Do you like hummus or falafels? If yes, then you enjoy chickpeas, which continue to grow in popularity as a food and snack choice. A program participant told me this week that she loves to snack on crisp chickpeas made in her air fryer.

What are chickpeas?

Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are a plant-based source of dietary fiber, protein and other nutrients. They are a legume, like, black beans and lentils, and thus an excellent source of fiber. Fiber is good for gut/digestive health.

What is a legume?

Legumes are plant-based protein sources that contain fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Legumes include:

• Beans (lima, navy, pinto, kidney, black-eyed peas, chickpeas, and soybeans)
• Peas (snow, green, and snap peas)
• Lentils (green, red, brown, and split peas)

What food group are chickpeas in?

Chickpeas traditionally fall in the protein foods group. USDA encourages us to vary our protein routine. Meats, eggs, poultry, nuts, seafood, seeds and soy products are part of this group. Beans, peas and lentils can be considered part of the protein foods group as well as the vegetable group.

Nutrition

100 grams of canned chickpeas contain approximately 137 calories, 6 grams of dietary fiber and 7 grams of proteins. LINK: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/2644288/nutrients

Need to reduce sodium in your diet?

For healthier cooking, purchase low sodium canned chickpeas and rinse them under running water before using them to reduce even more sodium.

Recipe

You can enjoy chickpeas as hummus, on salads, as a dip, in soups and stews or roasted as a crunchy and healthy snack.

Here is a homemade hummus recipe from the American Heart Association. Link: https://recipes.heart.org/en/recipes/hummus

 

  

 

Try some chickpeas today!

Add hummus or a can of chickpeas to your next shopping list. Include legumes in salads, soups, stews, and as a side to keep your plate balanced and nutrient rich. A few simple food purchasing habits can make a big difference in your nutritional intake and the quality of your diet.

Focus on your health and make wise food choices. Everything you eat and drink (over time) impacts your overall health. Choosing a nutrient dense diet can help you be healthier now and in the future. We all want that!

 

Want to learn more? Check out my UF/IFAS Extension Family and Consumer Sciences food blog series.

Papaya: A Nutritional Powerhouse – https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2026/06/03/papaya-a-tropical-nutrition-powerhouse/

Green Beans: Love the flavor- https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2025/09/15/green-beans-love-the-flavor/

Brighten Your Plate with Blueberries – https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2025/07/07/brighten-your-plate-with-blueberries/

Pineapple- A tropical treat full of flavor and fun – https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2025/07/03/pineapple-a-tropical-treat-full-of-flavor-and-fun/

Terrific tomatoes-Flavor, nutrition and versatility – https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2025/05/27/terrific-tomatoes-flavor-nutrition-and-versatility/

Beets: Delicious Beets – https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2025/05/20/beets-delicious-beets/

An Apple a Day – https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2024/12/13/does-an-apple-a-day-really-keep-the-doctor-away/

Eggs Are a Good Source of Protein – https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2024/09/13/eggs-are-a-good-source-of-protein/

Onions – https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2024/06/27/onions-onions-onions/

Avocados – https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2024/05/01/delicious-avocados/

Bananas – https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2024/04/17/go-bananas-on-national-banana-day/

Dietary Fiber – https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2023/07/05/dietary-fiber/

Watermelon – https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2023/07/05/sweet-and-tasty-watermelon/

Strawberries – https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2023/03/27/enjoy-seasonal-strawberries/

Pumpkin – https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2022/10/26/celebrate-national-pumpkin-day/

Vitamin C – https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2022/05/04/orange-juice-is-one-good-source-of-vitamin-c/

Follow a rainbow for good health – https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2022/03/01/follow-the-rainbow-for-good-health-during-nutrition-month/

Vitamin C – https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2020/01/21/star-fruit-a-source-of-vitamin-c/

Pumpkins – Decoration or food? – https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2018/10/22/pumpkins-decoration-or-food/

Mango Season – https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2018/08/10/its-mango-season-in-south-florida/

UF/IFAS Extension, Food is Medicine. https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/topics/food-is-medicine

 

Brenda Marty Jimenez, MHM, RDN, LDN, FAND is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian with a Master of Science in Human Resource Management. Her professional areas include disease prevention, nutrition, wellness promotion, and food safety. She is a UF/IFAS Extension Agent IV in Broward County, Florida.

 

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