Chickpeas: Protein or Carb?

Chickpeas: Protein or Carb?

Chickpeas are a legume that contains both carbohydrate and protein. 100 grams of cooked chickpeas have about 27.4 grams of carbohydrate and about 8.9 grams of protein; of the carbohydrate, 7.6 grams is dietary fiber. Source: USDA FoodData Central, chickpeas, cooked, without salt.

In Hebrew, the word “חומוס” (hummus) refers both to the chickpeas themselves (Cicer arietinum, also called garbanzo beans) and to the hummus spread made from them with tahini, and sometimes olive oil, lemon and garlic. The spread’s values depend on the recipe and the amount of extras, so it is important to tell it apart from the chickpeas.

Are chickpeas a carb or a protein?

Chickpeas provide both, and cooked chickpeas have more carbohydrate than protein by weight. The comparison per 100 grams of cooked chickpeas without salt:

The fiber is included in the total carbohydrate in the table, not an extra amount to add to it. The difference between total carbohydrate and fiber is about 19.8 grams per 100 grams of cooked chickpeas.

How much protein is in chickpeas — every form

A practical serving: a restaurant plate of hummus (about 200 grams) provides about 16 grams of protein — but also about 460 calories and 28 grams of fat, mostly from the tahini and olive oil. That is good-quality fat, but the plate is not a light meal.

Protein quality: chickpea protein is relatively low in the amino acid methionine and rich in lysine. Grains are the exact opposite. So the traditional combination of hummus with pita or bread is not just a culinary custom — it creates a complete amino acid profile. They don’t need to be eaten at the same meal; it is enough that the combination happens over the day.

Full nutrition facts (100 grams cooked)

Benefits

• Exceptional fullness: the combination of protein and fiber makes chickpeas one of the most filling foods relative to their calories. Studies on legumes found lower calorie intake at the following meal — an effect called the “second meal effect”.
• Low glycemic load: the glycemic index of chickpeas is about 28 — one of the lowest among high-carbohydrate foods. The fiber and protein slow absorption, and the result is a moderate rise in blood sugar. It is a recommended food in diabetes and prediabetes.
• Folate: 43% of the daily intake in one serving — especially significant in pregnancy and when planning a pregnancy.
• Resistant starch and prebiotic fiber: some of the starch in chickpeas is not digested in the small intestine and reaches the large intestine, where it feeds bacteria that produce butyrate — a short-chain fatty acid that nourishes the cells of the gut lining and has anti-inflammatory activity.
• Cholesterol: systematic reviews of legume studies found a small but consistent drop in LDL with regular intake, attributed to the soluble fiber.

Downsides

• Gas and bloating: the most common downside. Chickpeas contain oligosaccharides (raffinose, stachyose) that the enzymes of the small intestine cannot break down. They reach the large intestine and are fermented by bacteria, and the result is gas. The fixes are effective and described below.
• Phytic acid: binds iron, zinc and calcium and reduces their absorption. Soaking and cooking reduce the content considerably, and adding a source of vitamin C (lemon) to the meal offsets the effect on iron.
• Irritable bowel and FODMAP: chickpeas are high in FODMAPs and are among the problematic foods in irritable bowel syndrome. A serving of about 40 grams of well-drained canned chickpeas is usually considered tolerable.
• Sodium in cans and commercial spreads: canned chickpeas sometimes contain 250–400 mg of sodium per 100 grams. Draining and rinsing in water removes about 40% of the sodium. Commercial spreads often also contain cheap oils and preservatives.
• Calories in the spread: the difference between 164 kcal per 100 grams of chickpeas and 230 kcal per 100 grams of spread is almost entirely olive oil and tahini. That is healthy fat, but anyone counting calories should know that a plate of hummus is not a light meal.
• Lectins in uncooked chickpeas: dried chickpeas that were not cooked well contain lectins that can cause digestive distress. Full cooking neutralizes them. Do not eat soaked dried chickpeas without cooking them.
• Favism — an important clarification: people with G6PD enzyme deficiency need to avoid fava beans, not chickpeas. However, isolated cases of sensitivity to chickpeas have also been reported, so caution and medical advice are usually recommended.

How to prevent gas from chickpeas

The following steps are effective and add up:

1. Soak for 8–12 hours in water at room temperature, changing the water at least once. A large share of the oligosaccharides dissolve in water and pass into it.
2. Pour off the soaking water and cook in fresh water — the step most people skip.
3. Add baking soda (a teaspoon per pot) to the soaking water to soften the chickpeas and shorten cooking.
4. Cook long and fully until completely soft. A chickpea that stays hard digests poorly.
5. Remove the skins after cooking — a hassle, but it greatly improves both the texture of the spread and tolerance.
6. Season with cumin — traditionally used to reduce gas, and the effect is plausibly real.
7. Build up gradually: eating legumes regularly changes the makeup of the gut bacteria, and symptoms ease significantly within weeks. People who eat legumes rarely suffer more.

Summary

Chickpeas provide both carbohydrate and protein: 100 grams cooked have about 27.4 grams of carbohydrate, including 7.6 grams of fiber, and 8.9 grams of protein. They also provide folate, manganese, iron and zinc.

Two things worth remembering: chickpeas and hummus spread are not the same food — the spread has about 40% more calories because of the tahini and olive oil; and gas, the main downside, is mostly solved by long soaking, changing the soaking water and cooking fully.