Chickpeas: USDA Nutrition, Protein, Fiber and Canned vs Dried

Chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans, are a pulse with a strong nutrient profile: a cup of cooked chickpeas provides about 15 grams of protein, 12.5 grams of fiber, and roughly 70% of the Daily Value for folate and manganese, plus copper, iron and zinc, according to USDA data. Research on pulses as a group links them to modestly lower LDL cholesterol in controlled trials. Below are the USDA chickpeas nutrition facts, how chickpea protein compares, canned chickpeas vs cooking from dry, hummus, and why chickpeas can cause gas.

Peptide Labs does not sell chickpeas or chickpea products. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.

Chickpeas nutrition per cup

The table uses the USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy entry for chickpeas cooked by boiling without salt (FDC 173757), one cup of 164 grams. The percent Daily Value (%DV) uses the FDA Daily Values on Nutrition Facts labels.

That combination is why chickpeas turn up on several of our food lists: fiber-rich foods, protein-rich foods and plant iron sources. Their iron is the non-heme kind found in plants, which the body absorbs less readily than iron from meat or fish; pairing chickpeas with vitamin C foods helps, as our iron guide explains. One cup supplies close to half the fiber Daily Value, so if you are tracking intake, see our guide to daily fiber.

Chickpea protein and how it compares

Chickpea protein is one reason garbanzo beans are a staple of plant-forward eating. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025 to 2030 list beans, peas, lentils and other legumes among the plant-sourced protein foods to include alongside animal foods. At about 14.5 grams per cooked cup, chickpeas sit close to other pulses; our guide to lentils covers a close cousin, and quinoa is a grain-like seed often paired with them.

Hummus keeps chickpea nutrition in dip form, with tahini and oil adding fat and most commercial versions adding salt. Chickpea flour, used in many South Asian dishes, is more concentrated because the water has not been added back. In USDA data a cup of chickpea flour supplies about the full Daily Value for folate.

Canned chickpeas vs dried

Canned chickpeas are already cooked and save time; dried chickpeas need soaking and simmering but let you control salt. The bigger difference in USDA data is sodium. The comparison below uses values per 100 grams so the entries line up.

In USDA data, draining and rinsing canned chickpeas lowered sodium from about 246 to 212 milligrams per 100 grams, a reduction of roughly 14%. Low-sodium or no-salt-added cans cut it further. The USDA canned entries also list less folate, iron and magnesium per 100 grams than chickpeas cooked at home from dry, so the two are not identical even after rinsing. Both are still useful; check the Nutrition Facts panel and choose lower-sodium versions if your clinician has asked you to limit salt.

Are chickpeas healthy? What the research shows

Most research looks at pulses as a group (beans, chickpeas, lentils and peas) rather than chickpeas alone. Two sources are worth knowing:

• 2014 meta-analysis (Ha and colleagues, Canadian Medical Association Journal): 26 randomized trials with 1,037 participants compared diets emphasizing pulses with similar-calorie diets without them for at least three weeks. Pulse diets lowered LDL cholesterol slightly, by an average of 0.17 millimoles per liter, but did not change apolipoprotein B or non-HDL cholesterol. The authors said longer, higher-quality trials are needed. It was publicly funded.
• 2016 review of chickpeas and hummus (Wallace and colleagues, Nutrients): a narrative review, not a new trial. It reported that people who eat chickpeas or hummus have higher intakes of fiber, folate, magnesium, potassium and iron than people who do not, based on survey data, and called research on weight and blood sugar emerging. The review was funded by a grant from a hummus maker, and two authors sat on that company’s advisory board.

Put plainly, chickpeas are a nutrient-dense food, and pulse-rich diets show a small, consistent improvement in LDL cholesterol in trials. That is a change in a risk marker, not proof that chickpeas protect against heart disease, and it does not replace care from your clinician. Chickpeas are a staple of the Mediterranean diet, which has its own body of research.

Gas, bloating and who should be careful

Chickpeas contain galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), one of the fermentable carbohydrate groups Monash University identifies in legumes. Gut bacteria ferment these sugars, which can cause gas and bloating in sensitive people. Some practical points:

• Go gradually: adding fiber-rich foods slowly gives your gut time to adjust; our guide to fiber side effects covers gas and bloating in more detail.
• IBS and FODMAPs: people following a dietitian-guided plan can check the low FODMAP diet guide for how legumes are handled.
• Sodium: canned chickpeas and hummus can add notable salt; compare labels.
• Allergy: chickpea allergy exists but chickpeas are not on the FDA list of major allergens; anyone with a known legume allergy should follow their allergist’s advice.

Chickpeas work in salads, curries, soups, roasted as a snack, or blended into hummus. For a seafood protein that pairs well with them, see our sibling guide to sardines.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a food allergy. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Last reviewed October 2026.

Related guides: Black Beans: USDA Nutrition per Cup, Protein, Fiber and Canned vs Dried, Lentils Benefits: USDA Nutrition per Cup, Protein and Types of Lentils, High Fiber Foods: USDA List of Fruits, Vegetables, Beans and Grains.