I've recently (about 3 weeks ago now) cut meat out from my diet and couldn't feel any better for it! Before deciding to cut out all meat including poultry from my diet I researched the possible side effects and so on, and I came to the conclusion that I needed to bring something else into my diet that would give me a source of protein. I am still eating fish at the minute but I don't really want to eat it everyday, which is why chickpeas come in handy. Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans are really versatile and tasty and they also have many health benefits. Not only are they full of protein and fibre but they also apparently help to lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

In my opinion, chickpeas are chickpeas, which is why I set out to pick up the cheapest that I could see. There wasn't many brands to choose from to be honest so I just grabbed these, which are the Tesco own brand. I was hoping to buy a multi-pack however they're only available in individual 400 gram cans, which are priced at 79p each. This is quite expensive for one can of chickpeas however the can's a decent size and I have found that I can get 3 or 4 decent sized servings out of one can. Packaging wise, the chickpeas come in an average allumenium can which has pictures of chickpeas all over it with the Tesco logo as well as the product name. The nutritional values are also stated clearly on the front.

The can needs to be opened with a tin opener which is a little more time consuming then it would be to just have a pull ring, but no big deal! The can is full to the brim with chickpeas and water and I usually drain some of the water off but keep some (around half a can) to boil the chickpeas in if i'm putting them into a soup but if i'm making humous I obviously drain it all off. Tesco state that the chickpeas come in water, which they do, but upon looking at the ingredients I can see that there's also salt in there. This isn't noticeable though (taste wise) and the water doesn't have a briney type of colour or taste. The chickpeas all look relatively fresh and are consistent in size and shape. They're a beige colour and are quite hard to the touch.

I make loads of different meals and snacks with chickpeas. They're seriously so versatile! My current favourites are couscous with chickpeas mixed in, vegetable soup with chickpeas mixed in to bulk it up and add protein, chickpea curry and ofcourse humous. It's so easy to make humous; all you need is chickpeas, a blender, oil, lemon juice and garlic and it tastes amazing - even my boyfriend asks for seconds lol. I also came across a 'chickpea burger' recipe a few days ago and am going to try it sometime as it sounds yummy. The chickpeas are rich and flavoursome and really tasty, they taste good quality and not bland or wattery and they're just the right texture; not too hard but not at all mushy. They are suitable for veggies and vegans. Calorie wise, there are 89 calories per 80 grams - not bad at all and they're so filling. I overall reccomend these chickpeas as although they seem a bit pricey a can does last for a number of servings and the chickpeas are tasty & good quality.