Pea Pod Nutrition

Pea pods, the shells that hold green peas, can be a great addition to a diet. Most people eat peas only on their own, never considering adding the pod. Snow peas and snap peas are the two types that have edible pods. Feel like trying something new? Try adding these pea pods to your daily meals.

Calories

• Pea pods are low in calories. One cup of snow peas or sugar snap peas supplies 67 calories, most from the carbohydrates in the pods. Pea pods are perfect for a low-calorie diet.

Dietary Fiber

• Dietary fiber is important for the body's digestive system. Fiber can lower cholesterol and speed digestion. A one-cup serving of pea pods supplies 4 g. of dietary fiber, which is 18 percent of the daily recommended amount.

Protein

• Pea pods contribute modestly to the intake of protein. One serving of pea pods supplies 5 g. of protein, 10 percent of the daily recommended amount.

Vitamins

• Pea pods are a good source of some vitamins and minerals. One serving has 50 percent of the daily value of vitamin K, important for bone growth. Pea pods supply more than 10 percent of the daily value of the B vitamins thiamin, B6 and folate. And pea pods are an excellent source of vitamin C--a serving supplies 128 percent of the daily value for that vitamin, important for the immune system, collagen production and liver function.

Minerals

• A serving of pea pods supplies 18 percent of the daily value of iron, important for the oxygen-binding function of blood. Other minerals in pea pods: 10 percent of the DV of magnesium and 11 percent of the DV of potassium.