Technically speaking, peas are a fruit, yet most of us consider them to be vegetables. They belong to the same family of legumes as black beans, chickpeas, and lentils.
Peas come in a variety of varieties, such as:
- Garden sweet peas and spring peas are two of the many varieties of green peas, which are the most widely available type. For the majority of green pea cultivars, the pod is inedible. Cooking green peas is recommended before consuming them.
- Snow peas: Also referred to as sugar peas, snow peas feature a flat, edible pod. You can consume snow peas raw or cooked.
- Snap peas are usually the sweetest kind, and you can eat the peas raw or cooked together with the pods. In comparison to other pea cultivars, the pods are typically plumper.
Information on Pea Nutrition
The nutritional profiles of all the pea cultivars are comparable. The estimated glycemic load of peas is a relatively low three. They have minimal cholesterol and saturated fat content. Peas include 4 grams of total sugar, 3 grams of dietary fiber, and 41 calories per cup (98 grams).
Just 4% of the calories in peas are obtained from fats (mostly omega-6 fats with some omega-3 fats), while 73% of the calories come from carbs and 23% from proteins. Nonetheless, it is important to note that a significant portion of the calories in peas are derived from carbs, namely complex ones.
Peas are an excellent source of vitamin C and a decent source of choline, vitamin A, vitamin K, and vitamin B. In addition, they are devoid of sodium and contain the minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, and selenium.
Pea Protein
The use of pea protein as a protein source has drawn a lot of attention. Since it lacks some of the amino acids required by the body to create new proteins, it is an incomplete protein. The fact that pea protein is entirely plant-based and free of any animal byproducts is one of its key benefits.
The reduced risk of allergy and the presence of branched chain amino acids in pea protein—an amino acid type that seems to be crucial for muscle growth—are two more benefits. In fact, there is a ton of information regarding using pea protein for body development on the internet.
However, pea protein does have certain drawbacks. For instance, it includes purines, which are something you should stay away from if you have gout. The quality of the pea protein can also be a problem, as usual, if processing isn’t done carefully enough to avoid contaminating it with pesticides and fertilizers.
How to Include Peas in a Diabetes Diet
“Should I include peas in my diabetes diet plan?” has a straightforward answer: “Yes!” particularly if you only eat fresh peas! Although frozen peas should be acceptable too, steer clear of canned peas as they include additional sodium and perhaps preservatives.
Given that peas are a starchy vegetable and contain the majority of their calories from carbohydrates, some people might wonder why they should be consumed. Vegetables that are starchy have higher carb counts. Although the answer to this is a little more nuanced, let me try to explain.
While around ¾ of the calories in peas are derived from carbohydrates, it’s important to remember that they are complex carbohydrates rather than simple ones.
That and the fact that the fiber is consumed together with the peas. Additionally, because fiber tends to slow down the absorption of carbohydrates, peas are less likely to cause a blood sugar increase because the sugars will take longer to release.
Just as we shouldn’t choose a food solely on the basis of its calorie count, even the “nutrition data” provided above is really insufficient because the majority of nutrition data sources leave out important details like antioxidant levels, which are abundant in peas and can help lower inflammation levels in the body, which is beneficial for people with diabetes.
In addition to having a low glycemic index of 22, peas also have a very low glycemic load. A low glycemic load suggests that the sugars are released more slowly than in other foods since it considers the overall amount of carbohydrates in the item, whereas the glycemic index does not.
Read Also: Can a Person with Diabetes Eat Too Many Strawberries?
How to Savor Peas
Peas can be eaten raw in salads or as a snack, or they can be added as a side dish (like cooked green peas). They can be added to stews and soups as well. Snap and snow peas can be added to your meal whole or chopped; green peas must be taken out of their pods.
The greatest peas are always fresh ones, but they might only be available for a short while because most peas are either frozen or transported across great distances. Seek for peas with firm-to-the-touch, glossy, bright green pods.
DiabetesCouncils Article | Reviewed by Dr. Christine Traxler MD on June 09, 2020
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