Split peas (boiled, cooked)
Cook them into thick soups. No soaking needed.
1 Amount
How it fits your macros
Get your daily targets with the macro calculator to see what share of your day this portion covers.
Split peas for gym-goers
Per 100 g, split peas (boiled, cooked) provides 118 kcal, 8.3 g protein, 21.1 g carbohydrate (8.3 g fiber, 2.9 g sugars) and 0.4 g fat (0.1 g saturated). With 7.0 g of protein per 100 kcal, it adds a useful amount of protein on top of its other nutrients.
A typical serving (1 cup cooked, about 196 g) comes to roughly 231 kcal and 16.3 g protein.
These are typical averages. Brand, variety, ripeness and cooking method all shift the numbers, so weigh food in the same state (raw or cooked) as the entry you log.
About Split peas
Hulled and split in half, dried field peas become split peas; this entry covers them boiled until soft. They're nutritionally close to lentils, with around 8 g of protein and 8 g of fiber per 100 g, though lower in iron and calcium. Cooked down, they make a thick, smooth soup.
In a gym diet
Low in fat and cheap, split peas add protein and fiber to a cutting diet, especially as a big pot of soup that keeps you full for few calories. Pea protein is rich in lysine, so they pair well with bread, barley or other grains that supply methionine. A cooked cup gives around 16 g of protein, a meaningful amount next to another protein source. The low glycemic index means steady energy through the day.
Preparation and cooking
No soak required. Rinse and simmer for about 30 to 45 minutes for soup; cook them longer and they break down completely. They absorb a lot of water, ending up roughly two to two and a half times the dry weight, so use cooked grams with this entry. Traditional pea soup with ham hock adds a good deal of sodium and fat compared with plain peas.
Buying and storage
Good split peas are bright and evenly green or yellow, without dust or broken bits. They keep up to a year airtight in a cool place. Cooked soup lasts about four days in the fridge and freezes well.
Things to watch
Like other pulses they can cause gas, and ready-made pea soups are often salty. Beyond that there's little to flag, so pay attention to what goes into the pot.
Meal ideas
- Split pea soup with carrots, celery, onion and smoked paprika, topped with croutons.
- Yellow split pea dal with turmeric and cumin, served with roti and a side salad.
- Split pea and chicken stew with potatoes and thyme for batch meal prep.
Nutrient highlights
None of the tracked vitamins and minerals reaches 10% of the Daily Value per 100 g, so you're eating it mainly for its macros.
How it ranks among 16 Plant Protein
| Protein per 100 kcal | 7.0 g | #11 of 16 |
| Protein per 100 g | 8.3 g | #13 of 16 |
| Fiber per 100 g | 8.3 g | #5 of 16 |
| Lowest calories per 100 g | 118 kcal | #4 of 16 |
Ranked within this category of the gym.diet food database (1 = best for that measure).
Similar foods
Kidney beans, red (boiled, cooked)
127 kcal · P 8.7 · C 22.8 · F 0.5
→Black beans (boiled, cooked)
132 kcal · P 8.9 · C 23.7 · F 0.5
→Lentils (boiled, cooked)
116 kcal · P 9 · C 20.1 · F 0.4
→Pinto beans (boiled, cooked)
143 kcal · P 9 · C 26.2 · F 0.7
→Navy beans (boiled, cooked)
140 kcal · P 8.2 · C 26.1 · F 0.6
→Chickpeas / garbanzo beans (boiled, cooked)
164 kcal · P 8.9 · C 27.4 · F 2.6
Compare Split peas with Kidney beans, red (boiled, cooked) →
Source
Approximate per-100 g values compiled from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy / Foundation Foods), rounded. Daily Values are the U.S. FDA reference amounts for adults (2,000 kcal diet).
Frequently asked questions
How many calories are in split peas?
Split peas (boiled, cooked) has about 118 kcal per 100 g, or roughly 231 kcal per 1 cup cooked (196 g).
How much protein is in split peas?
About 8.3 g of protein per 100 g and 16.3 g per 1 cup cooked. That works out to 7.0 g per 100 kcal, so it's a moderate protein source.
Is split peas good for cutting or bulking?
It works in either phase. What matters is how it fits into your total calories and protein for the day.
What is the difference between split peas and lentils?
Split peas are field peas that have been dried and split; lentils are a separate legume species. Both cook without soaking and have similar protein and fiber. Split peas usually break down into a smoother purée, while many lentils keep their shape.
Do split peas need to be soaked?
No. With no seed coat, they cook fairly quickly unsoaked. Rinse off the dust before cooking. Soaking trims the cooking time a little but isn't necessary.
Nutrition Facts
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. Values approximate.