Snap peas, also called sugar peas or sugar snap peas, are a vegetable that grows on vines, in cooler seasons.
Snap peas are a cross between snow peas and garden peas. Snap peas and snow peas are identical nutritionally and taste similar, but snap peas tend to be sweeter and more flavorful. Snap peas are rounder, while snow pea pods are flatter and have small, premature peas.
This article will discuss how to eat snap peas, nutrition details and benefits of snap peas, and different preparations of snap peas.
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How Do You Eat Snap Peas?
When choosing snap peas, look for ones that have an outer shell that is bright green and whose pea pods are firm and blemish-free.
If you are picking snap peas from the vine, do so when the pods have started to fatten, but before the seeds swell a lot. Snap peas that are left on the vine too long can have exterior pods that are too fibrous to eat.
To store snap peas, put them in a perforated bag in the crisper drawer of the fridge. They will keep here for up to two days. When you are ready to eat them, gently rub them as they rinse under cold, running water.
Snap peas can be eaten raw or cooked. The whole crunchy pod is eaten, but you may wish to remove the tough strings at the seams or choose a stringless variety.
Some ideas for raw snap peas include:
- Eating them on their own
- Pairing them with a dip such as hummus
- Adding them to a salad
- Putting them in a cold dish like pasta salad
Snap peas can also be:
Be careful not to overcook them or they will lose their crisp texture.
They are especially delicious cooked with olive oil and garlic.
How to Freeze Snap Peas
Snap peas can be bought in the frozen section of the grocery store, or you can freeze them yourself.
To freeze snap peas:
- Clean and trim the snap peas.
- Blanch them by cooking them in boiling water for two minutes.
- Cool and drain them.
- Package them leaving half an inch of headspace.
- Seal in freezer bags or containers.
- Freeze and store at below 0 degrees F for up to one year.
Nutrition Details: One Serving of Snap Peas
The nutritional details for 100 grams (g) of raw, edible-podded peas are:
- Energy: 42 kilocalories (kcal)
- Protein: 2.8 g
- Total lipid (fat): 0.2 g
- Ash: 0.56 g
- Carbohydrate, by difference: 7.55 g
- Fiber, total dietary: 2.6 g
- Sugars: 4 g
- Calcium: 43 milligrams (mg)
- Iron: 2.08 mg
- Magnesium: 24 mg
- Phosphorus: 53 mg
- Potassium: 200 mg
- Sodium: 4 mg
- Zinc: 0.27 mg
- Copper: 0.079 mg
- Manganese: 0.244 mg
- Selenium: 0.07 micrograms (mcg)
- Vitamin C, total: 60 mg
- Thiamine: 0.15 mg
- Riboflavin: 0.08 mg
- Niacin: 0.6 mg
- Pantothenic acid: 0.75 mg
- Vitamin B-6: 0.16 mg
- Folate, total: 42 mcg
- Choline, total: 17.4 mg
- Vitamin A, RAE: 54 mcg
- Carotene, beta: 630 mcg
- Carotene, alpha: 44 mcg
- Vitamin A: 1,090 international units (IU)
- Lutein + zeaxanthin: 740 mcg
- Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol): 0.39 mg
- Vitamin K (phylloquinone): 25 mcg
- Fatty acids, total saturated: 0.039 g
- Fatty acids, total monounsaturated: 0.021 g
- Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated: 0.089 g
- Tryptophan: 0.027 g
- Threonine: 0.099 g
- Isoleucine: 0.161 g
- Leucine: 0.228 g
- Lysine: 0.202 g
- Methionine: 0.011 g
- Cystine: 0.032 g
- Phenylalanine: 0.09 g
- Tyrosine: 0.099 g
- Valine: 0.273 g
- Arginine: 0.134 g
- Histidine: 0.017 g
- Alanine: 0.058 g
- Aspartic acid: 0.228 g
- Glutamic acid: 0.448 g
- Glycine: 0.072 g
- Proline: 0.063 g
- Serine: 0.125 g
How Much Daily Fiber Should You Eat?
Dietary fiber can be:
- Soluble: Dissolves in water.; can help lower glucose levels and blood cholesterol; found in foods such as chia seeds, beans, oatmeal, nuts, apples, and blueberries
- Insoluble: Does not dissolve in water; can help prevent constipation and promote regularity; found in foods such as whole wheat products, wheat bran, brown rice, quinoa, leafy greens, legumes, seeds, almonds, walnuts, fruits with edible skins
Aim for at least 25 to 35 g of fiber per day.
Crisp and Sweet: Snap Pea Benefits
Snap peas are low in calories and have many nutritional benefits, including:
Vitamin C:
- Helps with immune function
- Helps with wound healing
- Plays a role in controlling infections
- Is an antioxidant
- Is needed to make collagen (fibrous protein in connective tissue)
- Helps make certain hormones and chemical messengers used by the brain and nerves
- Stimulates the activity of white blood cells
Iron:
- Helps produce hemoglobin (protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body)
- Helps produce myoglobin (protein that provides oxygen to muscles)
- Needed to make some hormones
Vitamin K:
- Helps make proteins needed for blood-clotting
- Helps with bone health and building bones
Fiber:
- Helps with digestion
- Good for heart health
- Helps with weight management/feeling satiated
- Helps control blood sugar
- Helps reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes
- Plays a beneficial role in the gut microbiome which may have anti-inflammatory effects
- Lowers the risk of diverticular disease
- Helps prevent constipation
Vitamin A:
- Important for vision health
- Plays a role in the immune system, reproduction, and growth and development
- Helps the heart, lungs, and other organs work properly
Snap Peas and Sugar
Snap peas are naturally sweet, but unlike many sweet foods, snap peas have a low glycemic index value, meaning they won’t cause your blood sugar to spike.
Different Snap Pea Preparations
Snap peas can be used in countless dishes. A quick Internet search will bring up a bounty of ideas for using snap peas.
Here are three examples of recipes that feature snap peas.
Roasted Sugar Snap Peas
From: The University of Arkansas
Ingredients:
- 1/2 pound sugar snap peas, fresh or frozen
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped shallots
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- Salt to taste
Directions:
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F (232 degrees C).
- With each pod, remove and throw away stem and string.
- On a medium baking sheet, spread snap peas in a single layer and brush them with olive oil.
- Sprinkle them with thyme, kosher salt, and shallots.
- Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until tender but firm.
Pan Grilled Sugar Snap Peas
From: Rutgers University
Ingredients:
- 2 cups fresh snap peas
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Sprinkle of salt and pepper
Directions:
- Rinse snap peas and pat dry.
- Toss snap peas with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper (toss til coated).
- Over medium heat, heat a grill pan or fry pan.
- Add snap peas and cook for one minute each side, or until lightly blistered.
Spring Salad with Sugar Snap Peas
From: Rutgers University
Ingredients:
- 1 cup fresh sugar snap peas
- Fresh salad greens
- Radishes
- Tomatoes
*add or substitute any vegetables you would like
Directions:
- Rinse snap peas under cool running water and pat dry.
- Wash remaining vegetables.
- Cut up greens, radishes, tomatoes, and any other vegetables that need to be chopped.
- Toss vegetables, greens, and snap peas with your favorite dressing.
Summary
Snap peas are a cross between snow peas and garden peas. They are a low calorie, naturally sweet vegetable, with a low glycemic index value.
Snap peas can be eaten raw or sauteed, roasted, steamed, stir-fried, or pan grilled. Snap peas are a good source of vitamin C, vitamin K, iron, fiber, and vitamin A. They can be prepared many different ways and used in many different recipes.
