superfood chickpeas

Chickpeas are one of the few cost-effective and fully nutritious ingredients that can simultaneously cover the three needs of fitness, muscle gain, sugar control diet, and vegetarian substitution. There is no need to be mythical as a god that can "cure all diseases", but as an alternative to daily staple food and protein supplement, the cost-effectiveness and adaptability are much higher than most Internet celebrity ingredients.

Last week I packed a small box of stewed spiced chickpeas and took it to the office. Sister Zhang, a sugar-controller who usually eats even whole-wheat bread in small quantities, didn't dare to touch it, so she couldn't help but grab a small handful. Two hours after taking a meal test in the afternoon, her blood sugar level was only 6.2, which was more stable than her previous value after eating half a piece of whole-grain biscuits. She has been chasing me for this method for a long time.

Nowadays, the evaluation of chickpeas on the Internet is completely two extremes. Fitness bloggers boast that it is more nutritious than beef, saying that it has low GI, high fiber and high protein, and you can lose three pounds after eating it in a week.； The other group says that it is completely an IQ tax, that the nutrition is not as good as ordinary soybeans, and the price is several times more expensive. In fact, both statements are a bit extreme. In the five years I have been doing diet planning, chickpeas are the miscellaneous beans that I recommend most frequently to users with different needs, but I never let people take them as a "special medicine".

Compared with commonly eaten soybeans, the plant protein content of chickpeas is indeed slightly lower by 2 percentage points, but the oligosaccharide content is about 30% less than that of soybeans. People with weak gastrointestinal problems are less prone to flatulence and acid reflux after eating it, and the GI value is only 33, which is much lower than the 40 of soybeans. It is indeed more friendly to people who are sensitive to blood sugar fluctuations. Of course, if you usually drink soy milk without any discomfort, there is no need to switch to chickpeas. After all, ordinary soybeans only cost three or four yuan per pound, which is indeed more cost-effective.

The most common way I eat it at home is actually very simple. When I make soy milk, I throw 10 of them in. The resulting milk has a slight nutty aroma, without the beany smell of ordinary soybeans at all. My children who don’t like to drink soy milk can drink a full cup every time. When simmering rice, grab a small handful and mix it in. The cooked rice will have a more grainy texture and a glycemic index that is nearly 40% lower than that of pure white rice. Even my diabetic father can eat half a bowl more.

To tell a true story, a girl who was following me to lose weight last year heard a blogger say that chickpeas are a "negative calorie food" and cooked a large bowl of it for dinner every night. As a result, she gained three pounds in half a month and came to me to cry. Don’t believe the nonsense that “you can lose weight by eating chickpeas”. It has 360 calories per 100 grams of dry weight, which is a little higher than white rice. The reason why it is suitable for weight loss is because it has sufficient dietary fiber and a strong feeling of satiety. You will feel hungry after eating 30 to 40 grams at a time. If you eat half a kilogram at a time, no magical food can save you from gaining weight. It is even more nonsense to say that chickpeas can lower blood sugar. It only raises blood sugar slowly and cannot replace hypoglycemic drugs. If you really have diabetes, you should take medicine and take medicine. Don't rely on food ingredients.

Many colleagues in the field of nutrition also say that the concept of "super food" itself is a marketing trap. The nutritional content of chickpeas does not deviate from the category of ordinary beans. There is no need to spend several times the price to buy imported goods just for a label. I particularly agree with this point. The chickpeas produced in Xinjiang have large particles and a strong fragrance. The protein and dietary fiber content are slightly higher than those imported, but the price is only one-third of the imported ones. If you really want to eat them, there is no need to be superstitious about foreign brands.

By the way, I would like to remind you that many of the ready-to-eat crispy chickpeas and honey-flavored chickpeas sold in the market now add a lot of oil and sugar, and the calories are almost as high as potato chips. When buying, be sure to check the ingredient list. Only chickpeas, water, and a small amount of salt are worth buying. There is also chickpea flour with maltodextrin added, whose GI value soars to over 70, which is no different from white rice. Don’t be fooled by the word “healthy”.

I have two cans of dried chickpeas in the storage cabinet at home all year round. I never specially arrange any "chickpea meals". I just throw some in when I cook, just to add more choices to my daily diet. To put it bluntly, there is no 100% perfect super food. It is the best ingredient that suits your needs, is comfortable to eat, and is affordable.