Should you ever find yourself stranded on a desert island, the last thing you'll be looking for is buried treasure. A handful of peas, on the other hand, will be more than sufficient to sustain you during your castaway adventure. When cooked, the yellow split peas have a thick, creamy consistency, and melt deliciously into soups and sauces. Packed with protein and fibre, they are also a great source of thiamin and folate and help slow the body's absorption of sugar. The yellow split peas combine well with mince, pine nuts, or dried fruits. 

Serotonin seekers should include the yellow split peas into their diets, as the unassuming legumes are rich in tryptophan, a percusor to the 'happy' brain chemical.