Healthy Chickpea Salad
Here’s a healthy chickpea salad recipe. But first let’s understand what the health benefits we get when we eat chickpeas.
Health benefits of Chickpeas
Chickpeas help control blood sugar.
Canned and dried chickpeas have a low glycemic index. This means your body absorbs and digests them slowly. Also, they have a type of starch that digests slowly, called amylose. Both of these things help keep your blood sugar and insulin from going up too fast. This is good for people with diabetes.
They help with digestion.
Chickpeas are high in dietary fiber, especially a soluble fiber called raffinose. The good bacteria in your gut breaks this down so your colon can digest it slowly. Studies have found that eating more chickpeas can help make bowel movements easier and more regular.
They can help lower cholesterol.
Soluble fiber is good for more than gut health. It can lessen your total cholesterol and your LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. This lowers your risk of heart disease. Studies have shown that you can lessen your total cholesterol if you add chickpeas to your diet.
They may lower your cancer risk.
When you eat chickpeas, your body makes a short-chain fatty acid called butyrate. In studies, butyrate is shown to help get rid of sick and dying cells. This may lower your risk for colorectal cancer. Chickpeas have other cancer-fighting compounds, too, such as lycopene and saponins.
They give you stronger bones.
Chickpeas and other legumes have calcium, magnesium, fiber, and other nutrients for strong bones. But be sure to soak them first to get rid of things called phytates, which can get in the way of your body absorbing the calcium in chickpeas.
They could boost your mental health.
Chickpeas have choline, a nutrient that helps make important chemicals for memory, mood, muscle control, and other brain and nervous system activity.
This quick and easy healthy chickpea salad is inspired by the flavors of the Mediterranean, including chickpeas, cucumber and feta. A garlicky oil and vinegar dressing brings everything together.
Healthy Chickpea Salad:
Chopped Salad with Chickpeas, Olives & Feta
Ingredients (makes 4 servings)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 (15 ounce) can no-salt-added chickpeas, rinsed
• 1 cup diced cucumber
• 1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
• ⅓ cup chopped parsley
• ¼ cup finely chopped red onion
• ¼ cup halved Kalamata olives
• ¼ cup crumbled feta
Directions
1. Whisk oil, vinegar, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
2. Add chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, parsley, onion, olives and feta; toss to coat.
Nutrition Facts (per 1 cup serving)
256 Calories
14g Fat
24g Carbs
9g Protein
Click here to get full healthy chickpea salad recipe. Looking for healthy meal plans? I’m the best dietician and weight loss coach in Irvine. Please feel free to contact me for help.
