I remember the first time that I had pea shoots. My youngest son’s pre-school class had gone on a field trip to an organic farm, and I was a chaperone. As part of our tour, they cut pea shoots that were growing and handed them out for us to try. I was not a big “greens” fan at that point, so I wasn’t crazy excited to eat anything with stems and leaves. Since I was trying to be a good sport for my son and his friends, I ate them and tried to not make a face. The second I tasted them though, I knew that I didn’t need to act like they were good because they really were good. In fact, they were delicious! If you haven’t tried pea shoots, I’m here to tell you why this vegetable may just become a regular on your springtime menu as well as why they’re so good for you, how much they cost and how to eat them. 

What Are Pea Shoots?

Pea shoots are essentially baby garden pea plants. Since peas are vining plants, pea shoots are the leaves, stems and in some varieties tendrils from the tops of the very young plants. While the peas themselves take 65-80 days before they’re ready to harvest¹, pea shoots can be eaten within 2-4 weeks² when they’re several inches tall. Because peas do best in mild to cool weather, pea shoots are available in spring, early summer in some places, and fall. If you’re wondering if they taste more like a pea or more like a green, the answer is both. They actually have a very sweet pea flavor, with a similar texture of leafy greens. 

The texture of pea shoots is one of the reasons why I like them so much. While they’re full of healthy nutrients like leafy greens, the fact that you eat the tender stems makes the texture similar but slightly different. This offers some variety for someone who eats a lot of greens! 

Nutrients in Pea Shoots

From a nutritional standpoint, pea shoots may be baby plants, but they pack an adult-sized punch. They’re high in water, low in fat, low in carbohydrates, and a good source of fiber. They also have high amounts of Vitamins C, E and A and potassium³. 

Health Benefits of Pea Shoots

Because of its high nutritional profile, pea shoots offer many health benefits. The high levels of Vitamin C and E act as antioxidants and help the immune system to work properly^6,7. Vitamin A is important for vision, immune function, reproduction and cellular communication⁸. And your body needs potassium for proper kidney and heart function as well as for optimal muscle and nerve health⁹. 

In addition, pea shoots have a high carotenoid profile³. These act as antioxidants that protect cells and help to block the early stages of cancer. 

How to Buy, Store and Eat Pea Shoots

Pea shoots are abundant at farmers’ markets in the spring, early summer and fall. While they will come already bagged up, be sure and check to make sure that they look fresh and not wilted. 

To store them, wrap them in a paper towel and leave them in an open plastic bag. You don’t want to wash pea shoots until you’re ready to use them. When you do wash them, do it gently under cold water. I like to put mine in a colander and just gently toss them around under the running water. 

You’ll also probably want to trim off any extra-long stems that don’t have leaves. While the stems are very tender, it’s the combination of the leaves and the stems that make these so tasty. 

The nice thing about pea shoots is that they are delicious raw, or you can cook them in a skillet like you would with a stir-fry. If you’re cooking them, you’ll want to do it for a very short time, just before you’re planning to serve the dish. My favorite ways to eat pea shoots are mixed in with salads, on sandwiches or in an omelet. 

Cost of Pea Shoots

The important thing to remember is that a cup of pea shoots goes a long way in any recipe. While you can certainly make an entire salad or side dish out of them, they are usually used to complement or add to something else that you’re serving. I generally pay about $4 for a bag that contains just over three cups. That’s about $1.30 per cup. A cup is definitely a good size serving for however I’m using them. 

Lean on Your Community

Have you tried pea shoots? If so, let us know in the comments how you like to fix them. 

Sources

1. NC Cooperative Extension Chatham County Center. Plant Peas, Please.https://chatham.ces.ncsu.edu/2017/02/plant-peas-please/
2. New Entry Sustainable Farming Project. Tufts University Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. https://nesfp.org/world-peas-food-hub/world-peas-csa/produce-recipes/pea-shoots
3. J. Santos, M. Herrero, J.A. Mendiola, M.T. Oliva-Teles, E. Ibáñez, C. Delerue-Matos, M.B.P.P. Oliveira. April 2014. Food Research International. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0963996914000799?casa_token=pbsqBC0jOy4AAAAA:nnA1mHt5TbqQxo03aH0sc1LBFjH6nfTBl5WgBnSX85C6h_mSbq6YVJMhZBIVbIlhFlKz5Is0
4. U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/506159/nutrients
5. Cronometer. https://cronometer.com
6. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin C. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-Consumer/
7. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin E. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminE-Consumer/
8. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin A. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminA-HealthProfessional/
9. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Potassium. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Potassium-Consumer/
10. U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Dark Green Leafy Vegetables. https://www.ars.usda.gov/plains-area/gfnd/gfhnrc/docs/news-2013/dark-green-leafy-vegetables/

