As a legume, chickpeas are considered both a vegetable and protein food. They help you hit two important groups at once. These nutty beans are rich in a number of important nutrients that keep you well. (including protein, vitamins and minerals). They provide fiber too. Including chickpeas in your diet may play a role in reducing your risk of a number of chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. At Al Rifai, we have several types of chickpeas. Before talking about them, lets go through their nutritional profile.
Chickpea Nutrition
Chickpeas aren’t super low in calories like most veggies, but they’re rich in a number of good-for-you nutrients. A 1-cup serving of chickpeas has 270 calories, 45 grams of carbs, 4 grams of fat, 15 grams of protein and 13 grams of fiber. That same 1-cup serving also meets 70 percent of the daily value for folate. it has 26 percent of the DV for iron. It’s also a good source of a number of other minerals including manganese, magnesium, zinc and copper, as well some other B-vitamins, including thiamine and vitamin B-6.
Fiber is one of the reasons you may want to add chickpeas to your menu. Most Americans fall way short of meeting their recommended daily fiber needs, according to the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Depending on your age and gender, fiber needs range from 21 to 38 grams a day. A 1-cup serving of chickpeas provides about a third of your daily fiber needs.
While you might know that adding more fiber to your diet is good for keeping you regular. There are a number of other health benefits. Fiber in foods like chickpeas keeps you feeling full longer, helping you eat less, which may benefit your waistline. Chickpeas contain soluble fiber. They help lower low-density lipo-protein, or bad cholesterol. Soluble fiber also helps keep blood sugars steady. This benefits people with diabetes. There’s an association between a higher intake of fiber and lower risk of certain types of digestive cancers, including stomach and colorectal.
They’re a Vegetarian Source of Iron
Children, teens and women, and vegetarians have a tough time getting enough dietary iron. Iron helps make red blood cells and certain hormones. It’s important for cell function and normal growth. Due to the menstrual cycle, women have higher iron needs than men, 18 milligrams vs. 8 milligrams a day.
However, the iron in chickpeas is non heme iron, which isn’t absorbed as easily as heme iron. (the type of iron found in meat). But you can improve the amount of iron your body absorbs from the beans if you combine them with a food rich in vitamin C. For example, add chickpeas to your tomato soup, or use red peppers to eat your hummus.
Chickpeas Are High in Protein
Theyare an excellent source of protein. 1-cup serving contains more protein than that of two large eggs. However, the protein in chickpea isn’t “complete”. It doesn’t contain all of the essential amino acids. But you can easily get the amino acids you need by eating other sources of protein, such as eggs, dairy, meat, grains and veggies, throughout the day. Although you don’t have to eat your chickpeas at the same meal as these other foods to get the benefits, you can mix chickpeas into quinoa or add a few to a dinner salad. If you’re a vegetarian eating chickpeas as a source of protein, eat a varied diet that includes whole grains and veggies — such as a 100-percent whole-wheat pita or carrot and celery sticks with your hummus — to get all the essential amino acids.
Al Rifai Assortment
We have a variety of chickpeas based on recipes dating to 1948. All our products are dry roasted without any fats or oils added. We use natural sea salt in the process to enhance the texture and bring more aromas to the products.
- Chickpea yellow: They are yellow chickpeas roasted to enhance the crunch with very little salt. You can have that as a snack or added it to your salads or dishes.
- Chickpea Instabouli: They are chickpeas roasted with the skin on. Hard to the bites but provide an excellent source of fibers. They are low in salt and a great snack with friends.
- Chickpea Sugared: A children’s favorite. Dry Roasted and coated with a layer of sugar and colored with beetroot extract.
- Chickpea Salted: Dry roasted and dusted with salt layer.
