At the bookstore I like to stroll down the cookbook and diet book aisles to see what is new. Today, I flipped a few pages of a diet book and saw that their plan allows you have a 10 pecan halves or 15 “small” peanuts as a snack. This is funny to me. Who really is gonna pick out the small peanuts and only 15 at that? Not me. I have small hands and I can tell you I can hold more than 15 peanuts in one hand. 😀
But, seriously I get it…nuts are a high calorie food. Better to have some than none at all, right? So my solution to when you want something crunchy and salty is Fiesta Roasted Chickpeas.
When you are looking to eat healthy and watch your caloric intake it is smart to choose the most nutritious foods you can. That means picking foods that have the most nutrients (vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients) for the fewest calories.
When you compare peanuts to chickpeas you will see there is a big difference in calories and fat.
One cup of peanuts has 828 calories and 72 grams of fat. One cup of chickpeas has 210 calories and 4 grams of fat. That is a huge difference!!
Chickpeas are a great low-fat substitute for nuts and when roasted in the oven they become super crunchy! I think they kind of look like a nut. Best of all you can season them any way you like to make the sweet, salty, or spicy and they will take on that flavor.
- 2 15-oz cans reduced sodium chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp black pepper
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Drain and rinse chickpeas. Remove skins by pinching or rubbing with a paper towel.
- Place onto a small baking pan.
- In a small bowl combine salt, paprika, garlic powder, cumin, and pepper together.
- Drizzle with olive oil.
- Sprinkle with the season mix.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until crunchy. Let cool 5-10 minutes.
- Store in a sealed container.
Roasting chickpeas is super easy! I roast them and then check that they are crunchy. As they cool they will become a little crunchier. I love the seasoning on these Fiesta Roasted Chickpeas! They are a delicious filling snack 😀
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