Are Frozen Peas Good For You? One Dietitian Says Yes

There have been claims that frozen meals are usually not as nutritious as contemporary meals, however that truly is not true. Actually, freezing helps meals retain its nutritional vitamins and minerals over time. Of all the frozen meals accessible, Philadelphia-based registered dietician Emily Wunder, RD, LDN, extremely recommends having frozen peas stocked in your freezer always.

Most individuals know inexperienced peas as a legume, however in line with the USDA Dietary Guidelines, legumes are nonetheless thought of greens. “Frozen peas have the well being advantages of a starchy vegetable whereas additionally offering a source of plant-based protein,” Wunder says.

In addition to being high in protein, frozen peas could provide greater than contemporary or canned varieties. Take a look at a few of the key advantages of frozen peas beneath.

Vegetables and fruit are essentially the most nutrient-dense when they’re first harvested, they usually begin to slowly degrade and lose vitamins thereafter, in line with the University of California, Davis (UC Davis).

Recent peas are picked at peak ripeness, then blanched and frozen. The blanching course of, which includes briefly submerging the peas in boiling water, stops enzyme exercise that might in any other case trigger them to spoil and lose vitamins over time, per UC Davis. Freezing them on this state helps protect the freshness and nutrient content material of the peas, extending their lifespan and providing you with extra of the good things.

Inexperienced peas can typically keep contemporary within the fridge for 5 to seven days earlier than they begin to spoil. Alternatively, frozen peas will be stored within the freezer and used inside 12 months.

And whereas canned peas could final for years in your pantry, the canning course of does take away vitamins, per UC Davis. Canning exposes vegatables and fruits to excessive temperatures, which degrade heat-sensitive nutritional vitamins and vitamins similar to vitamin C. Canned merchandise may comprise components similar to salt and different preservatives.

A cup of cooked peas gives about 8 grams of dietary fiber — a nutrient the USDA Pointers say we have to get extra of. “It is a good serving of fiber to assist attain these every day suggestions of 25 to 38 grams for adults,” Wunder says. Consuming high-fiber meals like peas has been linked to improved digestive well being, decrease levels of cholesterol and management blood sugar ranges, in line with the Mayo Clinic.

Peas additionally function an important supply of nutritional vitamins and minerals like nutritional vitamins A, C, Okay, potassium, iron and magnesium. “And peas have decrease quantities of carbs in comparison with different starchy greens like potatoes,” Wunder says.

Whereas frozen peas are a very good supply of vitamins, some will be misplaced in the course of the cooking course of. Some nutritional vitamins are water-soluble and a few are delicate to warmth. Boiling vegetables like peas has been proven to trigger essentially the most nutrient loss, in line with one April 2018 research in ​​Food Science and Biotechnology​.

That being mentioned, steaming is among the gentlest methods to prepare dinner peas whereas retaining vitamins, in line with Wunder. Following steaming, you can too bake or roast peas within the oven or sauté them on the range in oil or butter. Simply guarantee that whichever cooking technique you select, you utilize the least quantity of water potential.

To protect the dietary worth of peas, Wunder recommends making ready frozen peas by:

• Steaming them with mushrooms
• Sautéing and including them to contemporary pasta with oil, lemon and parmesan
• Puréing them with olive oil, lemon, garlic, nuts and parmesan cheese to make a tasty pesto
• Frying them in an air fryer to create a crispy snack or meals topping with seasonings of your alternative

Now that you just’re able to refill and chow down, take a look at a few of our favourite frozen peas recipes beneath.