Are Sugar Snap Peas (Snowpeas) Primal or Paleo? Healthy? Do You Eat Them?

No.

Sugar snap peas, also known as snowpeas, are NOT technically primal or paleo.

Does it really matter?

When it comes to deciding whether or not you are going to eat a food is that what you ask yourself? I look at it a little bit but I am more concerned with the overall nutrition content and whether or not it’s simply going to do any damage to my body.

Sugar snap peas are legumes just like green beans. But, as I stated about 2 weeks ago, I personally love green beans and therefore enjoy them regularly. I don’t eat sugar snap peas as frequently as green beans but to me they are very similar. Sure, there are peas inside but they are small just like the beans in a green bean. I have no idea if the lectin content is low like it is in green beans but it seems as if this is so.

One cup of sugar snap peas are full of vitamins and minerals including Vitamin C, A, K, Thiamin, Iron, etc. It also has a lot of fiber and is a great source of protein as well (not nearly as good as animal foods though!). But, should one who eats a primal or paleo diet consume snowpeas?

That choice is yours.

Like I said before, I eat them and do fine. I love them. They are simple and are available at my local farmers market. I enjoyed them last night with a beef stir fry.

Feel free to use them as part of your 20% if you desire. Or just eat them because you want to eat them. None of us are perfect. Striving for perfection is great but some of us need to let go a little more.

The choice is yours. Do you eat sugar snap peas? Leave a comment below.

Photo Credit

mike

sugar snap peas are not the same as snow peas. sugar snap peas are rounder, are sweet, and have a thick pod that is delicious, and snow peas are flatter, not sweet, and have a thinner pod that doesn’t taste good.
- http://primaltoad.com Toad
  
  That’s interesting… nutrition data uses them interchangeably…
  - mike
    
    Hmmm. .. I suppose nutritionally they might be pretty similar but they are def not the same thing. Check out the first line of the article that Ben linked.
    - http://primaltoad.com Toad
      
      It sounds like a very very minimal difference.
Ben

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snap_pea

Same deal as green-beans. All about the lectins!
Mark Brady

Regardless of their primal status, here is an excellent recipe using them: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/19/dining/19appe.html?_r=1&ref=dining
- http://primaltoad.com Toad
  
  That looks awesome. I enjoyed a beef stir fry with them a couple of nights ago.
- Nancy
  
  The recipe uses soy sauce, which as far as I know isn’t Paleo anyway. Recipe looks delicious though!
http://againstthegrainblog.com againstthegrain

Yes, pea pods (any variety) are on my plate occasionally when they show up in our CSA produce subscription box (which means they are also local and seasonal). I’d eat more, but my 6th grade son usually eats the majority in his packed lunch or after school – they are great “chips” for homemade dips like [breadless] taramasalata or tzatziki.
- http://primaltoad.com Toad
  
  Yea they do have a similar crunch as a chip so eating sugar snap peas instead of chips is definitely a step in the right direction no matter how you look at it!
colormepink

I love snap peas but I love tomatoes too. Neither is really paleo but I seem to feel well eating both so I don’t feel too guilty about it.
- http://primaltoad.com Toad
  
  Tomatoes are paleo. But, some people avoid nightshades as they have problems with them.
http://nutritionholistic.com WordVixen

Mann’s lists them as a cross between the English Pea and Snow Peas. They’re my all time favorite vegetable (they’re green and crunchy, I count them as vegetables) raw, steamed, or lightly sauteed. I’m not actually Primal though (real food with primal leanings), so I don’t know if I count?
- http://primaltoad.com Toad
  
  You count – you are waaay ahead of most people!
  
  I enjoy them raw, steamed and lightly sauteed as well.
  - http://nutritionholistic.com WordVixen
    
    Yay, I count! Thank you.
http://lowcarblaunch.blogspot.com/ Julie

I like the snap peas, the snow peas-not so much. I never think of buying them though because my kids will not touch them for some reason…they eat kale and spinach, but not those, LOL I hate pulling the strings off them anyway
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http://malpaz.wordpress.com/ Mallory

ew, just dont like them haha but if theyre a legume theyre not paleo right? kinda like green beans?
http://www.therightfit.wordpress.com Carla

Yum, I love them! The same way I eat green beans – with BUTTER.
http://www.primalstyle.blogspot.com MaMaMiA

I grow my own so I will definitely be eating them when in season
http://www.pantrybites.com Janet

I love sugarsnap peas- they are my go to snack at BBQ’s when everyone else is indulging in potato chips. I find them perfect for dipping just like a chip.
- http://lowcarblaunch.blogspot.com/ Julie
  
  That is a great idea! what do you like to dip them in?
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San

Sugar snap peas are one of my favorite vegetables. I just ate an entire bag of them raw, paired with hummus. Yummy.
- http://primaltoad.com Toad
  
  Hummus? How about butter!
  - Diane G.
    
    I’m new to Paleo as of the last few days, only starting to eliminate foods today and I’m trying not to be too hard on myself. It’s not easy changing lifestyles but I’m trying to bust chronic illness. I found you through Pinterest, looking for your Avacado Smoothie recipe, but it appears not to be here anymore. :-/ On reading this particular thread, isn’t hummus a non-paleo treat especially since the peas aren’t cooked?
    - http://primaltoad.com Toad
      
      I wish you a lot of luck on your journey. Be in it for lifetime and you will do awesome. Avocado recipe? I have many of those. Any chance you are talking about this one? http://primalsmoothies.com/chocolate-avochio. I have an entire website dedicated to just smoothies.
      
      Hummus is made from garbonzo beans and is thus best to be avoided. But if you want some now and then, then go for it. Use it as part of your 80/20.
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Are Sugar Snap Peas (Snowpeas) Primal or Paleo? Healthy? Do You Eat Them?

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