Chickpea Snacks are Wanted by Millions Around the World
We’ve kicked off a new year, which means an increase of fad diets during the January and February months. Millions of people are on a weight-loss journey which involves more time at the gym and better eating habits. Originally, we were planning a follow-up article on how Biena Chickpea Snacks are the perfect weight management food. That led us to research how chickpeas stack up against other bean snacks and just the overall popularity of the mighty chickpea. Our research unearthed some interesting data, which actually demonstrates that chickpeas are becoming the most popular bean-based snack in the world.
Analyzing data in Google Trends from 2004 to January of 2018, searches for chickpeas have steadily grown the past 13 years. In fact, the number of people searching for information about chickpeas has drastically increased the last 4 years according to Google. When compared to other Google searches for popular beans such as broad beans, fava beans (part of the broad bean family,) and black beans - chickpeas blow it out of the water.
When you compare these popular bean searches by location, a majority of the world is obsessed with chickpeas over more commonly known bean options readily available in stores.
This data indicates chickpeas are not a trend. They are a snack food people want, which is why more and more stores such as Whole Foods are carrying Biena Roasted Chickpea Snacks. Pulses (a category including dried beans, lentils and peas) have become so popular that the United Nations declared 2016 the International Year of Pulses.
Chickpeas are not only popular because they are high in protein and fiber plus low in fat. Chickpeas also fit into the most popular diets. Remember when we said we were researching how Biena Snacks fit into trendy weight loss fads? Well, we took it one step further and charted the growth of several popular diets that have become less diet and more lifestyle for millions of Americans.
As you can see above, we analyzed the growth of four major diets/lifestyles from 2004 to January, 2018 – Gluten-free, Vegetarianism, Veganism and Paleo. Interest in vegetarianism has remained relatively flat for over a decade. Searches for gluten-free and paleo diets both peaked around 2014, but paleo diet interest declined in 2015 while gluten-free interest has maintained the same level of searches. Interestingly, veganism interest has skyrocketed since 2014 and still seems to be growing.
Of the four popular diets analyzed above, do you know which ones allow you to eat Biena Chickpea Snacks? That’s a trick question because our delicious Chickpea Snacks fit into every diet! Biena has roasted chickpeas you can enjoy whether you are gluten-free, vegan, or a vegetarian. Chickpeas are admittedly not part of the paleo diet, but many people “cheat” with chickpeas and other legumes because they are a plant-based food with a large consensus that they are good for you. And while you may have to pass on our Milk Chocolate Chickpeas if you’re vegan, you can still enjoy our Dark Chocolate Chickpeas and many flavors from our core line including Sea Salt, Ranch, and Habanero!
Try one of our 10 Chickpea Snacks now.