18 Reasons Why You Should Give Peas a Chance!

1. On average, each person in Britain eats nearly 9,000 peas per year. Pea haters aside, that’s a LOT of pea lovers!
2. There are approximately 700 British pea farmers in the UK – making a livelihood from growing peas to feed the nation.
3. We are 90% self-sufficient in peas as a nation.
4. 2 billion 80g portions of peas are grown in the UK every year – that’s a hell of a lotta peas!
5. There are 35,000 hectares of peas grown in the UK annually. This produces about 160,000 tonnes of frozen peas.
6. The mighty farmers and processors producing frozen peas get the majority of them from field to freezer in less than 150 minutes. That’s dedication right there…
7. No matter what the season, freshly frozen garden peas are available all year round.
8. They’re pretty darn versatile – throw them in a pie, a risotto or pasta, whip up a tasty soup or casserole.
9. No food wastage. Just take as many little green balls of joy out of the freezer as you need, when you need them.
10. Peas are a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, thiamine (B1), iron and phosphorus.
11. Peas are rich in protein, carbohydrate and fibre and low in fat.
12. Half a cup of frozen peas has only 5% of the daily value for sodium and foods low in sodium are good for your heart.
13. A 100 calories serving of peas contains more protein than a whole egg or tablespoon of peanut butter.
14. Being freshly frozen, there’s absolutely no preparation needed. Just add to your recipe or pop them straight into soups, casseroles or curries.
15. Peas are said to give relief to ulcer pains in the stomach because they ‘use up’ stomach acids.
16. They’re so awesome, they’ve even got their own week – Great British Pea Week– taking place on the second week of July every year.
17. Peas go WAY back– the oldest pea ever found was nearly 3,000 years old and discovered on the border of Burma and Thailand. In 1822 – 1844, Gregor Johann Mendel, an Austrian monk, worked with peas in laying the foundation of the modern science of genetics. Peas were known to the Greeks and Romans (the Romans grew 37 different varieties at one point) and these early types were first mentioned in England after the Norman conquest.
18. There is a campaign – Yes Peas!– run by the vining pea industry, dedicated solely to celebrating and flying the flag for peas!

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