In this article
- Do peas have fiber in every form?
- Peas next to other vegetables
- Peas, legumes and split peas
- What the fiber in peas does for you
- Peas and a sensitive gut
- Vitamins that come with the fiber
- What one bag of frozen peas can do
- How peas fit your daily fiber target
- Which peas to pick: a quick rule
- Questions about peas and fiber
- Sources
Same calories, double the fiber. A cup of cooked green peas and a cup of cooked corn both come in at 134 calories on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans list, but the peas carry 8.8 grams of fiber to the corn’s 4.0.
So, do peas have fiber? Plenty, and they deliver it in a form most kitchens already keep in the freezer. Here’s how fresh, frozen, canned and dried peas compare, and where peas fit among other vegetables and legumes.
Do peas have fiber in every form?
USDA FoodData Central lists green peas boiled from fresh at 5.5 grams of fiber per 100 grams, with 84 calories. The numbers for other forms land in a similar range.
| Peas (USDA) | Portion | Fiber | % Daily Value | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh, boiled, no salt | 1 cup (160 g) | 8.8 g | 31% | 134 |
| Raw | 1 cup (145 g) | 8.3 g | 30% | 117 |
| Canned, drained | 1 cup (175 g) | 8.6 g | 31% | 119 |
| Frozen, unprepared | 1 cup (134 g) | 6.0 g | 22% | 103 |
| Frozen, boiled, no salt | 1/2 cup (80 g) | 3.6 g | 13% | 62 |
| Split peas, boiled | 1 cup (196 g) | 16.3 g | 58% | 231 |
The FDA counts 20% of the Daily Value or more as a high source. Every full cup on this list clears that bar, and a cup of boiled split peas covers more than half of the 28 gram Daily Value by itself.
Frozen peas come out a little lower per 100 grams, at 4.5 grams once boiled. Doubling the USDA half cup portion gives about 7.2 grams for a full cup.
Fiber per calorie across the forms
Grams per cup depend on how tightly the peas pack, so a fairer test is fiber per 100 calories. Run the same USDA numbers that way and the forms sit much closer together:
- Canned, drained: about 7.2 g per 100 calories
- Raw: about 7.1 g
- Split peas, boiled: about 7.0 g
- Fresh, boiled: about 6.5 g
- Frozen, boiled: about 5.8 g
The spread from top to bottom is less than 1.5 grams. Whichever form is easiest for you to buy and cook is the right one, and the choice between them comes down to sodium, texture and time more than fiber.
Canned peas and sodium
Canned peas hold their fiber well, with 4.9 grams per 100 grams after draining. The bigger difference is salt: a drained cup of regular canned peas carries about 478 milligrams of sodium, roughly 21% of the 2,300 milligram Daily Value.
No salt added cans exist, and USDA lists them at just 2 milligrams of sodium per 100 grams. If canned is your go to, that label is worth looking for.
Peas next to other vegetables
Peas sit in an interesting middle ground. They’re starchier than leafy or green vegetables, so they carry more calories per cup, but they deliver far more fiber than the other starchy staples.
| Vegetable (DGA portion, cooked) | Fiber | Calories | Fiber per 100 calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artichoke, 1 cup | 9.6 g | 89 | 10.8 g |
| Green peas, 1 cup | 8.8 g | 134 | 6.6 g |
| Brussels sprouts, 1 cup | 6.4 g | 65 | 9.8 g |
| Broccoli, 1 cup | 5.2 g | 54 | 9.6 g |
| Snow peas, 1 cup | 4.5 g | 67 | 6.7 g |
| Green beans, 1 cup | 4.0 g | 44 | 9.1 g |
| Corn, 1 cup | 4.0 g | 134 | 3.0 g |
| Potato, baked, 1 medium | 3.9 g | 161 | 2.4 g |
By the cup, green peas trail only artichoke on this list. By the calorie, green vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts pull ahead, while peas still give you more than twice the fiber per calorie of corn and nearly three times that of a baked potato.
That makes peas one of the easiest upgrades on a dinner plate. Swap a cup of corn for a cup of peas and you add 4.8 grams of fiber without changing the calorie count.
Snow peas and sugar snaps
Edible pod peas, the flat snow peas you see in stir fries, are a different vegetable from shelled green peas. The Dietary Guidelines list puts a cooked cup at 4.5 grams of fiber for 67 calories.
That’s about half the fiber of shelled peas per cup, but at half the calories. Per 100 calories, the two land almost exactly even.
Peas, legumes and split peas
USDA files split peas as the mature seeds of the pea, sold dried and cooked much like lentils. Boiled, they carry 8.3 grams of fiber per 100 grams, about 50% more than green peas.
A cup of boiled split peas gives 16.3 grams of fiber and 16.3 grams of protein for 231 calories. The Dietary Guidelines list puts a half cup at 8.2 grams, ahead of lentils at 7.8 and black beans at 7.5.
Green peas, by contrast, bring 8.6 grams of protein per cooked cup. They’re a lighter, sweeter option that still adds real protein to a meal.
Cup for cup, cooked green peas give you a little more than half the fiber of split peas, 8.8 grams against 16.3, for about 58% of the calories. That gap is the price of a vegetable you can heat in minutes versus a dried legume you simmer.
