The most nutritious peas

There are two varieties of green peas. Fresh shelled garden peas and peas with edible pods including snow peas and snap peas. Although all varieties are available as fresh or frozen, fresh is always the preferable choice. Frozen is a good alternative when fresh is not available. Frozen are often sweeter than fresh peas because they are frozen at the peak of their freshness.

Garden peas: Have rounded pods that are usually slightly curved in shape with a smooth texture and vibrant green color. Inside of them are green rounded pea seeds that are sweet and starchy in taste. Garden peas have more nutrients and more calories than snow peas or sugar snap peas. Fresh garden peas are difficult to find because people do not want go to the trouble to shell them making the demand for fresh peas very low. Peas also tend to become mealy and starchy very quickly if they are not cooked immediately after picking.

Frozen peas: They are a good substitute for fresh garden peas because they are frozen soon after they are picked. They provide you with good taste and retain their nutritional value. You also don’t have to shell them and they take no time to prepare. Since they have been blanched before freezing, you just need to heat and serve. Frozen peas are preferable to canned peas because they are more flavorful and contain less sodium and more nutrients.

Snow peas: Snow peas are flat with edible pods through which you can usually see the shadows of the flat pea seeds inside. They are not as nutritious as garden peas but they do have higher levels of vitamin C and contain fewer calories. Both fresh and frozen snow peas are available.

Sugar Snap Peas: A cross between the garden and snow pea, they have plump edible pods with a crisp, snappy texture. Both snow peas and snap peas feature a slightly sweeter and cooler tastethe garden peas. Like snow peas, snap peas have fewer nutrients and calories than garden peas. Both fresh and frozen sugar snap peas are available.