How many calories are in chickpeas?
USDA nutrition facts for boiled chickpeas (garbanzo beans) without salt, per 100 g and per cup, with the roasted-snack and hummus caveats.
Chickpeas, also sold as garbanzo beans, are the base of hummus, falafel and most grain-bowl toppings, and they are a little heavier than other beans. Cooked and drained without salt, they have 164 calories per 100 g, so a cup (164 g) is about 269 calories. The thing people get wrong is scooping them like a vegetable: a cup of chickpeas has the calories of a full starch serving, and roasted chickpea snacks and falafel add oil on top of that.
Calories in chickpeas per 100 g
According to USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy entry “Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt”), 100 g of chickpeas contains 164 calories (686 kJ), 8.9 g of protein, 27 g of carbohydrates and 2.6 g of fat.
| Nutrient (per 100 g) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 164 |
| Energy (kilojoules) | 686 kJ |
| Protein | 8.9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 27 g |
| Fiber | 7.6 g |
| Sugars | 4.8 g |
| Total fat | 2.6 g |
| Saturated fat | 0.3 g |
| Sodium | 7 mg |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Potassium | 291 mg |
| Calcium | 49 mg |
| Iron | 2.9 mg |
| Vitamin C | 1.3 mg |
Calories per serving
Per-100 g numbers are only useful once you know your portion. Typical servings of chickpeas:
| Serving | Calories | kJ | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cup (164 g) | 269 | 1,125 | 15 g | 45 g | 4.2 g |
Macro breakdown
By calories chickpeas are about 65% carbohydrate, 21% protein and 14% fat, with 8.9 g of protein, 7.6 g of fiber and 2.6 g of fat per 100 g. They also provide 2.9 mg of iron and 291 mg of potassium per 100 g, with only 7 mg of sodium when cooked without salt.
How chickpeas compare with similar foods
| Food (per 100 g) | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinto beans | 143 | 9 g | 26 g | 0.7 g |
| Black beans | 132 | 8.9 g | 24 g | 0.5 g |
| Kidney beans | 127 | 8.7 g | 23 g | 0.5 g |
| Edamame | 121 | 12 g | 8.9 g | 5.2 g |
| Lentils | 116 | 9 g | 20 g | 0.4 g |
Are chickpeas good for weight loss?
Chickpeas can be a good weight-loss food if the portion is deliberate. A half cup (82 g) is about 134 calories with 7.3 g of protein and 6.2 g of fiber, which is a satisfying addition to a salad or bowl, while a full cup (164 g) at about 269 calories is a meal-sized portion of starch and protein combined. The fiber and protein make them slow to digest and genuinely filling, so a chickpea salad can hold you for most of an afternoon. The calorie risk is in the preparations: chickpeas roasted in oil, fried into falafel, or blended into hummus with tahini and olive oil carry a lot of added fat. Keep them boiled or lightly roasted with a measured teaspoon of oil, and measure the scoop rather than eyeballing it.
How to log chickpeas in Cal.AI
Scan Food recognizes whole chickpeas in a salad or bowl, but a scattered handful is easy for the camera to under- or over-estimate, so check the gram amount in Fix Results. A cup is about 164 g (269 calories) and a half cup is about 82 g (134 calories); for canned chickpeas, scan the Barcode because the sodium is usually much higher than the 7 mg per 100 g here. The common mistake is logging a falafel wrap or a bowl of roasted chickpea snacks as plain boiled chickpeas.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories are in a cup of chickpeas?
A cup of cooked chickpeas weighs about 164 g and has about 269 calories, with 14.5 g of protein, 45 g of carbohydrate and 4.2 g of fat (USDA). It also provides about 12.5 g of fiber and 4.7 mg of iron. A half cup (82 g) is about 134 calories. Oil used for roasting or frying is counted separately.
Are chickpeas higher in calories than other beans?
Somewhat. Cooked chickpeas have 164 calories per 100 g compared with 132 for black beans, 127 for kidney beans and 116 for lentils (USDA), because chickpeas carry 2.6 g of fat per 100 g where the others have under 1 g. The protein is similar at about 8.9 g per 100 g, so on a tight calorie budget lentils or black beans give the same protein for fewer calories.
Are roasted chickpeas a low-calorie snack?
Not as low as the raw numbers suggest. Boiled chickpeas are 164 calories per 100 g, and roasting drives off water so the same calories end up in a smaller, crunchier handful, usually with oil added at 9 calories per gram. A small bag can easily contain a full cup's worth of chickpeas, around 269 calories, plus the oil. Scan the Barcode on packaged versions to get the real figure.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central, SR Legacy: “Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt” (FDC ID 173757). FoodData Central
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