What the fiber in peas does for you
Mayo Clinic names peas among the foods that provide soluble fiber, the type that dissolves in water to form a gel-like material. It notes soluble fiber can help lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels.
Peas also bring insoluble fiber, which Mayo describes as adding bulk to stool and helping material move through your digestive system. Getting both types from one food is part of what makes legumes so useful.
Mayo adds that high fiber foods tend to be more filling than low fiber ones. A side of peas can help a lighter meal feel more satisfying.
If you’re working on regularity and want a plan that goes beyond single foods, our gut health guides lay out the steps.
Peas and a sensitive gut
Peas aren’t for every stomach. Monash University lists green peas among the high FODMAP vegetables, alongside foods like garlic, onion and mushrooms.
FODMAPs are carbohydrates that some people absorb poorly, which can cause gas and bloating for those with irritable bowel syndrome. Monash also notes that most legumes and pulses, including split peas, are high in GOS, one type of FODMAP.
If peas bother you, Monash lists vegetables such as green beans, carrots and bok choy among lower FODMAP choices. Mayo Clinic’s general advice applies too: add fiber gradually over a few weeks and drink plenty of water.
Vitamins that come with the fiber
Peas bring more than fiber. USDA data for a cup of peas boiled from fresh includes 22.7 mg of vitamin C, about 25% of the Daily Value, and 41 µg of vitamin K, about 35%.
Raw peas carry even more vitamin C, about 58 mg per cup or 64% of the Daily Value, compared with 22.7 mg in a cup boiled from fresh. Half a cup of frozen boiled peas adds about 47 µg of folate and 84 µg of vitamin A as well.
A cup of boiled peas also has around 9.5 grams of natural sugar, which explains their sweetness. With 8.8 grams of fiber in the same cup, the fiber and sugar arrive nearly one to one.
What one bag of frozen peas can do
Picture a week of ordinary dinners and one bag of frozen peas. Stir half a cup into a pot of soup on Monday, toss a cup into a pasta dish on Wednesday and add another half cup to fried rice on Friday.
That’s about two cups of boiled frozen peas across the week, or roughly 14 grams of extra fiber, without a single new recipe. Swap the Wednesday cup for canned or fresh peas and the total climbs a little higher.
Looking for soups, pastas and rice dishes that make the most of peas? Our recipe eBooks are full of high-fiber ideas to try.
How peas fit your daily fiber target
Mayo Clinic suggests about 25 grams of fiber a day for women 50 and younger and 38 grams for men, with 21 and 30 grams after 50. A cup of cooked green peas covers about 35% of the 25 gram target on its own.
Against the 38 gram target for men under 50, the same cup still covers about 23%. Add a half cup of split peas in soup at lunch and the day’s pea total reaches 17 grams.
Mayo also recommends getting fiber from whole foods rather than supplements. Peas are about as whole and convenient as foods get.
Want a fiber number built around you rather than an average? Our fiber calculator gives you a personal target in seconds.
Which peas to pick: a quick rule
If you want the most fiber and protein per serving, cook split peas into soups and stews. If you want speed, keep frozen peas on hand and add them to anything that simmers.
If you buy canned, look for no salt added. And if peas upset your stomach, switch to green beans or carrots and save peas for smaller portions.
Questions about peas and fiber
How much fiber is in a cup of peas?
A cup of green peas boiled from fresh has about 8.8 grams of fiber, according to USDA. That’s 31% of the 28 gram Daily Value for 134 calories.
Are frozen peas high in fiber?
Yes. A cup of frozen peas has about 6 grams of fiber before cooking, or 22% of the Daily Value. Half a cup boiled gives about 3.6 grams.
Do canned peas have fiber?
Yes. A drained cup of canned peas has about 8.6 grams of fiber, but regular cans also carry about 478 milligrams of sodium, so no salt added versions are the better pick.
Are peas a vegetable or a legume?
Both, depending on the form. Green peas are usually cooked and served as a vegetable, while split peas, which USDA describes as mature pea seeds, are a dried legume with 16.3 grams of fiber per cooked cup.
Do peas have more fiber than corn?
Yes. The Dietary Guidelines list puts a cup of cooked green peas at 8.8 grams of fiber and a cup of cooked corn at 4.0 grams, with both at 134 calories.
Are peas low FODMAP?
No. Monash University lists green peas as a high FODMAP vegetable, and suggests options like green beans, carrots and bok choy for people who react to FODMAPs.
Do snow peas have as much fiber as green peas?
Not per cup. A cup of cooked snow peas has 4.5 grams of fiber compared with 8.8 grams in shelled green peas, but it also has half the calories.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. “Peas, green, cooked, boiled, without salt (170420); raw (170419); frozen, unprepared (170016); frozen, boiled (170017); canned, drained solids (170013); canned, no salt added (170104); split, boiled (172429).” FoodData Central, SR Legacy. 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov
- U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Food Sources of Dietary Fiber.” Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020 to 2025. dietaryguidelines.gov
- Monash University. “High and low FODMAP foods.” Monash FODMAP. 2019. www.monashfodmap.com
- Mayo Clinic Staff. “Dietary fiber: Essential for a healthy diet.” Mayo Clinic, 2025. www.mayoclinic.org
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels.” 2024. www.fda.gov
