Know2eat

Split peas

Pisum sativum

What split peas has been studied for

3 associations assessed — 3 with at least some human evidence behind them. Strongest first.

  • 2 Moderate
  • 1 Limited
3 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About split peas

Mature field peas that have been dried, skinned and split along their natural seam, so they collapse into a puree without soaking. The USDA reference entry here is for the peas already boiled, so the figures are for the cooked food rather than the dry pulse.

Also known as Yellow split peas, Green split peas, Matar dal

Blood Sugar & Metabolic HealthHeart HealthWeight Management

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Moderate

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.

Blood glucose response

Blood Sugar & Metabolic Health
Moderate evidence

Several trials report a low post-meal glucose response to split peas and small improvements in fasting glucose when pulses replace refined starch over weeks. Trials are short and the food is rarely eaten in isolation.

Moderate evidence. Several human studies point the same way, with real caveats.

2 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Blood lipid profile

Heart Health
Moderate evidence

Pooled analyses of pulse-feeding trials report modest LDL reductions, and split peas and other dried peas are well represented among the tested foods. The effect is real but small, and the ratings here describe pulses as a class.

What may be going on: Viscous soluble fibre increases bile-acid excretion, prompting the liver to use circulating cholesterol to make more.

Moderate evidence. Several human studies point the same way, with real caveats.

4 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Satiety and appetite

Weight Management
Limited evidence

Some trials report higher fullness after pea-based meals than after matched controls. Effects on total daily energy intake are smaller and less consistent than the single-meal ratings suggest.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

4 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Ask about Split peas

Ask about Split peas

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.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories118 kcal6%
Protein8.34 g17%
Total fat0.39 g1%
Carbohydrate21.1 g8%
Fibre8.3 g30%
Total sugars2.9 g—
Water69.5 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0.054 g0%
Monounsaturated fat0.081 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.165 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.137 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A0 µg0%
Vitamin C0.4 mg0%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E0.03 mg0%
Vitamin K5 µg4%
Thiamin (B1)0.19 mg16%
Riboflavin (B2)0.056 mg4%
Niacin (B3)0.89 mg6%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.595 mg12%
Vitamin B60.048 mg3%
Folate65 µg16%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Choline32.8 mg6%
Minerals
Calcium14 mg1%
Iron1.29 mg7%
Magnesium36 mg9%
Phosphorus99 mg8%
Potassium362 mg8%
Sodium2 mg0%
Zinc1 mg9%
Copper0.181 mg20%
Manganese0.396 mg17%
Selenium0.6 µg1%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene4 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin0 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash0.68 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, split, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 172429).

% 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.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

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.

  • cookedIncreases resistant starch

    Cooking and then chilling split peas retrogrades part of the starch into a resistant form that is fermented in the colon instead of digested.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Worth knowing

    FODMAPs and IBS

    Split peas are high in galacto-oligosaccharides and fructans and are among the pulses most likely to cause bloating and wind in irritable bowel syndrome. Small portions are the usual compromise.

  • Worth knowing

    Purines

    Pulses including split peas are moderately high in purines. Large cohort studies have not found plant purines to raise gout attack risk in the way meat and beer do, but people with frequent attacks sometimes notice their own triggers.

  • Worth knowing

    How split pea soup is usually made

    The traditional soup is built on ham hock or bacon and can be very salty. The panel here is for plain boiled split peas without salt.