19/12/2021
Yesterday I had some delicious Hummus, sooo good! There is so much you can do with hummus, including putting it onto a pizza base! I have a recipe for Smoked Rosemary Hummus in my December Recipe Pack, so easy to whip up and delicious on sandwiches, as a dip or pizza topping.
Chickpeas are so versatile and full of wonderful nutrients. Although you can prepare dry chickpeas, the canned variety makes consuming the nutrient-rich food incredibly easy. Chickpeas can be categorized as both a vegetable and a protein, making it an incredibly versatile food. Hummus is minimally processed and as a baseline typically includes tahini, oil, and spices in addition to chickpeas.
Per 1 cup you get 269 calories, 15 grams protein, 4 grams fat, 45 grams carbohydrates, 13 grams fibre, and a variety of vitamins and minerals.
Chickpeas are an excellent source of fibre, which can be beneficial for satiety, cholesterol, and gut health. Chickpeas contain both soluble and insoluble fibre, this means that the fiber helps digestive health not only by helping to bulk up stool, but also to get things moving and help prevent constipation.
The soluble fibre binds LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol in your digestive system and removes it from the body through waste before it’s absorbed, this helps combat the buildup of such cholesterol in your arteries and ultimately lowers risk for heart attack, stroke, and high blood pressure.
Foods rich in protein and fibre—such as chickpeas—help keep you full for longer, which can help with weight control.
Fibre isn’t the only nutrient in chickpeas that helps your ticker. Chickpeas contain polyunsaturated fatty acids, which have been shown to support heart health.
The legume is an excellent source of folate, zinc, copper, iron, and manganese. Eating chickpeas during pregnancy can help a woman meet her folate needs, which in turn can reduce the risk of the baby developing birth defects like spina bifida.
I literally could go on and on about how amazing chickpeas are!
