Yesterday was the birthday of a food item that's probably a staple in your freezer: The frozen pea. According to USA Today, frozen peas were invented 56 years ago by Clarence Birdseye and have been packing a nutritional punch on the plates of Americans ever since. Here are some things you should know about frozen peas:

• They're more nutritious than canned peas -- and better tasting, if you ask me.
  
• They're multi-functional -- not only can you eat them, you can use them to ice a sports injury.
  
• They're very good for you -- they have lots of fibre and nutrients and more protein than most vegetables.
  
• They're easy to cook. Steam them in the microwave or on the stove.
  
• They keep for a long time, so you can stash them in your freezer and break them out whenever you're in need of a quick, nutritious side dish.
  
  

How do you like your peas?

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Each week, we'll be naming a Super Food and offering unique ways to use those Super Foods that pack nutritional power. After all, you are what you eat -- make it count!

Peas are one of my favourite vegetables -- especially when they're fresh from the garden. Crunchy, juicy and just a little bit sweet, they're absolutely delicious. Even in the winter, when they come frozen from a bag in the freezer, they're still really tasty. And usually, things that taste good aren't good for you (and vice versa) but peas are the exception; not only do peas taste good, they're really good for you too.

But just what about green peas makes them so nutritious?

5 Things You Can Do With a Pea:

1) Shoot them through a straw at other kids during lunch in the school cafeteria;

2) Use them as an alternative protein source to whey, casein, meat, and egg;

3) Place them under the mattress of a princess and see if she can feel it;

4) Put them up your nose to make it look like you're rockin' a huge booger (works well in the same grammar school environment as use #1);

5) Reduce your risk of stroke and other heart complications.

Going on the assumption that you're already well versed in the first four uses, I'll focus on the last. Because peas contain a great deal of the B vitamin folate, they help reduce homocystene levels, a substance that, according to RealAge.com, can cause bad cholesterol to oxidize and contribute to artery-blocking blood clots.

Since the average American diet tends to fall a bit short in the folate department, perhaps you should try adding peas to your shopping cart the next time you're at the grocery store. The best part is that even if you buy too many, you can always use them to do numbers one through four.

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Spring is here and I, for one, am glad. I mentioned to my mother the other day that I had bought a box of individually flash-frozen asparagus spears and they were really good. I told her I'd pick a box up for her. Her reply was "They sound great... but I'll buy fresh for now." And she's right! Asparagus is just one of the delicious, healthy foods that abound in spring. Depending on where you live, other delicious seasonal treats include Swiss chard, peas, strawberries, rhubarb, avocado, watermelon, apricots, spinach, Romaine lettuce, and basil.

Buying food in season not only ensures you're getting the freshest produce available, it's also good for the environment. Buying local food supports the farmers in your own community and reduces the distance food has to travel from the farm to your plate. Visit a farmer's market this spring and see what produce is in season!

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How does this sound for dinner: 200 calories, 6 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 490 mg sodium, 28 g carbohydrates, 7 g fiber, 4 g sugar, and 9 g protein?

Maybe this isn't all you want for dinner but this recipe for Chick Peas and Sun-Dried Tomatoes sure would make a tasty companion for say, a lean chicken breast or an Omega-3 packed piece of salmon. Give it a try if you're tempted. It takes only 15 minutes to prepare and serves four people. It also offers up one cup of fruits and veggies per person, says RemedyLife -- the site that recommends this healthy dish for all who find themselves seeking good-for-you food.

Check it all out, right here.

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Zinc is more than just a way to use a 'z' in scrabble -- it's an essential nutrient that your body needs, both to heal wounds and injuries and help your body break down carbohydrates. How do you know if you're getting enough? Here are some signs that you're not, according to Everyday Health:

• Wounds, lesions and infections are difficult to heal.
  
• Your appetite is decreased.
  
• You experience an abnormal sense of taste and smell.
  
• You have difficulty seeing in the dark
• You experience abnormal hair loss.
  

Think you might be low on zinc? Load up on protein sources like red meat, turkey, seafood and legumes, as well as veggies like spinach and peas. Whole wheat bread, yogurt and milk are also good sources.

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Here's some good news for kids in Britain: Brussel sprouts will be scarce this year, due to flooding in Europe in the summer. And other vegetables are affected too -- like peas and cabbage. Dairy products are affected too, and families trying to stay healthy are seeing their grocery bills go up every week.

Why, oh why, couldn't the twinkie crop have been affected? Or the trans fat crop? Why is it that when natural disasters hit, it's the healthy stuff that's affected? Oh, that's right. Because junk food is made of chemicals, in a factory, with no access to nature or sunlight. So while the price of good, health food might go up, there's only one answer: We need to bite the bullet and eat the good stuff from the earth, for our health and the healthy future of our kids.

But this doesn't mean that parents should forgo veggies for junk food. This Christmas season,

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Our bodies need a lot of stuff for proper functioning, like fiber, calcium, iron, water, a whole lot of exercise, and so much more. Like vitamin B.

The water-soluble vitamin B, in this case known as Thiamine, helps our cells operate like they should. It helps convert calories to carbohydrates and fats and proteins to energy. And thankfully, it's in many of the items we consume, even white flour. Vitamin B deficiencies are therefore rare. Still, we should be mindful of how much we need and how to get it.

Women need 1.1 milligrams (mg) of vitamin B per day. Men need 1.2 mg. Green peas, cooked dried beans and peas, wheat germ, and pork are all excellent sources. Also good are whole and enriched grains, fish, peanuts, and other nuts. Get creative and add black beans to salad, nuts to cereal, and wheat germ to muffin batter and you should satisfy your B requirements. It's that easy.

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