The flavor profile of pea shoots is very mild. They lend a tender crispness to any dish whether served raw or cooked. Simply adding a cup of pea shoots to your diet every day- whether on salads or in sandwiches, wraps, soups, egg dishes, or smoothies- will add a beautiful green splash and a sweet, crunchy flavor to your meals. The unique spiraling tendrils and leaves of the shoots are a commonly used garnish in gourmet cuisine to adorn meals and accent other foods. By introducing pea shoots into your daily diet, the benefits will include the effects of the cancer-fighting and anti-inflammatory antioxidants as well as the rich levels of vitamin C, iron, folate, and other valuable vitamins and minerals. You'll be giving yourself the gift of noticeable, positive and lifelong health benefits along with a delicious, wonderful flavor to your meals. Making this simple change to your diet will provide you with a wealth of nutrients for the cost of only a few calories. Flavonoids are an important contributor to pea shoot nutrition. The reason is their proven anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic, and anti-carcinogenic properties. They also help with crucial cellular enzyme function. Research strongly suggests that consuming carotenoid-rich foods reduces the incidence of cancer and diseases associated with reduced immune function, cardiovascular disease, and other degenerative disorders. Pea microgreens have high levels of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. Peas are naturally high in protein content and so are their sprouted shoots, which contain between 20-25% protein. For optimal protein uptake from pea shoots it is best to consume them raw as opposed to cooked. Additionally, there is often an increase of about 10% total amino acid content when the legume is sprouted. Peas in general are now commonly being used as a base protein concentrate for many vegan protein powders as an alternative to dairy-derived whey proteins.
