Chickpea

Chickpeas can be offered when your baby is ready for solids, around 6 months. Whole chickpeas carry a choking risk, so prepare them for your baby's age.

Chickpeas are native to the Mediterranean region. Today they are a staple in many cuisines. This legume has countless names. Garbanzo, ceci, chana and nokhod are just some of them. They differ in color, shape, and size. The Kabuli and Desi types are the most common worldwide.

Nutrition

Chickpeas supply a lot of protein, carbohydrate, and fiber. They bring folate, iron, choline, zinc, and vitamin B6 as well. These nutrients support nervous system development, metabolism, growth, and taste and smell.

Iron absorption

Vitamin C raises absorption of plant iron. Serve chickpeas with foods rich in vitamin C.

Canned and dried chickpeas

Tinned chickpeas and dried ones cooked all the way through both work.

Soaking and cooking

Dried chickpeas do not have to be soaked. Soaking shortens cooking, helps them cook through, and lowers lectins and the gas-causing sugar raffinose. For an overnight soak, use about 2.5 liters of water for 454 g (1 lb) of dried chickpeas and leave them 4 hours or overnight. For the hot method, boil them in the same amount of water for 2 to 3 minutes, switch off the heat, and let them sit for a few hours. In both, drain and rinse before cooking. If they will not soften, they may be old. Recently packed chickpeas cook more easily.

Lectins

Anti-nutrients are plant compounds, for example lectins, oxalates, and phytates, and soaking and cooking reduce them. In a balanced diet they are harmless for most people.

Hummus

Hummus usually contains tahini, a sesame paste. Do not serve hummus until sesame allergy has been ruled out.

A whole chickpea is small and round, and hard if raw or undercooked. These traits raise choking risk. Prepare it for your baby's age and stay within arm's reach at meals.

In the US chickpea is not listed among the common allergens, whereas in India and Spain allergy to it is frequent. Reactions can sometimes be severe, and some cases were triggered by exercise. Some people allergic to chickpea get asthma symptoms from the steam of cooking chickpeas.

Hummus often contains sesame (tahini). People with symptoms after hummus often blame the chickpeas, when sesame is the more frequent allergen.

An allergy to one legume does not make you allergic to every legume, yet the odds of having several do rise. Chickpea and lentil allergy can appear together.

Legumes such as chickpeas can bother people with a birch or plane tree pollen allergy, or with oral allergy syndrome. That usually means a brief itchy, tingly or stinging feeling in the mouth, and a dangerous reaction is unlikely.

Give a small amount for the first servings and watch. If there is no reaction, raise it slowly.