Orange and yellow leaves; boots and scarves; pumpkin spice everything. These wonderful signs point to only one thing: tailgate season! Whether for football or soccer, home or away, nothing is quite so fun as hanging out with friends, family, and a huge spread of food, cheering on your favorite team. And while you may tailgate every weekend in the fall, the best thing is that no two parties are ever the same. The crowd or the vibe changes with the competition, the food and drinks change with the crowd—there is always something to keep you coming back!
To help make sure your tailgate is a blast regardless of the final score, we have a few tips to keep the home team happy:
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Seats-a-plenty
Yes, we know everyone will be up mingling, trash talking, and playing corn hole. But when it’s time for a break or the ribs finally come off the grill, you need to be sure everyone you invited has a seat. Bring your own chair is always a fine rule for close friends and family—just don’t forget to bring the backups! -
Rather start too early than too late
As a general rule, no one wants the tailgating to end! So, when you plan your shindig, don’t worry about starting too early. It’s basically impossible. No one minds hanging out snacking while waiting on more friends to arrive! But, start too late? You rush the food, you spend as much time setting up as you do enjoying your guests, and then it’s half time before you (and you alone) get the last cooler squirreled away. Trust us—no one will complain about tailgating with you all. day. long. - Something for everyone and by everyone
If you’re tailgating with close friends and family, why not throw a potluck party? You can pitch in the main dishes and table wares and then help coordinate amongst your party goers from there. Otherwise, you run the risk of having eight different seven-layer dips. You can even ask for specifics! “We are so excited you’re coming! Hey, if you didn’t have a dish in mind, can you bring the condiments?” Be sure you and your guests are aware of food allergies and restrictions so there’s something for everyone to enjoy!
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Food for days and in so many ways
Remember, you’ll have food out all day. Like, literally—all day. We love potato skins and short ribs as much as anyone, but for five hours? And these days people are more health conscious about their food choices. Yes, even at a tailgate. Make sure to serve some lighter options—fruits, veggies, and nuts are great go-to items for grazing stations.
And that’s where Biena really helps to make your day one for the record books. Our Roasted Chickpea snacks are a great and healthy addition to any game day spread. With 8 bold flavors of Roasted Chickpeas and 3 more of our Chickpea Puffs to choose from, you’re certain to find the right Biena snack for your crowd. Enjoy them straight out of the bag or add a handful of your favorite roasted chickpeas to any dish that may need a kick of flavor. Toss our BBQ chickpeas on top of potato salad, sprinkle some habanero chickpeas to your sandwich or add crunch to a mixed salad with sea salt chickpeas. And did we mention they’re gluten-free, non-GMO, and vegan? What’s not to love? We can’t think of anything either. So while you’re planning your big day, click here to pick up some Biena snacks, or find a retailer near you.
Holidays are busy enough, so we decided to share one of our favorite festive treats with you all. It's quick, easy, and super delicious!
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of semi-sweet dark chocolate chips
- 1 cup of Biena® Sea Salt Chickpeas
- 1/2 cup crushed peppermint
Directions:
1. Melt chocolate chips. You can do this on the stove top or microwave. For microwave: heat on power 7 for 30 second increments stirring after each increment until chocolate drips off of the end of the spoon.
2. Pour chocolate in small mixing bowl. Add chickpeas and stir until evenly coated.
3. Pour onto a baking pan with a sheet of parchment paper. Spread evenly.
4. Sprinkle crushed peppermint over top.
4. Refrigerate for a few hours to solidify the chocolate.
5. Once firm, remove from refrigerator and break into pieces. Enjoy!
Show us your chickpea bark by tagging us @BienaSnacks on social!
Hollywood is Going Vegan at an Increasing Rate
by Adrienne Corey
In the last few years, we’ve witnessed the vegan movement growing stronger and stronger. People choose this lifestyle for various factors including, animal rights, environmental causes and overall health. Whatever the reason, Biena is happy to offer a snack that is full of plant-based protein and fiber. If you need a little bit of inspiration to incorporate plant-based food into your diet, here are ten of your favorite celebrities who are certifiably plant-based.
Natalie Portman
Image credit: US Magazine
A lifelong vegetarian, Natalie Portman decided to cut out all animal products after reading Jonathan Safran Foer's book Eating Animals. She commented on how the lifestyle is now more accessible with more options in supermarkets and restaurants. She says, “If you have two things that taste identical and one doesn’t harm the planet or other creatures and is better for you health-wise, then why would you?”
