Super Plant of the Week: The Chickpea

Super Plant of The Week: Chickpeas 

Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are part of the legume family. Most commonly in the U.S, they are beige and round in shape, but they can also be black, green, or red. Just think of them as the versatile, overachieving cousin at the family reunion—they can be used in salads, soups, snacks and can shapeshift into meat substitutes, dips and more! Get excited. 

Let’s talk facts: Chickpeas have many different health benefits, including (but not limited to) a high protein content. Protein is essential for bone, muscle, and skin health. Whether you are skipping or skimping on meat in the new year, or simply need more protein in your diet, 1 cup of chickpeas provides almost 1/3 of an adult’s daily protein needs. One cup of chickpeas also provides 12.5 g of fiber. Fiber is not only good for digestion, but may benefit people with diabetes and is recommended by the American Diabetes Association. Fiber helps decrease the risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol. It just so happens that chickpeas are free of cholesterol. Chickpeas also provide potassium, B vitamins, iron, magnesium and selenium— which all promote heart health. The Office of Dietary Supplements notes that selenium (1 cup of chickpeas= 6.1 micrograms) has antioxidant activity that may help protect the body from cancer. Selenium deficiency has been linked to cognitive decline in older people. 

But that’s not all! Chickpeas can help with your mental health as well: A cup of chickpeas contains 69.7 mg of choline. What is choline you may ask? Choline helps with the brain and nervous system, effecting your mood, memory, muscle control, learning and metabolism. 

Now that we’ve covered why you should eat this super plant, let’s talk about how you can eat it. Hummus is the most popular use of the bean, but chickpeas have the power to morph into plant-based friendly favorites like chips, puffs, “steak”, ‘burgers”, chick-(en) salad and more.  

If you haven’t tried this lean legume, give it a try and let us know what you think! Stay tuned to our social media and blog for recipes for our #superplant of the week!