Protein in peas
When most people think of a fairly high protein vegetable, peas are not the first thing that spring to mind. The things that do spring to mind when one mentions peas are a green vegetable that many children do not enjoy, or for the educated the image may be the ones of Mendel experimenting in his garden with peas and founding the science of modern genetics. Well, if you have reading this far, it can be safely assumed that you are interested in peas as a protein source and more importantly why they are a good source of protein.
Now it is not just the peas are a good source of protein, but the fact is how they are eaten that makes them better than many other sources of potential protein. (Of course, if you are not a vegetarian, animal protein is not only tasty to most people, but also more easily provide protein to the body.) It is because peas are chewed fully and do not survive chewing intact. This makes the stomach's work of breaking down the food far easier, and lets the body skip the step for the most part. Then it takes in the molecules and rebuilds them into what it needs and supplies them to the sources.
Now peas in addition to being a good source of protein are also a good source of carbohydrates, perhaps giving you servings from two groups in the food pyramid. Okay, so it does not quite work that way as the food pyramid is only a general guide and peas most definitely fall into the vegetable classification, but adding peas to a meal may cut back on the need for protein in meat.
Well, using peas as a protein source will not make them any tastier to the average person regardless of how healthy they are. Instead of buying canned peas from the grocery store, you are in for a far tastier and in fact healthier treat where the proteins and other nutrients are not lost if you enjoy the pea’s fresh or frozen. Not to mention that if you have a garden, you will likely get more exercise from gardening which adds to the health benefits of the peas in the end. (And even though it may not actually be true, it always feels like something you grew or cooked yourself tastes far better than something that comes from a store.)
If you still cannot stomach peas as a food, or have to eat them for one reason or another, you can at least take comfort in knowing that they are both a good source of protein and of carbohydrates. It makes them good for you, but sadly what is good for us does not always taste good on our taste buds, and if you do not like canned peas but prefer fresh peas, at least you are not alone in this preference. Now be quiet and eat your peas like your mother used to make you do.
