Sautéed Garlic Snow Peas

Snow peas, the lowest starch pea

Do you ever wonder what the difference between a sugar snap pea and a snow pea is?

I get them confused ALL the time. I know which one I’m supposed to have for lower starch but I mix up the names all the time! Ha!

If you’re a bariatric surgery patient, or even just someone interested in losing or maintaining their weight, you have to watch it on the high starch foods. And surprisingly enough, peas are a high starch food!

But not all peas. Green peas (aka Garden Peas) for sure are a high starch veggie by nature of how God made them. If you were to smash up a bowl of peas with the back of a spoon, you would quickly see the glistening starch coming through the mush. Lovely, eh?

Snow peas, on the other hand, are naturally a much lower carbohydrate vegetable. One cup of snow peas contains 5 grams of carbohydrates compared to one cup of green peas which is 21 grams of carbohydrates.

Snow peas are the thin, flat peas that are often used in stir fry. The best chance I have at remembering which is which is to picture the thin and skinny one as the one lower in starch!

….And what about a snap pea?

Snap peas (aka sugar snap peas) are a cross between garden peas and snow peas. You can eat the whole thing and you can eat them raw or cooked. These are still a bit high in starch are yield about 18 grams of carbohydrates for a cup.

The better vegetable for a bariatric friendly side dish??

The snow pea! I sauté mine in garlic and a quick spray of olive oil. Pinch of salt and pepper and the flavor and crunch makes me happy. I pair mine with a lean protein source, often a pre-seasoned pork tenderloin that I cook in my Crockpot® or my Deep Covered Baker in the microwave (from Pampered Chef).

Sautéed Garlic Snow Peas

Course: Vegetables

Cuisine: American, Stove Top

Prep Time: 2 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 52kcal

Author: Steph Wagner

A quick and easy low carbohydrate vegetable dish to pair with most any lean meat protein source.

Print Recipe [wprm-recipe-shop-instacart-api style="inline-button" icon="cart-simple-add" border_radius="50px" button_color="#e3853b" border_color="#e3853b"]

Ingredients

• 1 lb snow peas ends removed
• 1/4 tsp olive oil or cooking spray to coat lightly
• 1/4 tsp salt & pepper each
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp Soy Sauce

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Heat a medium nonstick skillet to medium-high heat.
• Toss all the ingredients together until peas look coated evenly.
• Saute, tossing occasionally, for 5 to 8 minutes until the peas are crisp tender. Remove from heat and serve.

Notes

Best paired with a lean protein source.

Nutrition

Calories: 52kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 256mg | Potassium: 242mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1233IU | Vitamin C: 69mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 2mg