Chickpeas – The Super Food You Need to Start Eating

Hi everyone, I hope you’re all having a fantastic weekend. Today I am going to talk about one of my favourite foods – the versatile and healthy chickpeas. Not only can it be used as a key ingredient in a variety of recipes, it also has numerous health benefits to boot.

It has recently become one of the most talked about foods due to its gluten-free nature, low fat content and abundance of iron, protein, vitamins and more. Chickpeas features extensively in Middle Eastern and Indian cuisine but today I will be analysing the health benefits that it brings.

Rich in Protein
Protein is crucial to live a healthy and fulfilling life and chickpeas has it in bulk! Its high protein content makes it a very good food to consume, especially for vegetarians as they do not consume meat. According to the USDA, a 200g portion of chickpeas contains 40.94g of protein which is a whopping 20%! This is comparable to the protein content of meats, making chickpeas a very desirable ingredient in any household. Protein is needed by the body to form new blood cells and to be broken down into amino acids, which aid muscle building and tissue repair. All cell structures in your body use protein as a key structural component, which highlights its importance.

The protein content of chickpeas is comparable to lean meats (pic from onlyfoods.net)

Iron Man? 
Chickpeas also are high in iron, which is needed to form haemoglobin which helps to transport oxygen throughout the body. The more haemoglobin you have, the more oxygen reaches the rest of your body. This has a profound effect on energy levels and your metabolic rate as iron is an essential part of crucial enzyme systems in your body. Menstruating women and aging individuals in particular can benefit greatly from consuming chickpeas to boost the amount of haemoglobin in the red blood cells and thus their energy levels.

The nutritional values for a serving of chickpeas (sourced from the USDA)

A Good Choice for Diets?
An excellent source for vitamin C and E, and beta-carotene, these anti-oxidants help to support various body systems such as the lungs and the nervous system. It is also high in fibre and has a low glycaemic index (GI), which means it takes longer to digest, making it a great choice of food for individuals seeking to lose some weight as it manages the appetite and makes you feel “full” for longer. Some studies have shown that a diet containing chickpeas have helped participants to snack less during the day as they were more satisfied with their food, resulting in a lower calorie intake overall.

Chickpeas are widely recognised as a suitable food for dieting (pic from q8rashaqa.com)

It is also low in fat and cholesterol, which has great benefits for the heart due to the reduction in clogged arteries. In fact, studies have demonstrated that chickpeas help to reduce the risk of heart attacks. Other benefits that can be derived include balanced blood sugar levels, a smoother digestion process, and a reduced risk of colon cancer. There are plenty of other benefits that can be derived from consuming chickpeas but there are simply too many to list out here!

The next time you’re on the lookout for a delicious, yet healthy food item to add to your diet, you could do a lot worse than giving chickpeas a try. Not only is it easy to prepare, but the health benefits are numerous, with the ones listed above a mere sample of its powers. No wonder they’re being labelled as a super food!