Ariana Grande
The No Tears Left to Cry singer professed that she loved animals too much to eat them and she believed that a whole food plant-based diet is the key to longevity and happiness.
Michele Pfeiffer
The secret to Michele Pfeiffer’s ageless beauty is her diet. But it’s not just for vanity’s sake that the Hollywood icon only eats vegetables and fruits— her father died of cancer and veganism is the lifestyle she chose to stave off disease.
Woody Harrelson
Former True Detective star Woody Harrelson says that the secret to youth and high energy levels is raw food. He is so committed to his diet that in shooting the movie Zombieland, where he played a badass character who had a soft spot for Twinkies, they had to replace the sponge cake with a raw vegan version of it.
Miley Cyrus & Liam Hemsworth
Image credit: Haper's Bazaar
Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth share more than a loving relationship— they are also firm believers in veganism. It was the death of a beloved pet that Miley was awakened and decided to stop consuming animal products in any way. However, it was Woody Harrelson who influenced Liam to turn vegan when they were working on Hunger Games.
Peter Dinklage
“By buying meat, eggs, and dairy products, you're paying for cruelty.” It’s a statement that you wouldn’t expect from the guy who portrays Tyrion Lannister on Game of Thrones but he actually hasn’t consumed meat in over 15 years!
Kate Mara
Former House of Cards actress Kate Mara is a fan of the Beyond Meat burger and nut cheeses. She and sister Rooney Mara are animal activists and have been vegan for over five years.
James Cameron
The legendary filmmaker is also a deep-sea explorer, environmentalist, and vegan. His encounters with wildlife, particularly marine species, motivated him to overhaul his diet and he believes that the way to stop climate change is to stop eating animals.
Lionel Messi
Image credit: Lionel Messi Facebook
Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi adheres to a strict diet of whole grains, fresh fruits, and vegetables, according to Live Kindly. He also reduced his intake of sugar and refined flour and gave up pizza, one of his favorite foods, in the process. His nutritionist says that Messi’s diet is the secret to achieving peak performance and it’s due to this kind of dedication to the sport that Messi is included in Ladbrokes’ list of highest earning athletes with a £60m ($78) annual paycheck. Another star on the list, LeBron James, went to a plant based diet during the offseason and attributed his dramatic weight loss to a paleo-vegan diet. Athletes are all about tweaking their lifestyle for marginal gains that can put them on a whole ‘nother level.
Venus Williams
To combat her autoimmune disorder, Venus Williams decided to adopt a raw vegan diet. The 38-year old elite athlete is vocal about how her newfound diet has enabled her a successful comeback to tennis.
If you were wondering which like-minded individuals share your advocacy, this a good list of people to start with. We could go on and on about the list of plant-based celebrities. Hopefully, they will use their status to influence more people adopt a healthier and kinder lifestyle.
by Jane Grates
Biena Chickpeas Are a Great Way to Fuel Your Day
Runners are a competitive group by nature. Whether they can log more miles, run faster, eat more healthily, or sleep more each night, when it comes to improvement runners will often do anything they can to gain a competitive edge.
Fortunately, the medical profession tends to agree that the things runners can do to elevate their game are things that would benefit most people’s health in general, such as eating more fruits and vegetables, consuming more whole grains than refined, sleeping more, drinking enough water, and exercising more often than not. Unfortunately, though, there’s also a lot of misinformation out there. Anyone who has ever logged onto the internet, even once, knows that there are no fewer than a million “best diets” information published online, all with “leading expert opinion” espousing why one is better than another.
The disagreement as to which types of foods are best for runners can be frustrating and troubling. Worst case scenario, runners eat something and later find themselves mid-run with a case of “runner’s trots” or “code brown” -- an urgent, gastrointestinal emergency -- which most every runner has endured at least once in his/her running exploits.
It’s important for runners to be cognizant of both what they’re eating and when they’re eating it, relative to when they’ll begin their runs. Typically speaking, foods that are very “heavy” in nature -- such as those that are fried, very rich in fiber or otherwise bulky/cruciferous, or those that are laden with lots of dairy or cheese products -- can quickly upset runners’ stomachs. Remember: during the act of running, blood flow to the stomach and to the digestive tract gets shunted in preference to other bodily systems. That, combined with the pounding from each footstrike during a run, and the inherent organ jostling that comes with pounding hundreds, if not hundreds of thousands of time during a run, can lead to a gastrointestinal disaster.
