The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommend that healthy adults on a 2,000 calorie diet eat 1.5 to 2 cups of legumes a week. Legumes include beans, lentils and peas, including green split peas.
Peas make a great side dish or soup. This vegan pea soup is made from lovely, fresh garden peas bursting with lively flavor. While peas are often thought to be a dull side dish don’t let their unassuming reputation deceive you. Here are a few of the many overall health benefits they offer your body.
The Health Benefits of Peas
1. Blood sugar control
Our bodies respond differently to the many types of complex carbohydrates. In the glycemic index foods are given a number between 0 and 100 depending on how much they raise your blood sugar level. Low-glycemic foods keep your blood sugar relatively stable. High-glycemic foods make your blood sugar level shoot up.
According to the glycemic index peas have a low glycemic number of 51 which means they keep your blood sugar relatively stable.
2. Heart health
We now know eating high-glycemic foods is linked to increased serum triglyceride and lower HDL (‘good’) cholesterol. Both increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. Eating green split peas may help lower your total and bad LDL cholesterol as well as help you maintain a healthy blood pressure.
3. Weight control
Finding your optimal weight means burning more calories then the number of calories you consume. A single cup of green split peas has about 232 calories. They are also high in protein which helps sustain you between meals.
4. Fight inflammation
Peas pack punch with their plentiful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents, a key tool in managing chronic pain. Pisumsaponins I and II and pisomosides A and B are anti-inflammatory phytonutrients found almost exclusively in peas. They also have vitamin C, vitamin E and the anti-oxidant mineral zinc.
Try this Split Pea Soup Recipe
Below is a recipe shared by Stephanie Weaver from Recipe Renovator. The soup is deceptively simple with just six ingredients and minimal time to make it. If you want to make it for lunch or dinner, simply toss the cashews and the rice milk in a bowl and put it in the fridge to soak first thing in the morning. When it comes time to make the soup, it’ll take less than five minutes.
Suitable for:
vegan, gluten-free, low-sodium, reduced-sugar diets
Not for:
migraine diets
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup cashews raw (120 g)
- 3/4 cup rice milk
- 1-1/2 cups peas fresh or frozen (200 g)
- 2-3 cups low-sodium vegetable stock bean broth
- 1/2 tsp sea salt (omit for low-sodium diet)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup fresh snow peas (60 g)
Instructions
- Put the cashews and the rice milk in a bowl and soak for at least 30 minutes.
- Bring the peas just to a boil in a saucepan with the vegetable (or bean) broth. Turn down to a simmer and cook for five minutes.
- Slice the snow peas on the diagonal into thin slices while you heat 1-2 t. of olive oil in a saute pan. Saute the snow pea pods with a little salt and pepper just until bright green, about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan immediately so they don't continue to cook.
- Put the peas, broth, cashews, and rice milk in a blender and blend for several minutes until silky smooth. If using a high-speed blender, start on low and then turn up to high.
- Taste and add salt and pepper, and additional broth or stock as needed to get the consistency you want.
- Stir in most of the cooked snow peas, reserving some for the garnish.
- Pour into bowls and add the remaining snow peas on top.
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