Green Pea Facts

Q: What nutrients are in green peas?

A half-cup serving of green peas contains vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin A, and fiber.

Learn fun green pea facts, how green peas grow, what to look for when buying them, how to store them, and easy ways to cook them. This page also includes simple green pea recipes, nutrition facts, and a green pea salad video.

Kids Cooking Activities Teaching Materials

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Fun Green Pea Facts

Green peas grow fresh in summertime.
Peas grow inside a pod.
They grow on a plant in the garden.
Green peas can be eaten fresh, cooked, frozen, or added to recipes.
Snap peas and garden peas are related, but they are used a little differently.

How Green Peas Grow, Buying Tips, and Storage

When Green Peas Are Available

Green peas grow fresh in summertime.

How Green Peas Grow

Peas grow in a pod on a plant in the garden.

What to Look for When Buying Green Peas

Look for bright green, firm, plump pods. You can also buy peas frozen or canned.

Storage Tips

Store fresh peas in the refrigerator.

Kid Tip: Shelling peas by hand can be a fun kitchen job for kids.

How to Cook Green Peas

Shell peas and eat them fresh as is or add them to salads.
Add fresh peas to soups or casseroles.
Freeze fresh peas for later use if you have extra.

Cooking Tip: Green peas cook quickly, so they are a great vegetable for beginner cooks.

Food Science: Garden Peas vs. Snap Peas vs. Snow Peas

Garden peas are the peas usually removed from the pod before eating. The pod is not usually eaten.
Snap peas have thicker, crunchy pods that are eaten along with the peas inside.
Snow peas have flat pods with tiny peas inside, and the whole pod is usually eaten.

All three grow on pea plants, but they are harvested and used a little differently in recipes. This is a simple way for kids to see how closely related vegetables can still be used differently in recipes.

Why Are Some Pea Pods Eaten and Others Not?

Garden pea pods become tougher as the peas mature, so people usually eat only the peas inside. Snap peas and snow peas have more tender pods, which is why the whole pod can be eaten.

Mini Activity

Shelling Peas

Open a few pea pods.
Count how many peas are inside each one.
Compare the empty pod to the peas you removed.
Talk about which part you eat with garden peas and which part you eat with snap peas.

This is an easy way to explore how peas grow and how food is prepared.

Green Peas Nutrition Facts

A 1/2 cup serving of green peas is full of vitamin K, vitamin C, and vitamin A. Green peas are also a good source of fiber.

Green peas contain vitamin K.
They contain vitamin C.
They contain vitamin A.
They are a good source of fiber.

More Food Fact Resources

Green Pea Recipes

Creamed Peas and Potatoes

This creamy side dish combines peas and potatoes in a simple homemade sauce.

Category: Side Dish
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups new potatoes, cooked
1 pint fresh green peas, cooked and drained

Directions

Cook the potatoes until almost tender. Add the peas during the last few minutes of cooking.
In a saucepan, melt the butter.
Whisk in the flour and salt until smooth.
Slowly whisk in the milk and cook until thickened.
Fold in the cooked potatoes and peas until coated with the creamy sauce.
Serve warm.

Skill Builder: This recipe teaches children how to make a simple white sauce, a cooking technique used in many casseroles, soups, and pasta dishes.

Sesame Snap Peas

These snap peas cook quickly and have a tasty sesame flavor with a little heat.

Category: Side Dish
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 4 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Recipe shared by Danyel from Ventura, California.

Ingredients

1 1/2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
1 teaspoon chili oil
2 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed
Sea salt to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Instructions

Heat the sesame oil and chili oil in a pan over medium-high heat until shimmering.
Cook and stir the snap peas until bright green and starting to become tender, about 4 minutes.
Sprinkle with salt and black pepper as they cook.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds and stir a few times before serving.