So: are chickpeas good before running, specifically? Let’s explore.
Chickpeas are rich in carbohydrates, protein, and fiber. When it comes to macronutrient breakdown, the humble chickpea or garbanzo bean is a bang for your buck. The legume is an excellent source of both protein and fiber, and more often than not, it’s a very inexpensive purchase. Dollar for dollar -- or penny for penny -- you’ll likely get more mileage, proverbially speaking, from this little legume than from other comparable foods.
Chickpeas have an excellent vitamin and mineral profile. Again, this humble legume contains impressive amounts of vitamins and minerals, all of which have been linked to a healthy diet. They include phosphate, calcium, magnesium, manganese, vitamin K, zinc, iron, vitamin B-6, folate, and more.
Chickpeas can help with satiety. No doubt due to their impressive macronutrient and micronutrient breakdown, chickpeas can be hugely helpful in appetite satiety. In other words: eating chickpeas can often make you feel fuller, faster. If you’re eating or snacking on chickpeas, you will likely feel less inclined to eat lots of other foods simply because you won’t be hungry for them!
Chickpeas after running: yay or nay? YAY, absolutely! When it comes to post-run recovery, particularly after a strenuous workout or a long run, refueling with chickpeas may be just what the doctor (or dietitian) ordered. Because they have such an excellent nutritional profile, they can be excellent sources to help aid in the cellular- and muscular-level repair processes bodies undertake after strenuous efforts. Whether you’re tossing them in salads, making your own hummus and falafel, or being creative with these mighty little guys, chickpeas as a post-run recovery option is definitely a viable way to go.
Next time you’re preparing for a run, consider having a chickpea-rich meal on hand for afterward to help aid in your body’s recovery and repair processes like Biena Snacks! Biena Snacks has plenty of options to choose from such as Sea Salt, Honey Roasted, and Habanero! Not only will your body thank you, but so, too, will your taste buds!
AUTHOR’S BIO: JANE GRATES
A hiking enthusiast and a vegan. Operating at the junction of simplicity and intellectual purity to craft experiences that go beyond design. She also writes reviews and recommendations on Runnerclick, ThatSweetGift, NicerShoes and GearWeAre.
By Ashley Brooke
Easy Healthy Snacks to Pack for Travel
For those always on the go, health and nutrition tend to fall down the priority list. However, with all the stresses and changes that come with traveling, it’s important to incorporate healthy habits into your new routine. Regardless of where you’re headed, or for how long, here are some tips and tricks to help you stay on track.
- Before embarking on a trip, pack some nutritious and filling snacks (especially for those long plane rides). Some easy-to-pack foods include nuts (be cautious of those with allergies around you), Biena Snacks, peanut butter sandwiches, dried fruit, whole grain crackers, and wholesome granola/protein bars.
- Certainly, enjoy the delicacies of wherever you are- just don’t go overboard. When you can, try to incorporate whole foods and fruits/vegetables in meals.
- Skip the escalator/elevator and take the stairs! If possible, opt to walk and explore new locations by foot.
- Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Carrying around a filtered water bottle is a great way to ensure that you consume enough fluids when water fountains may be scarce.
- If you’re staying in one place for an extended period of time, find a nearby grocery store and stock up. Grab some fresh fruits and vegetables, yogurts, oatmeal, and other easily prepared foods to balance out your restaurant indulgences. (This will also save money!)
- Snack between meals. You won’t be rampant when it comes to dinner time and can avoid the hanger-fueled
If you do get the opportunity to workout while traveling, make sure to fuel your body with the proper nutrients before-hand. Wondering what constitutes a proper pre-workout snack? Keep reading for the ultimate healthy travel hack!
Looking for a quick pre-workout snack that will give you the energy to crush your workout? Biena Snacks are an excellent choice, and are especially handy when you’re short on time- they require no meal prep and can be eaten on the go. With 5-6 grams of protein and 20% of your daily fiber per pack, Biena Snacks provide you with the ideal balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fiber. The protein in these roasted chickpeas assists your muscles in the repair and recovery process, and can improve muscle growth. The carbohydrates may be utilized as fuel for your muscles, allowing you to maintain intensity throughout the duration of your workout. Here’s a bonus- these tasty chickpeas are non-GMO and gluten-free! You can rest assured that your body is being fueled only with clean, wholesome ingredients.
