“Chickpeas help to increase satiety, boost digestion, keep blood sugar levels stable, increase protection against disease and more. Chickpeas’ nutrition is a potent package of protein, vitamins and minerals, which is why they are often included in many healing diets.”

-from Dr.Axe on draxe.com

Let’s talk for a minute about the health benefits of Chickpeas, and why we should be eating more of them!

On Dr. Axe’s website, draxe.com, he shares how “food is medicine” and brings attention to what the foods you are eating are doing for your mind and body. There are so many reasons to love chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans)… one of them being that they help with weight loss! Dr. Axe goes into great detail in his post as to why chickpeas are perfect for weight loss, as well as many other things, including blood sugar levels, improving digestion, protecting against heart disease, and lots more. He refers to chickpeas as being a superfood and shares the image below to give you an idea of all of the generous nutrients that are packed into these tasty legumes:

(photo credit: Draxe.com)

Are you starting to get an idea of why Weight Watchers decided that chickpeas should be zero WW FreeStyle Smart Points? It’s positively fabulous, isn’t it? If you haven’t jumped on the chickpea train yet, let me just tell you that they taste fantastic when they are paired with the right foods/seasonings, so I am going to give over 20 ways to eat this superstar ingredient that I think you will love.

Good news! All of the recipes shared in this post include the WW FreeStyle SP with them. I am going to start with two of my new recipes that have not been shared on Meal Planning Mommies yet, and then I will list (and link to) some of the other chickpea recipes that are currently out in the blog-o-sphere.

Two new Chickpea/Garbanzo Beans recipes on Meal Planning Mommies.

The two new recipes I am sharing with you are my “Couscous and Chickpea snack” and my “Air Fryer Crunchy Chickpeas.” Both are simple recipes that are low in Smart Points and high in “This-is-yummy” points. These snacks will fill you up and keep you satisfied and are perfect for between meals. The “Air Fryer Crunchy Chickpeas” were actually designed as a way to use up the chickpeas you didn’t use in the “Couscous and Chickpea snack” recipe, so it just calls for 1/2 cup of chickpeas, but you could double or triple the seasonings and use a whole can if you like.

Okay, let’s get to two of my new favorite recipes. We will start with the “Couscous and Chickpea” snack.

RECIPE 1: COUSCOUS AND CHICKPEA SNACK

Here is what you will need:

2/3 cup chicken broth
2/3 cup uncooked couscous
1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 plum tomato, seeded and chopped
1/3 cup reduced-fat crumbled feta cheese
1/4 red onion, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, snipped
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt

Here is what you do:

In a medium saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Stir in couscous. Remove from heat, cover, and allow to sit 10 minutes. Fluff with fork.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the remaining ingredients.

Mix in couscous with the other ingredients and serve immediately.

Refrigerate any leftovers.

Makes 4 cups.
One serving is 1 cup.
One serving is 4 WW FreeStyle Smart Points.

Print Recipe

Couscous and Chickpea Snack

4 WW FreeStyle SP per serving.

Makes: 4 servings

Calories: 277

Author: Alisha Hughes

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup chicken broth
• 2/3 cup uncooked couscous
• 1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 plum tomato, seeded and chopped
• 1/3 cup reduced-fat crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 red onion, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, snipped
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

• In a medium saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Stir in couscous. Remove from heat, cover, and allow to sit 10 minutes. Fluff with fork.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the remaining ingredients.
• Mix in couscous with the other ingredients and serve immediately.
• Refrigerate any leftovers.

Or, you can eat it as a side dish.

If you are serving this is as a side dish, you can serve 8 (1/2 cup) servings for just 2 WW FreeStyle Smart Points per serving. This recipe goes great with grilled chicken.

What to do with the leftover chickpeas.

You will have some chickpeas left over, since you will only use 1 cup in the recipe above. So I decided to share a quick and easy crunchy snack recipe you can make using the remaining chickpeas. Most roasted chickpea recipes take an hour to prepare and are cooked in the oven. This simple recipe can be made in just 15 minutes in the air fryer. I just know you will love how easy this snack is to make!

Recipe 2: Crunchy Air Fryer Chickpea Snack

Here is what you will need:

1/2 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon curry powder
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon cumin

Here is what you do:

In a small bowl, coat chickpeas with oil.

Toss in remaining ingredients until chickpeas are fully coated in the spices.

Put chickpeas in the air fryer basket. Set the air fryer to 370°F and let cook for 12-15 minutes, shaking the basket half-way through.

Allow to cool at least 15 minutes before eating.

Enjoy as a simple snack.

Makes 2 (1/4 cup) servings.
1 serving is 1 WW FreeStyle SP 4 WW FreeStyle SP. (Update: According to the WW app, when you bake the chickpeas it does count as WW points on the FreeStyle program.)

Print Recipe

Crunchy Chickpeas snack

4 WW FreeStyle SP per serving.

Makes: 1 serving

Calories: 89

Author: Alisha Hughes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cumin

Instructions

• In a small bowl, coat chickpeas with oil.
• Toss in remaining ingredients until chickpeas are fully coated in the spices.
• Put chickpeas in the air fryer basket. Set the air fryer to 370°F and let cook for 12-15 minutes, shaking the basket half-way through.
• Allow to cool at least 15 minutes before eating.
• Enjoy as a simple snack.

MORE WEIGHT WATCHERS FRIENDLY RECIPES WITH CHICKPEAS THAT ARE BETWEEN 0-4 WW SMART POINTS PER SERVING.

Brownie Batter Chocolate Hummus on Slender Kitchen – 0 WW FreeStyle SP

Chickpea Tuna Salad on Skinny Taste – 0 WW FreeStyle SP

Chickpea Cookie Dough on Snack Girl – 1 WW FreeStyle SP

Chickpea Feta Burgers on Slender Kitchen – 4 WW FreeStyle SP

Ranch Hummus on Emily Bites – 0 WW FreeStyle SP

Middle Eastern Chickpea Salad on Weight Watchers – 3 WW FreeStyle SP

Fiesta Bean Salad on Skinny Taste – 4 WW FreeStyle SP

Instant Pot Hummus on Slap Dash Mom – 0 WW FreeStyle SP

Slow Cooker Sweet and Spicy Chickpeas on Slender Kitchen – 2 WW FreeStyle SP

Chickpea and Feta Salad on Simple Nourished Living – 2 WW FreeStyle SP

Chicken Chickpea Chopped Salad on Dashing Dish – 3 WW FreeStyle SP

Chickpea Tomato Soup with Rosemary on Skinny Taste – 1 WW FreeStyle SP

Chickpea Egg Salad on Skinny Taste – 2 WW FreeStyle SP

Cajun Roasted Chickpeas on Emily Bites – 3 WW FreeStyle SP

Peanut Butter Blondies on Hungry Girl – 2 WW FreeStyle SP

Chickpea and Spinach Stew on Weight Watchers – 1 WW FreeStyle SP

Slow Cooker Mediterranean Chickpeas on Slender Kitchen – 1 WW FreeStyle SP

Greek Chickpea Salad on Meal Planning Mommies – 0 WW FreeStyle SP

Mediterranean Bean Salad on Skinny Taste – 1 WW FreeStyle SP

More Weight Watchers friendly snack ideas!

Could you use some more snack ideas that are low in Smart Points? Check out our list of over 60 Smart Snacks that are between 0-4 Smart Points per serving!

Some of the links in the post above may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”