetables
make an excellent addition to rice, pasta, lasagne or
vegetable bakes, omelettes, stir fries, soup, sauce or
dips. The nutrition of peas is high and they provide one
of your five a day. They taste delicious, some varieties
are sweet which are appealing and ideal vegetables for
kids. This vegetable compliment many other foods really well
including chicken, fish, and other vegetables. The
combination of peas and carrots is particularly popular.
Peas Nutrition:
Types
and Varieties
There are many kinds of peas, all deliciously
tasty and packed full of goodness. The following
varieties are some of the most popular:
Petits Pois Peas Nutrition: this variety is delicious and
very popular. Petits pois are baby peas, a very
small dwarf variety of pea that is commonly available
either canned or frozen. This variety is low in calories
- see the calorie guide below for details.
Mangetouts
Nutrition: this type is a
lovely sweet pea variety that is eaten whole. Mangetout
can be eaten raw and are excellent served in salads.
Mangetouts are also very good for stir frys.
Black Eyed Peas
Nutrition: this variety
are sometimes known as black eyed beans. They are dried
peas or beans. This dried variety of pea are small,
cream colored with a black eye or spot on them. Blackeyed peas are commonly used in Indian cooking. They
are very tasty and have a creamy texture.
Black Peas
Nutrition: the black peas
variety is a purple podded pea which is sometimes known
by the names of parched or maple peas. Black peas
are often eaten sprinkled with salt and vinegar from a
cup. They are traditionally found in the North of
England and they are often served at fairgrounds. |