Legumes Part 2: High Protein Good Carb Split Peas

Hi!

You see me talk a lot about carbohydrates in my blog. Well I speak on the subject weekly in the Diabetic education class at the hospital I work at and receive a lot of questions on eating right from my Diabetic patients/students. We all should be watching our carbs… and learning what can spike blood sugars for weight loss and glycemic control. So here is another as  promised, low carb, high protein food that I just made an hour ago! Split pea soup.

Very low in fat, split peas at one half cup cooked offers 21 grams of carbohydrate, 8.5 grams of protein, 32 on Glycemic Index and 144 calories. For Diabetics, a great carbohydrate substitute, split pea soup is recommended as one of the legumes to incorporate into a carb counting diet.

They also have tryptophan , an essential amino acid, a precursor  to the neurotransmitter serotonin.  Not manufactured by our body, we need outside sources to maintain this pathway of producing serotonin. The legumes, meat, especially turkey and dairy products have this nutrient. Let’s call them feel good foods.

So a bowl of  split pea soup might just do the trick to maintain that anti anxiety metabolism.

Split Pea Soup With Marjoram

• 2 cups of dried spit peas, picked over and washed in a colander

• 3 cups of water

• 2 cups of chicken broth or vegetable broth

• 2 carrots sliced

• 1 celery stalk chopped

• 1 onion diced

• 2-3 cloves of garlic chopped or 1 teaspoon of garlic powder

• 3 sprigs of marjoram leaves

• Ground black pepper to taste

• Salt (only a couple of pinches)

Saute the onion  over medium heat in a stock pot or 4 quart saucepan until soft and transclucent, about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook until the split peas have broken down and are soft, similar to a chunky pureed texture, about 30 minute.  Adjust seasonings to taste.