Whether you have a salty or sweet tooth, there’s a flavor for every taste bud! With options ranging from Sour Cream & Onion to Thin Mints, it’s no wonder these snacks were voted one of The Best Foods for Runners in 2017. Before you gear up for your next workout, head to your local grocery store and stock up on some yummy Biena Snacks!
By EJ Linehan
Achieve Your Daily Fiber Requirements With Biena Chickpea Snacks
Many of us already know the things we need to do in order to lose and/or manage our weight: Monitor portion sizes, eat fruits & vegetables, exercise, and consume lean proteins. But one thing that many of us severely lack on a daily basis, which is important to achieving and maintaining a smaller waistline, is eating the right amount of fiber.
According to WebMD, Americans only consume half the fiber they need each day. How much fiber should you be eating? WebMD states women under 50-years-old should be consuming 25g of fiber per day, while men should be even higher with 38g of fiber daily. If you’re struggling to hit your fiber goals, all you have to do is add 1-2 cups (or several serving sizes) of Biena Chickpea Snacks to your daily diet! To put that into further context, it would take nearly two servings of berries or broccoli to achieve the grams of fiber found in a single serving of Biena Chickpeas.
What exactly is fiber anyway?
The easiest definition of dietary fiber to understand comes from WebMD. “It's a carbohydrate found in plant foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Unlike other carbs, it isn’t easily digested by your body, so it passes quickly through your system without causing your blood sugar to rise.”
Fiber makes you feel fuller longer while proving your digestive track with things it needs such as short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), including acetic, propionic, and butyric acid. These SCFAs provide fuel to the cells that line your intestinal wall. The kind of fiber found in chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, also helps lower your risk of colon problems such as colon cancer.
Something to note is that chickpeas are part of the legume family. And a study conducted by Spanish researchers discovered that people whose diets include four weekly servings of legumes lost more weight and improved their cholesterol verse those who didn’t. So not only do chickpeas provide essential fiber, they contribute to other areas of your wellness thanks to their high protein levels. The macronutrients of carbs, protein, and healthy fat also keep blood sugar levels steady. These are just a few of the reasons popular and trusted food websites recommend chickpeas as one of the top foods you should eat.
Some people shy away from chickpeas because of the time-consuming prep and roasting process. Well, Biena Snacks takes all the hassle out of preparing chickpeas by doing the roasting for you! Plus, we offer a variety of familiar flavors such as Sea Salt and Dark Chocolate which can be eaten alone or mixed into salads, yogurts, and even ice cream!
Get some today! Biena Snacks Flavor List
Sources: WebMD, World’s Healthiest Foods, Eat This, Not That, CNN
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.
By EJ Linehan
Chocolate Chickpeas: A Healthy Snack for Kids and Adults
Healthy chocolate sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? Chocolate is known for being high in fat and sugar, with no real nutritional value. Dieters and weight management consumers are always searching for a chocolate alternative that actually tastes good, but have little success finding such an item. But don’t worry – Biena Snacks is here to help!
Biena has three delicious chocolate-covered Chickpea Snacks available – Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, and Salted Caramel. The snacks are made with Biena’s Sea Salt Roasted Chickpeas covered in a layer of real Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate or Salted Caramel. The Dark Chocolate used in the Biena Snacks has 55% cacao content to impart a smooth, dark chocolate flavor without excessive bitterness, while the Milk Chocolate has 35% cacao content. You’ll also notice we kept the ingredients very simple. For example, the Dark Chocolate flavor has only 4 ingredients: chickpeas, fair-trade certified dark chocolate, sunflower oil and sea salt. The snacks themselves don’t contain any shellac or some of those glazing ingredients in other chocolate snacks to make them shiny and smooth. We’ve kept our snacks simple because they taste amazing as is!
All three flavors contain 4 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber. That’s more protein and fiber than you’d find in one serving from a chocolate bar. Not to mention our Chocolate Chickpeas contain half the fat and more healthy carbs to fill you up and limit overeating. Plus, one serving size of a chocolate bar is approximately 1-ounce while one serving of Biena Chocolate-Covered Chickpeas approximately 35 chickpeas!
For example, as you may know, dark chocolate is generally considered the healthiest type of chocolate. But a 1-ounce serving of dark chocolate still contains on average 12 grams of fat and 6.7 grams of sugar. Biena Dark Chocolate Chickpeas only contains 6 grams of fat and 5 grams of sugars! Not to mention our chickpeas have nearly 2X the protein and fiber. (I guess we did just mention it. 😆) And if dark chocolate isn’t your thing, we have you covered. You can enjoy our Milk Chocolate and Salted Caramel Chickpeas guilt-free as they contain the same protein, fiber, and low-fat grams as dark chocolate!
