You won't need willpower to fend off afternoon snack attacks if you add this hearty legume to your midday meal: chickpeas.
Whether your lunch includes a sandwich made with creamy hummus or a hearty Greek salad topped with garbanzos -- adding about half a cup of chickpeas to your daily diet can cut cravings for salty, sugary, and fatty snacks, according to research.
Fabulously Filling Fiber
That's exactly what happened in a study where adults made chickpeas a part of their normal diet for 4 weeks. They were given a variety of tasty chickpea recipes to use and were instructed to keep a food diary. And the study participants not only reported a nosedive in hunger and overall calorie intake but also ate far fewer bad-for-the-waistline processed snack foods as well. The researchers think the naturally occurring drop in snacking was most likely due to the high-fiber content in chickpeas.
Bathroom Bonus
Feeling a little -- ahem -- bound up? Well, the folks in the study also reported an improvement in their bathroom habits -- more frequent and easier bowel movements. Again, most likely thanks to the fiber in chickpeas. But if you decide to add more chickpeas to your diet, do so gradually to help reduce the chance of any gastrointestinal discomfort from a sudden increase in fiber. Anyway, an easier time in the bathroom is just one more reason to love the humble chickpea.
Another reason to love chickpeas is that they can be wrinkle wranglers. Find out how a mineral in chickpeas may help keep skin smooth.
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