This food is rich in protein and can be used for “everything”!

Legumes are still somewhat unknown for many of us. Did you know that this group of food is filled with nutrition? 

Chickpeas holds five times as much protein and four times as much fiber as a potato. It comes in two types and can be used in everything from salad to cake. Quite impressive, or what? Chickpea is a brilliant alternative to meat and slides right into the category of food rich in protein.

Experts hail the ingredient

Kristine Weber is former Norwegian champion in body fitness, a food blogger and a writer. Weber speaks of the chickpea as both tasteful and healthy. She claims it is rich in protein. Nutritionist Tine Mejlbo Sundfør supports the champion’s statements: “Chickpeas is a vegetable for the heart” she says. Further she explains that chickpeas contain the B-vitamin folat, which prevents heart and vascular diseases. Some of the fibers also binds to the cholesterol, hindering the cabsorption of it and thereby further strengthening diseases related to the heart and vascular system.

Chickpeas hinders overeating

Losing weight can be a lot easier when you’re not walking around with a feeling of starvation. Chickpeas increases satiety and can thereby prevent overeating to take place. Dr. Fedon Lindberg points to the chickpeas’ ability to stabilize blood sugar and surprises many by revealing the level of antioxidants found in the legume.

To round it up, one can see that chickpeas is rich in protein, holds plenty of antioxidants, and that they bring nutrition that hinders heart and vascular disease. Hence, there is no reason to keep the little legume away from your kitchen!

Quick and easy recipes rich in protein

Are you tempted to implement chickpeas into your diet to take advantage of the health benefits found in them? Here’s two quick recipes to test:

• Chicken salad with chickpeas

You need:

1 portion, 606 kcal

• 1 chicken filet
• 1 portion green salad
• 100 g chickpeas
• ½ avocado
• ½ red onion
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp soya sauce
• Salt and pepper

How to:

Roast the chicken with salt and pepper until it is properly done. Mix dressing out of lemon juive, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, soya sauce, salt and pepper. Cut your vegetables into suitable pieces and mix it all in a bowl. Top with dressing and enjoy!

• Spicy chickpea stew

You need:

4 portions

• 1 onion
• 1 red chili
• 1 tbs oil
• 2 cans chickpeas
• 1 can lentils
• 1 can beans
• 2 cans tomatoes
• 2 dl vegetable stock
• 2 pieces of spring onions
• Salt and pepper
• 4 portions of rice

How to:

Cook rice according to the recipe. Fry onion and chili in oil for 2 minutes. Chickpeas, lentils and beans are washed before putting it together with the onion and chili for a couple of minutes. Put tomatoes and stock in the casserole. Let the stew cook until it thickens. Taste your way to the perfect mix of salt and pepper, and at last put spring onion in.

• See also: 5 good reasons to eat eggs