Sugar Snap Peas
Nutrition
Rich in Vitamin C to help the immune system and manganese which helps the body form connective tissue and support blood clotting.
Shopping Guide
Take a close look at the shells which should be shiny, firm and bright green.
Storage
Keep them in an airtight bag or container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. You can even freeze them – just blanch in boiling water for 2-3 mins then plunge into ice cold water to stop the cooking before laying out on a tray to freeze for a few hours and then storing in freezer-safe bags or containers for up to 6 months.
Serving Suggestions
Pop them in, raw to a lunchbox or serve with a favourite dip. Raw snap peas are also great in salads or stirred into pasta. You can cook them, just do so quickly and lightly, with a quick fry, sauté, steam or microwave.
Seasonality
Buying veg in season is not only great for the planet, it can be good for your wallet, too! Seasonal veg are often cheaper and frequently taste better, so can be a better time to try with a child as the often sweeter, riper taste is more enjoyable.
At Its Best:
June - September
Engage
Here are some of our favourite ways to engage kids with sugar snap peas:
Arts & Crafts
Start simple with some non-food based engagement. This is especially helpful for a fussier child or those with sensitivities around food.
DOWNLOADS:
For sugar snap peas, why not try making our pea cut out and colour page?
Puzzles & Games
Puzzles and games are all about fun and centering them on veg brings a positive association with it. Like arts & crafts, this is great for those who aren’t yet ready to interact physically with the veg, but it can still be fun for all!
DOWNLOADS:
For sugar snap peas, why not try our Escapeas puzzle?
Sensory
Sensory exploration can be a wonderful introduction to physically interacting with veg. Turn it into a positive, pressure-free experience by starting off with the golden rules of “You don’t need to try and you don’t need to like.” Reassuring a child that, while they have a chance to taste a veg, they don’t have to, and are not expected to like it if they do, can make them more happy to engage with it.
Sugar snap peas are great for exploring through hearing as a fun, crunchy veg. The best way is to get both sugar snap peas and mangetout and crunch them both (or snap next to your ear if your child isn’t willing to put them in their mouth) and compare the crunchiness. Is one loud and one quiet? One crunchy, one soft? Which one is which? You could also explore the sugar snaps by taking them apart – push slightly on the sides to open them up and see if you can find the little sweet peas inside! What does it look and feel like? What does it remind you of?
Kids in the Kitchen
Children who help to prep and cook veg are more likely to eat it. If you feel your child is ready to help and could benefit from it, keep the stress and mess to a minimum by choosing one simple task for them to do as part of the prep, meaning they can be involved and feel like the recipe is in part ‘theirs’, but also not make the process too much longer or more complicated.
For a younger child, why not get them to wash the sugar snap peas and make a dip to eat them with at snacktime? Try a simple hummus by blending a rinsed and drained tin of chickpeas with a little oil, lemon juice, a pinch of salt and some cumin or paprika or fresh coriander. They can help you put the items in the blender and push the buttons. Or show them how to grate cucumber carefully into some yogurt and crumble in some feta or add a pinch of salt and perhaps a little chopped garlic for a tzatziki dip.
For an older child, it could be a great opportunity to show them how to safely cook over heat. Make a stir-fry and get them to help you. Grab a bag of stir-fry veg and a pack of sugar snap peas, some soy sauce or a stir-fry sauce and some cooked noodles or rice to serve it with. Show them how to cook carefully over a high heat, what gets hotter and what is safe to touch, how to stir over heat, and when to add the veg and sauces. Let them help you serve it up over the rice or noodles, and bring it proudly to the table as “theirs”.
DOWNLOADS:
Use our Kitchen Ninja chart and videos to find simple ways for kids to help in the kitchen.
Your Food
Find your go-to meals in our family favourites section and see what veggies work best with them.
Find out how to add more veg to your suppers here.
Recipes
Serving
The moments before food is offered can be a perfect opportunity for engagement that can help make it more likely a child will eat it!
The first thing to do is remove the pressure. If the veg doesn’t get eaten, it’s not the end of the world. There will be other days, other dinners, other chances. Fun is key here – try not to worry about mess, perfect table manners, or playing with food. Instead, focus on making the process of getting the food to the plates, readying the table, and the actual eating relaxed.
The best principles for success here are the Three Rs (role modelling, rewarding, re-offering) which you can read about here.
But there is one more way you can serve for success, and that is giving your child a role. You don’t have to do this every time, just encourage them in their strengths through it when you can.
Here are some of our favourite ideas:
Design a menu
Come up with a silly name or story for a dish
Help with making a meal plan and choosing veg for dinners or snacks
Help to serve up the meal on dishes, lay the table or create a centrepiece to be involved in the physical ‘serving up’ process
The Wonderful World of Veg
Check out our vegepedia. When to buy in-season. How to store them to keep for longer. How to engage children with each veg, and simple ideas of how to prepare and cook them for maximum taste and minimum waste. Select a veg…