What's New In Weight Loss, and Some Crunchy Ranch Chickpeas

The following articles were published in the last few weeks, and I felt they were all worth reading, if you have the time (especially the first and third one).

Keeping Weight Off Is As Much A Challenge As Losing It

Couch Potatoes Gain Weight Without Eating

Good Carb, Bad Carb

'People Pleasers' Feel Pressured to Snack

Regarding that last article about snacking, snacks can often be "not so healthy", but then there are some that pack a serious nutritional punch, such as these Crunchy Ranch Chickpeas;

Crunchy Ranch Chickpeas
Serves 4
 (Source; Trivillagemagazine.com)

Ingredients
1-15 ounce can of chickpeas
Powdered ranch salad dressing mix
Nonstick cooking spray (or your favorite oil spray)



Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray.


2. Drain chickpeas well, rinse and dry (very well) with paper towels to absorb any moisture.

3. Spread the chickpeas out in a single layer on the pan. Bake 20 minutes, then shake the sheet pan to rotate the chickpeas. Bake an additional 20 minutes until chickpeas are golden brown and somewhat shriveled.

4. Remove from oven, spray with nonstick spray (I used my new Misto, which contains garlic olive oil. If you don't have a Misto, or something similar, you are truly missing out! And no, I was not compensated for this post.)

5. After spraying your chickpeas, sprinkle with powdered ranch mix to taste (I doubled the recipe and used a little over half of one package ranch mix).

6. Shake pan to coat all sides with the ranch powder. Let cool 5 minutes before eating (and take a couple BEANO or Gas-X Prevention pills if you are like me and you need it!).

Calories; ~ 150 per serving
Fiber: ~ 3 grams per serving (a good source!)

Want another great recipe? Here is a recipe for roasted chickpea snacks from Teri over at Managed Macros.


QUESTION: Do you like chickpeas?? Do you have a Misto, or something like it? Aren't they amazing!?

What are your thoughts on any of the weight loss/management articles? I especially got into the first one about how difficult it is to maintain a healthy weight. In fact, I'll be writing a candid post about my thoughts on that issue relatively soon.

Hummus for Dessert

I love hummus, but I rarely eat it because of the garlic found in 99% of all hummus' ( I can't eat garlic, or tahini because because they both contain FODMAPs). Another reason I've been so adamant about not eating hummus, my entire life, is because of the bean factor (yes, beans contain FODMAPs too, surprise surprise! ). I used to take one bite of beans and have gas within thirty minutes, but lately I've been able to eat beans without the uncomfortable bloating and gas to follow (and without the use of Beano!). I'm not sure what to think of this. Is this a natural "side-effect" of having been on the low FODMAPs diet for over a year now? Should I be slowly adding these foods back into my diet to see if I can tolerate them? I've read some literature that says yes, which wasn't something I had ever considered. Now that I know I can tolerate beans a bit better, I wonder if I can also tolerate garlic, onions, pears, and apples. I think I'll take this one step at a time.....

Do you ever buy food hoping that since you bought it your significant other (or roommate) would eat it, despite not liking it? It sounds strange, but I bought a can of chickpeas hoping that I could add it to a dinner I made one night even though Nick hates chickpeas. Well, Nick soon assured me he wouldn't eat anything I made with chickpeas, so I decided not open the can. Then I remembered a recipe that Evan posted for Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Dessert Hummus (garlic free!). I thought maybe if I made this and told Nick it was a "new high protein peanut butter vegetable dip", he would eat it (more on that to come).

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Dessert Hummus
(Adapted from The Wannabe Chef)
Makes ~ 2 cups

Ingredients

1 can chickpeas, drained well

1/4 cup dark molasses (**Evan used 1/4 cup + 2 T maple syrup**)

1/4 cup all natural peanut butter

1/2 T vanilla extract

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (** Evan used milk, I believe **)

NOTE:  This is not low FODMAPs, but it's "lower" because it doesn't contain garlic or tahini!




Directions
1. Combine the chickpeas, molasses and peanut butter in a food processor. Puree for a little over one minute, or until the mixture is nice and creamy



**Evan suggested peeling the chickpeas for a creamier product, but I did not do this. If I make this again I will definitely peel them.**



2. Add the chocolate chips and mix until they are evenly dispersed.




3. Use this as dip for your favorite veggie, fruit, or crackers!




Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 2 T

So, did Nick like this? He did, but he said, "the texture is too grainy". This is why I will definitely peel the skins the next time I make this! I ended up eating the entire batch by myself. I couldn't get enough. I ate it for a late night snack/dessert and I dipped celery, carrots and rice cakes. Delicious. And guess what? NO GAS or Beano!!

QUESTION: Do you like chickpeas? What's your favorite way to use chickpeas?