It’s about time these humble legumes get some love. Here’s the lowdown on why chickpeas are set to be all the rage in the health food scene this year.
1. Super Versatile
No longer just for savoury dishes, chickpeas lend moisture, bulk, and a mild nutty flavour to desserts. You can now Google recipes for everything from chocolate chickpea brownies to chocolate hummus. Or if you’re all about sweet and savoury combos, you’ll love Pods By Pangkarra: yoghurt coated roasted chickpeas (don’t knock it till you try it) with lemon or cinnamon.
2. Fibre Full
You’ll get over 11g of gut-loving, filling fibre from half a cup of cooked chickpeas. Not only does fibre help keep you regular, it provides blood sugar support and can help with appetite control by slowing carbohydrate absorption and in turn steadying your blood sugar levels.
Boiled chickpeas in particular are also rich in oligosaccharides, a prebiotic fibre which resists digestion and ferments in the colon, fuelling the growth of beneficial bacteria (probiotics).
If you’re on a low FODMAP diet and steer clear of chickpeas due to their high FODMAP content (oligosaccharides are a FODMAP that can cause digestive upset in some individuals with IBS), go for canned chickpeas instead; they’re easier to digest as their FODMAP content leeches into the canning water. According to Monash University, ¼ cup of canned chickpeas is low FODMAP.
3. Protein Packed
Chickpeas are an excellent source of plant-based protein. Just half a cup of cooked chickpeas gives you over 7g of protein; that’s more protein than an egg.
Not only does protein help with appetite control, it plays many important roles in the body, involved in everything from tissue growth and repair to immune system support, and nutrient transport and storage. Protein also plays a structural role in various parts of the body, including the skin, hair and nails.
4. Nutrient Rich
Chickpeas are an underrated superfood. Along with their fibre and protein content, they also provide a variety of vitamins and minerals, including iron for oxygen transport and storage, folate for growth and development, and manganese, which plays a role in bone health.
5. Budget Friendly
With a 400g can of chickpeas costing no more than $1.50, and 375g bag of dried chickpeas costing around $2, this legume is not only good for your health, but good for your wallet.
6. Convenient
Canned chickpeas make an easy high protein salad topper, and dry-roasted chickpeas are our new favourite wholefood, portable snack that offers the same crunch-factor as crisps -but way more nutritional value.
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