Low calorie snack: Sweet and Spicy Chickpeas

The last two weeks, I’ve been counting calories for weight loss. So far so good! The main issue I come across is being hungry. And I hate being hungry. Food becomes my obsession, either when I’m snacking or just thinking about snacking. Sticking to a low calorie structure, it’s hard to find filling tasty foods that are snack-able. I find that soups and salads are my salvation when it comes to staying under my calorie limit, but I don’t want to sip a cup of vegetable broth or chomp on lettuce as a snack. I want small, tasty, sweet or salty, and in enough pieces to feel like I’ve had a snack… not just taken one bite of something.

Enter chick peas, or garbanzo beans. They have protein AND fiber, are small and snack-able, and honestly – have a very satisfying flavor.

Sweet and Spicy Chickpeas

Ingredients:

3 cups chickpeas, either cooked from dried or a can (drained and pat dried)
2 tbs olive oil, *alternative option below
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 packet truvia
pinch ground chili powder

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to  350.

Mix the oil, vanilla, cumin, nutmeg, cinnamon, chili powder, and truvia together in a small mixing bowl. Add to the chickpeas, which should already be thoroughly cooked and in a medium mixing bowl. *If you choose not to use oil, make sure to use a non-stick pan or a baking spray on the pan. Mix the beans until the seasoning is well blended.

Spread even on a cookie or baking sheet. I recommend using a rimmed pan ;)

Cook for 15 minutes, then rotate the beans. Cook an additional 15 minutes. If you like them more on the crispy side, stir and add an additional 15 minutes. I recommend the 45 minutes total – more texture to the beans!

If I’ve done my calorie calculations correctly, 1/4 cup of chickpeas is 70 calories. 1/4 cup might not sound like much, but if you only pop one or two in your mouth at a time, it lasts a while! All I know is that it’s been a craving blocker in my afternoons when my lunch has started to wear off and the stomach is contemplating growling. Hope you like it!

~Aubree Cherie