{"id":25226,"date":"2026-04-14T09:28:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T16:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foodrevolution.org\/?p=25226"},"modified":"2026-04-14T09:28:02","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T16:28:02","slug":"garbanzos-chickpeas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foodrevolution.org\/blog\/garbanzos-chickpeas\/","title":{"rendered":"Chickpeas 101: Health Benefits, Downsides & What to Make with Them"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chickpeas have shaken off their humble, unassuming vibe and are taking the world by storm. Whole Foods Market noticed early and named them a <\/span>top food trend<\/span><\/a> in 2021. And years later, these round little beans continue to dazzle us with their versatility, showing up in hearty stews, savory spreads, and even cookie dough recipes. (Keep reading to the end for a healthy one devised by our very own dietitian and recipe developer, Nichole!)<\/span><\/p>\n

In promotional language rivaling that of movie studios promoting their Oscar nominees, chickpeas have been called \u201ca prince among pulses\u201d and even \u201cthe new cauliflower,\u201d indicating that they\u2019ve gone from back-of-the-pantry to <\/span>kitchen staple status<\/span><\/a>. One of their top qualities is their relatively neutral taste, which makes them a versatile base for many products and recipes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If your relationship with chickpeas has been limited by viewing them solely as a bean, I hope this article and its accompanying recipes will open your eyes to their near-endless possibilities. So let\u2019s get into it. What are the benefits of chickpeas? Are there any downsides to eating them? And what are some creative ways to use chickpeas?<\/span><\/p>\n

What Are Chickpeas?<\/span><\/h2>\n
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Chickpeas are legumes, like peas, lentils, and other beans. They\u2019re also called garbanzos, which sounds like the name of a clown or a faithful squire in a novel from the Golden Age of Spain. In many English-speaking countries, the terms are used interchangeably (chickpea and garbanzo, not clown and squire).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some Italian brands of canned chickpeas I\u2019ve seen on supermarket shelves call them \u201cceci,\u201d which comes from the Latin word for the bean: <\/span>cicer<\/span><\/i>. Apparently, the Roman orator <\/span>Cicero<\/span><\/a> got his name from an ancestor who had a cleft at the end of his nose that resembled a chickpea, which is a fact I\u2019m betting you weren\u2019t expecting to learn today.<\/span><\/p>\n

In Hindi and Gujarati, chickpeas are known as chana; if you\u2019re at an Indian restaurant and have a hankering for chickpea curry, look for chana masala on the menu.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Chickpeas are also common in many African and Middle Eastern cuisines, where they\u2019re sometimes known as <\/span>Egyptian peas<\/span><\/a>. Geographically speaking, this isn\u2019t a bad guess: The original plant likely <\/span>originated<\/span><\/a> in what is now southeastern Turkey or northern Syria \u2014 just around the corner from Egypt.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Chickpea is the world\u2019s second most widely grown legume (the soybean takes top honors, and I don\u2019t have good statistics for jelly beans). While archaeobotanists like to argue about which crops were the big stars in the birth of agriculture in the Fertile Crescent, most consider the chickpea one of the <\/span>eight founder crops<\/span><\/a>, along with ancient varieties of wheat, barley, flaxseeds, and lentils.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Although the <\/span>chickpea<\/span><\/a> you most commonly find in stores is tan or beige, there are also<\/span> yellow, red, dark green, and brown<\/span> varieties<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Chickpea Nutrition<\/span><\/h2>\n

Chickpeas, like other <\/span>legumes<\/span><\/a>, are among the most nutritious foods on the planet. They\u2019re a healthy source of fiber, <\/span>plant-based protein<\/span><\/a>, and a number of vitamins and minerals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A <\/span>one-cup serving of cooked chickpeas<\/span><\/a> boasts the following basic nutritional profile:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n