[리얼푸드=육성연 기자]Peas, which used to give a greenish color to boring rice, have recently been re-emerged as a nutritional ingredient. This is because not only the fresh color but also the ingredients that most plant proteins do not have.
Is it vegetable? ‘Complete’ protein with essential amino acids
Peas used to be just a kind of legumes, but now products promoting ‘peas’ are being launched. This is because the ‘special’ protein in peas has emerged as a global trend. Excellent protein, which we call ‘complete protein’, refers to food that contains all 9 ‘essential amino acids’. However, most plant proteins lack some essential amino acids despite their excellent nutritional benefits. That’s why nutritionists advise eating “a balanced diet of plant and animal protein.” However, there are foods that contain all essential amino acids, which are rare among plant proteins. Peas include quinoa, Egyptian beans, and pistachios. It is once morest this background that peas are recently used as a major ingredient in various protein powders, protein drinks, or vegetable milk products.
It has been reported that peas contain a large amount of beneficial ingredients for improving cholesterol and regulating blood sugar. According to a British study published in the international scientific journal Nature Food (2020), the group that ate wrinkled peas daily for 4 weeks had stable blood sugar and had more beneficial gut bacteria than the control group. Dr. Katerina Petropulu of the research team said, “Among peas, especially wrinkled peas are good for diabetics because they have an excellent blood sugar control effect.”
Use of various forms such as powders and sauces to “help digestion”
In the Joseon Dynasty medical book Donguibogam, peas are introduced as a good food for stomach. In fact, peas contain a lot of vitamin B, which promotes digestion by helping the breakdown of carbohydrates, and dietary fiber that is good for gut health. For this reason, peas have a good compatibility with rice, which is a carbohydrate.
You can cook it with rice, but in the case of pea powder, you can sprinkle it on food or drink it with soy milk to replenish protein. It can also be used as a sauce. Green pea sauce goes well with grilled white fish or cold pasta sauce. To make pea sauce, put butter in a pot and stir-fry chopped onions, then add peas, milk and salt, boil for 10 minutes, and then grind in a mixer.
You can grind boiled peas and eat them in the form of soup or porridge. Pea soup is complete by frying peas with flour in butter, then adding milk and boiling it. It can also be easily made with a blender. Put vegetable stock, peas, kale, parsley, onion, garlic, and salt in a blender and grind, then serve with rye bread or baguette to enjoy a savory meal.
Cool pea noodles in summer are also available. Boiled peas are mixed with water and nuts to make a fragrant soybean broth. It’s also low in calories, so it’s perfect for a diet. Calorie per 100 g of peas is 120 kcal. It is more convenient to use commercially available frozen peas. You can also add peas to curry or salad, or boil peas in lemon cream pasta.
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