Another great thing about Biena Chocolate Chickpeas is that they are the perfect healthy snacks for work, at home and on the go. You can indulge in guilt-free chocolate anywhere.
Use discount code “Welcome” at checkout and get 10% off your first chocolate purchase.
Check out our Chocolate Covered Chickpeas here.
Sources: Nutrition Data, Livestrong
By EJ Linehan
Why Learn How to Roast Chickpeas When We’ll do the Work for You?
We meet lots and lots of people who tell us that they love Biena Chickpeas. Not only do they love our familiar flavors such as Sea Salt and Honey, but people love the fact that they don’t have to dry roast chickpeas themselves. And we don’t blame them! Roasting chickpeas takes a lot of prep and time. Biena Snacks handles all that hard work and allows you to simply enjoy the spoils of our crispy roasted chickpea snacks.
But what are the steps to roast chickpeas (garbanzo beans)?
Of course, we can’t tell you the super-secret Biena steps to making the perfect chickpea snack. It’s like asking your friend’s grandmother for her pasta sauce recipe. She’s never going to tell you, but would love to have you over for dinner to enjoy it!
We constantly hear from our fans how hard it is to make chickpeas at home and that the chickpeas never come out right. It can be frustrating spending so much time prepping and roasting only to get overly dry or rock-hard chickpeas.
Basically, you can spend a couple hours roasting chickpeas yourself or let your good friends at Biena Snacks do the work for you! Here’s a side-by-side (ish) comparison of how we can save you the time.
Are canned chickpeas already cooked?
Yes, but they are not roasted. So you need to spend hours to complete that process. Or you can pick-up a bag of our flavored chickpeas which are already roasted!
Do you need to soak chickpeas before roasting?
You should thoroughly clean and rinse garbanzo beans from a can. But our Biena Chickpeas are ready to eat right from the bag!
How long do you bake chickpeas?
About 40 minutes if you get them raw or from a can. Or, wait for it, you can eat Biena Chickpeas which are roasted and ready to eat immediately!
How long can you keep chickpeas after roasting them?
Chickpeas you roast at home last about two weeks before you need to dispose of them. Biena Chickpeas last on average for one year in an unopened package.
What spices go on roasted chickpeas?
This is really up to you. People have different taste pallets and enjoy different flavors. For this reason, Biena’s Roasted Chickpeas come in a variety of 10 flavors including Ranch, Sour Cream & Onion, Salted Caramel, and Dark Chocolate!
If we’ve sold you on allowing us to do your chickpea roasting for you, but don’t see the flavor you want, email us! We love suggestions and you may just inspire the next line of Biena Snacks!
Sources: All Recipes, Martha Stewart
Author: EJ Linehan
By EJ Linehan
Habanero is Coming for the Jalapeno
Habanero flavored snacks are quickly becoming a popular on-the-go treat. For years, people have enjoyed adding habanero hot sauce to their dinner for a little extra kick. Habanero peppers are for people who are ready to move past the universally popular jalapeno. Not that jalapeno peppers aren’t great – they are! But sometimes you need something new, something exciting, something that’ll make you “wow” when you eat it. And that’s why Biena Snacks created our Habanero Roasted Chickpeas!
But How Hot is a Habanero Pepper?
Good question. Habanero peppers get hotter as they ripen from their initial green to their final bright orange or red color. Once they are ripe, the peppers are very hot, rated 100,000–350,000 on the Scoville scale.
But don’t worry. Our crunchy habanero chickpeas are medium-spice. You’ll get a burst of flavor with just the right amount of spice! Our Habanero Chickpea Snacks are such a great balance of flavor and spice it has become our most award-winning flavor! The editors Shape Magazine and Cooking Light Magazine chose them as one of the best tasting healthy snacks on the market! You can check out the snacks HERE.
Are There Benefits to Eating Habaneros?
Another great question. According to LiveStrong.com, consuming habanero peppers can help fight against prostate cancer and obesity while lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. Obviously eating our habanero flavored chickpeas isn’t the same as eating a habanero. But our healthy snack does offer a delicious crunch with 6 grams of protein and fiber! Plus, our crispy chickpeas are low-fat, registering only 3 grams per serving. So, you can enjoy all of the spicy goodness with none of the guilt.
Source: Wikipedia, Habanero Madness