Chickpeas

To prepare:
Open can, drain and rinse chickpeas and put in a small bowl.
Heat, spice with your fav spices, and eat.

If you start from scratch, open the bag of chickpeas, and put them in water overnight.
Next day, drain them and put them in a small pot, boil, spice and eat.

If you mash them, you can make hummus.

Photo of Houda Xami

Reasons why Chickpeas are a great food source!  By Houda Xami

# 1 They provide plenty of fiber
Chickpeas are an excellent source of fiber. In fact, a cup of this food gives us half of fiber we need to consume daily. Fiber is essential for the proper functioning of our digestive system and for the prevention of colon cancer. It also helps us to lower cholesterol and blood triglycerides.

# 2 Contain proteins
A cup of chickpeas gives us 25% of the proteins that we consume every day. Therefore, if you are vegetarian or are planning to be, chickpeas can be an excellent alternative to cover the absence of meat in the diet plan.

# 3 They have folate
A cup of chickpeas provides 70% of the recommended daily intake of this vitamin. Folate is essential for good health, while stimulating the smooth operation of metabolism such as cell renewal process. It is one of the most important vitamins during pregnancy. So if you are expecting a baby, do not hesitate to add the beans to your diet!

# 4 These are a great source of minerals
Phosphorus, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium ... These are just some of the minerals that contain chickpeas. These nutrients are very important for our body to stay healthy, as they are essential for bone formation, hormone production and regulation of the heartbeat.

# 5 Contain very little fat
A cup of chickpeas has only 2 grams of fat. Therefore, this food is ideal for those who are caring for their triglyceride levels or need to lower cholesterol. Also, its low fat content makes them a great alternative for those wanting to lose weight.

# 6 Regulate sugar levels
3/4 cup suffice for us to enjoy this benefit. Consider that stabilizing blood sugar levels is essential to prevent metabolic disorders such as obesity, diabetes and insulin resistance.

Let's incorporate these beans into our diets, and enjoy the benefits.
It is a very simple measure which will bring us very positive effects.  Eat chickpeas!