5 Amazing Reasons Why Your Body Needs More Black Eyed Peas

by: Cheryl Tate

Black eyed peas are mainly associated with growing up in the south or eating them on New Year’s Day for good luck or just including them in a stew. But these little-known peas are actually super packed with power for your entire body it’s ridiculous.

Honestly, if I would have known these little babies were as good for me as they are, I would have eaten more growing up. Take a look at five reasons you should eat them each week.

Fat Burner
Yes, black eyed peas can help your shrink fat. In fact, black-eyed peas are a low-fat and low-calorie food, making them a healthy addition to a weight-loss meal plan. Canned versions vary in content, but a 1/2 cup of black-eyed peas is generally less than 100 calories and contains about 1 g of fat. A diet that is low in fat and calories helps you lose weight, prevents weight gain and protects you from many health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes and depression.

Protein Power
Black-eyed peas are a great alternative source of protein if you’re trying to cut down on eating meat. Protein is important because it supports most of the parts of your body, including muscles, skin, hair and nails. In addition, protein helps cells grow and repair and provides energy to your body. A 1/2 cup of dry and cooked black-eyed peas contains 6.7 g of protein, and a 1/2 cup of canned black-eyed peas contains 5.7 g.

Iron Man or Woman
A 1/2 cup of canned black-eyed peas has 1.2 mg of iron, while a 1/2 cup that has been cooked from dry black-eyed peas contains 2.2 mg. Getting adequate iron in your diet prevents anemia, which produces fatigue and weakness. Iron carries oxygen throughout your body to your organs, cells and muscles, and if the supply is low…

you can experience sluggishness. So beef up on your black eyed peas to get you going!

B Vitamin Rich
In fact, this particular variety of beans tops the list of Vitamin B9 or folate-rich foods. One cup of cooked black-eyed peas contains about 210 milligrams of folate, which is half the daily recommended intake of this nutrient for both genders. Studies show that folate sourced from food can cut your risk of pancreatic cancer by as much as 60 percent. Folate, which helps with cell formation, is especially important during pregnancy. Black-eyed peas also contain about 12 percent of your daily amount of thiamin, one of the B vitamins.

Potassium Booster
A 1/2 cup of dry and cooked black-eyed peas contains 239 mg of potassium, and the same amount from a can has 206 mg. Potassium is a nutrient that helps keep your blood pressure levels at healthy numbers, which lowers your risk of heart disease. Getting adequate potassium in your diet from black-eyed peas also supports the health of your muscles and bones.

Author’s Note
Finding a new normal could mean addressing one’s eating habits and diet for improvement. In stressful times such as these, eating can be a comfort as we are quarantined and social distancing and other requirements and restrictions. This is an opportunity to address one’s diet and look for ways to consume healthier options. We can start with foods we are familiar with, like black eyed peas. This recipe is easy and quick. It’s a good dish to bring to a potluck or next family outing. It helps to know about the dish you bring to inform them of its benefits. Black Eyed peas are some of the healthiest beans we could consume, prepared with smoked turkey is healthier that a ham hock. Garbanzo beans are a standard with hummus but black eyed peas as the bean is exceptional. Given all the benefits you are eating a bean nonetheless, a meat substitute so to speak.

Recipes

Black Eyed Pea Salad:

Ingredients

1 15oz. can Black Eyed Peas

1 cup bottled Italian dressing
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 can corn drained
3 Roma tomatoes chopped
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
5 green onions thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped parsley or cilantro (I like cilantro)
Salt and pepper

Instructions:

Combine cooked peas, corn, tomatoes bell pepper and green onions. Gently toss pea mixture and salad dressing, season with salt and pepper. Chill.

Shake Italian dressing and crushed red pepper in tightly covered container until blended.Before serving, garnish with parsley or cilantro.

Zhoug Sauce Recipe (Zhug) Herb pesto dip

Zhoug Recipe – a flavorful Middle Eastern Green Chili Sauce that gives meals a burst of flavor. Simple easy recipe that can be made in 5 minutes flat! This version is simple and easy without compromising flavor. Lather it over grilling meats, spoon it into falafels and wraps, liven up soups and stews or my favorite…make Zhoug Yogurt by stirring it into yogurt for a flavorful sauce.

Ingredients

2–6 whole jalapenos, sliced
4 fat garlic cloves
1 bunch cilantro, small stems ok
1 bunch flat leaf parsley
5-6 Basil leaves
1 teaspoon ground cardamom (or whole, see notes)
2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon, Himalayan Pink salt, more to taste
2/3 cup olive oil, more to desired consistency
4 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon chili flakes (Aleppo chili is nice), more to taste (optional)
¼ cup pistachios optional
½ avocado pitted and cut in chunks optional

Instructions

Place all ingredients ( except oil) in a food processor and pulse until it’s uniformly chopped. Add oil and lemon juice process into a coarse paste. For a looser version, add a bit more oil.

Taste for salt and heat, adding more if necessary. Add chili flakes if you like.

Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to a week.

Notes

Feel free to use whole cardamom seeds, whole cumin seeds and peppercorns- toasting and grinding. Caraway seeds are a nice touch too. Jalapeños are not traditional yet produce a very consistent and milder heat. You can swap them out for hotter chilies. Feel free to swap out the cilantro for flat-leaf parsley, or even fresh mint. You can also do a blend of all three! The cardamom is the star here, so make sure you use enough so you can taste it.

Ernesto Comodo - Administrator