This month we will talk about the Garbanzo Bean which is also referred to as the chickpea. The garbanzo bean has a nutty taste and a buttery texture. They are light tan or cream colored and take on a round appearance. They are most often used in Middle Eastern dishes such as hummus and falafel.

Garbanzo beans (like most legumes) have long been valued for their fiber content and pack a whopping 12-15 grams of dietary fiber per cup. Garbanzos are a food you definitely want to consume regularly to maintain a healthy colon. Between 65-75% of the fiber found in garbanzo beans is insoluble fiber, and this type of fiber remains undigested all the way down to the final segment of your large intestine (colon). This insoluble fiber acts like a broom to sweep out the colon to remove unwanted waste materials. The high fiber content of the bean itself also helps trap and absorb cholesterol found in the foods we are consuming and helps safely remove it as waste so it does not get recycled back into the body. The type of fiber found in the garbanzo beans as well as most beans has been shown to be an effective tool in helping to lower cholesterol levels in the body thus helping to lower your risk of colon problems, including colon cancer.

Lets do a little review of what we have addressed in earlier posts regarding beans. We have learned that beans can help slim the waistline because they simply fill you up faster, as well as slow down the digestive process so you remain satisfied for longer periods of time. As a result you end up consuming fewer calories. For every 14 grams of fiber we consume we can cut our calorie intake by 10%.  We learned that beans pack in the protein, providing as much as 15 grams per cooked cup. The best news of all is that beans provide us with all of these great health benefits and none of the saturated fat and cholesterol that comes from consuming animal protein. Beans are a “win-win” food so you can see how important they are in our daily diets. We will learn even more benefit in next month’s article so stay tuned.

We have come to associate garbanzo beans with the more traditional dishes such as hummus and falafel but these beans are so much versatile than just those dishes. Garbanzo beans are great added to salads. They not only add fiber and protein but add a nice crunch to the salad.

Baked Savory Garbanzo Beans Here is a quick and healthy snack using garbanzo beans:  Toss cooked garbanzo beans with a very light drizzle of vegetable oil (you can omit the oil if you wish) and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Mix with sea salt, fresh rosemary and gram masala spice. Enjoy as a savory, fiber packed snack.