Saffron Road Crunchy Chickpeas: A Dietitian Approved Whole Foods Snack!

This week’s dietitian-approved snack is the Crunchy Chickpeas from Saffron Road. We spotted these at a local Market Basket and decided to try the Sea Salt and Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper Flavors. At Ellen Byron & Associates, we emphasize the importance of eating whole foods, which can be difficult at times to manage especially when it comes to snacking. The ingredients in this snack are simply organic chickpeas, organic canola oil and/or sunflower oil, and sea salt. These crispy chickpeas are the perfect salty snack to satisfy your cravings without settling for a bag of chips. Another great thing about this snack is that each serving contains 6 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber. Chickpeas are an awesome plant-based source of protein, classified as a legume in the same family as beans, peas, soybeans, lentils, and peanuts. Some outstanding benefits to note about chickpeas include their high content of iron, zinc, and copper. They contain an abundance of other minerals as well, and a good macronutrient ratio of carbs, fats, and proteins. Chickpeas contain just about all the essential amino acids making them a great source of plant-based protein.

Chickpeas as part of a healthy diet can improve the risk of developing certain chronic diseases. For example, it can work against Type 2 Diabetes by acting as a low glycemic index food, as their high fiber content help stop blood sugar levels from rising too quickly. Their high iron content is a great way for vegetarians to obtain iron, as iron is often found in red meat. These crunchy chickpeas are priced at. Saffron Road also makes the product in a variety of other flavors such as Chipotle, Buffalo, Falafel, Korean BBQ, and Bombay Spice. Roasted Chickpeas are also very easy to make at home, simply by spreading out a can of chickpeas on a baking sheet, drizzling with olive oil, and seasoning with your favorite spices at 350 for about 25 minutes!

Written By: Elizabeth Hoffman, Nutrition Intern Fall 2021

Link to Product:

https://www.saffronroad.com/collections/crunchy-chickpeas