Pisum sativum var. saccharatum
2 associations assessed — none with dependable human evidence behind them yet. Strongest first.
Peas bred so the pod wall lacks the tough inner membrane, allowing the whole pod to be eaten while the seeds are still tiny. Sold flat as snow peas or plump as sugar snaps.
Also known as Mangetout, Sugar snap peas, Edible-podded peas, Chinese pea pods
What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.
Legumes as a group have reasonable evidence for a lower glycaemic response, but that literature concerns mature dried pulses. Immature edible pods are a different food and have not been studied.
Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.
The whole pod adds a useful amount of fibre for its energy content, and fibre as a category has decent trial support for stool frequency and consistency. No study has tested snow peas specifically.
Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.
Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.
AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.
| Nutrient | Amount | % DV |
|---|---|---|
| Macronutrients | ||
| Calories | 42 kcal | 2% |
| Protein | 2.8 g | 6% |
| Total fat | 0.2 g | 0% |
| Carbohydrate | 7.55 g | 3% |
| Fibre | 2.6 g | 9% |
| Total sugars | 4 g | — |
| Water | 88.9 g | — |
| Fats | ||
| Saturated fat | 0.039 g | 0% |
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.021 g | — |
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.089 g | — |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| EPA (omega-3) | 0 g | — |
| DHA (omega-3) | 0 g | — |
| DPA (omega-3) | 0 g | — |
| Linoleic acid (omega-6) | 0.075 g | — |
| Vitamins | ||
| Vitamin A | 54 µg | 6% |
| Vitamin C | 60 mg | 67% |
| Vitamin D | 0 µg | 0% |
| Vitamin E | 0.39 mg | 3% |
| Vitamin K | 25 µg | 21% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.15 mg | 13% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.08 mg | 6% |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.6 mg | 4% |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 0.75 mg | 15% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.16 mg | 9% |
| Folate | 42 µg | 11% |
| Vitamin B12 | 0 µg | 0% |
| Choline | 17.4 mg | 3% |
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium | 43 mg | 3% |
| Iron | 2.08 mg | 12% |
| Magnesium | 24 mg | 6% |
| Phosphorus | 53 mg | 4% |
| Potassium | 200 mg | 4% |
| Sodium | 4 mg | 0% |
| Zinc | 0.27 mg | 2% |
| Copper | 0.079 mg | 9% |
| Manganese | 0.244 mg | 11% |
| Selenium | 0.7 µg | 1% |
| Other measured compounds | ||
| Beta-carotene | 630 µg | — |
| Alpha-carotene | 44 µg | — |
| Lycopene | 0 µg | — |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 740 µg | — |
| Caffeine | 0 mg | — |
| Ash | 0.56 g | — |
Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.
Source record: Peas, edible-podded, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 170010).
% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.
Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.
Xanthophyll carotenoid
A xanthophyll carotenoid selectively concentrated in the macula of the retina, alongside zeaxanthin.
Polyphenol (class)
An umbrella term for thousands of plant phenolic compounds. Useful as a category, but a "high polyphenol" figure says nothing about which compounds…
Glycoside
Soap-like glycosides in legumes and quinoa. Bitter, which is why quinoa is rinsed before cooking.
Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.
Nothing dependable is recorded about how preparation changes this food’s nutritional properties. Rather than guess, this section stays empty.
Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.
Too much
Like other legumes, edible-podded peas carry galacto-oligosaccharides and fructans. Small servings are usually tolerated on a low-FODMAP diet, but a large plateful of raw mangetout is a recognised trigger of wind and bloating.
Interaction
Snow peas contain moderate vitamin K1. This only becomes relevant on warfarin if intake changes substantially and suddenly.
Allergy
Pea is an increasingly recognised allergen, partly because pea protein is now added to so many products. People with established pea or lentil allergy should regard the pods as the same food.