Organic Chickpeas

Organic chickpea has a nutty flavor accompanied by earthy notes. Most popular as the main ingredient of hummus, chickpeas also go incredibly well as a salad topping or highly spiced curry. Hey, I thought beans weren’t paleo! Beans - and other legumes (including peanuts!) - are perfectly fine for most people, in moderation, and may even have some nutritional benefits once you cook them (low and slow cooking is best; extra bonus for soaking and sprouting them…learn how below!). You just probably want to avoid eating them as a large part of your diet, all the time. Why? Most legumes have moderately high levels of what are called antinutrients. The main two are 1) lectins, and 2) phytic acid. Let’s briefly look at each. The lectins in most legumes are hard to digest, and can interact with your gut barrier in a way that damages those cells - this can also stimulates your immune system for some people (also known as: causes low-level inflammation). The plants do this on purpose, as a protective function! The good news is - cooking your beans/legumes with heat breaks down the vast majority of the lectins in them. Even better if you soak and sprout them first. So, at least in the case of lectins - problem solved. How about phytic acid? Similarly, phytic acid can bind to the vitamins and minerals that you’re eating in the same meal - preventing those nutrients (things like zinc, iron, and calcium) from being able to be absorbed by your body. If this happens a lot, you might find yourself with some nutrient deficiencies. But - good news here too: studies have shown that soaking and cooking beans decreases the phytic acid content by between 20-80% too. So how do we recommend eating your beans? First - make sure you cook them. No al dente beans, please. If you have time, it definitely helps to soak them, and even more if you can sprout them. How to soak and sprout your beans 👇 1. Soak them soaking in 3:1 water: beans ratio. You can either soak it over night (12 hours), or changing water every 3-4 hours to ensure there is the least amount of residue. 2. Sprout them Phytate degrades as the seeds grow. We recommend sprouting for 5 days. You can learn more about sprouting beans in this short video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mbR5xcO8aI&ab_channel=Tasty