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Growing up on a farm in the North Carolina mountains, I could tell you exactly when potatoes, corn, tomatoes, green beans and cucumbers were in season. Those we had in abundance! I could also tell you when the cherries were just right for picking because climbing the trees and eating more than we put in our buckets is still one of my favorite summer memories.

That’s how I grew up, but somewhere along the way, I lost track of seasonal eating and turned to what was on the grocery store shelves instead. The key word there is shelves, because that’s where the boxes and cans of processed foods are kept. By the time I finally turned back to fresh fruits and vegetables, I couldn’t have told you what was in season when if you had paid me –until I discovered my local farmers market.

While I am definitely well-versed in the health and budget benefits of eating with the seasons now, I wanted to go to an expert to find out more about why eating with the seasons is so good for us. In this Q&A, Functional Medicine Dietician Maria Zamarripa from the foodfarmacist R.D. answers many of the most common questions asked when it comes to eating seasonally.

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Peppermint Tea & Me: What does eating with the seasons mean?

Maria Zamarripa: Eating with the seasons means that you change the types of foods you eat based on which produce items are in season for that particular time of the year.

PTM: Why is eating with the seasons good for our overall health and wellbeing?

MZ:Eating with the seasons promotes nutrient diversity in your diet, meaning you are able to consume a wider variety of vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial nutrients from different foods throughout the year.

PTM: How is seasonal food nutritionally different than food that’s not in season?

MZ: Seasonal food is often higher in certain vitamins, like vitamin C and folate, as well as various antioxidants, which help to fight aging and protect the cells in our body from damage.

PTM: Is eating with the seasons possible to do all year round and still get the nutrients we need?

MZ:It is definitely possible to obtain all of the nutrients you need by eating seasonal food. However, your access to seasonal food choices may depend on where you live. For example, people who live in cooler, northern climates may have limited access to winter citrus fruits, like oranges or grapefruits. The age-old recommendation to “eat the rainbow” is a great way to ensure you are getting all of the vitamins and minerals your body needs.

PTM: Many people would say that our food system has made tremendous progress because we do have so much produce available to us year-round. How would you respond to that?

MZ: Eating seasonally is a great way to try new foods, save money, and support local farmers. But, it’s not always possible to eat 100 percent of your produce from seasonal foods. For that reason, advances in modern agriculture is a huge benefit to all of us!

The most important thing to keep in mind is that eating ANY type of fruit or vegetable, whether in season or not, will greatly benefit your health. Just like with any nutrition recommendation, avoid going overboard. Eating with the seasons is great, but eating more fruits and vegetables overall is still the most beneficial way to improve your health.

PTM: Generally speaking, what is the cost difference between eating with the seasons and eating produce that’s available in the grocery store at any point in the year?

MZ: The cost savings of eating seasonally depends largely on how many servings of fruits and vegetables you eat per day. The average adult should eat at least 2-3 cups of vegetables per day and 2 cups of fruit per day. For a family with two adults meeting this recommendation, cost savings of eating seasonally may roughly add up to over $15 of savings per week (or $60+ per month).

PTM: How can we tell which fruits and vegetables are in season?

MZ: An easy way to know what’s in season is to take a look at the sales ads for your grocery store. Foods that are in season will generally be on sale or cheaper than other produce items. This is simply a result of supply and demand.

My Note: Another great resource for knowing what’s in season is The Seasonal Food Guide. You can simply plug in where you live and the month and it pulls up a list of what should be available near you.

Other Resources

Be sure and read Plenty: One Man, One Woman, and a Raucus Year of Eating Locally (Affiliate Link) by Alisa Smith and J.B. Mackinnon and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life (Affiliate Link) by Barbara Kingsolver. These books are what helped me to become interested in eating seasonally again.

In addition to all of the reasons Maria gave, I would add that eating with the seasons also gives us variety with our food. It’s what lets a summer meal look and taste different than a winter meal, and it’s what lets us appreciate the food we eat all the more knowing that we have it in the here and now, but also knowing that something else is just around the corner.

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