In this recipe I use ingredients that are commonly found in tuna salad. Vegenaise (reduced fat) and Just Mayo are usually my mayos of choice, but you can use any mayonnaise you like. The nutritional yeast adds flavor and protein to the dish. I like to coarsely mash the cooked chickpeas to have some texture. I prepared this dish at work and the customers really liked it. One customer commented that he was endeavoring to eat less meat and was looking for vegetarian sandwich ideas. He said this one was a winner and grabbed the recipe and all the ingredients so that he could make it at home. Success!

Ingredients

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
2–3 tablespoons Vegenaise (or your favorite mayo)
2–3 tablespoons chopped white or red onion
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1–2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
¼ teaspoon salt
Black pepper, to taste

Put chickpeas in a mixing bowl and mash with fork or masher, or coarsely chop in food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly until well combined. Serve on bread, or with a salad, or have as a snack. Serves 2–4.

Health Benefits of Chickpeas

Whether you call it a chickpea or a garbanzo bean, there’s no question that chickpeas are a healthy addition to any diet. Chickpeas are naturally low in fat, high in dietary fiber and rich in vitamins and minerals. Eating chickpeas regularly can help you manage your weight, boost intestinal health and reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Cholesterol

Having elevated cholesterol levels significantly increases your risk of suffering from a stroke or heart attack. Eating soluble-rich foods like chickpeas and oatmeal can reduce your cholesterol levels naturally. In a study published in the June 2008 Journal of the American Dietetic Association, researchers investigated the effect of around 700 g of chickpeas weekly on a group of adults with high cholesterol. The researchers found that chickpeas effectively reduced the cholesterol levels of participants by an average of 16 mg/dl.

Weight Loss

Including fiber-rich foods in your diet plan can make weight loss more effective. Fiber distends your stomach, making you feel satiated for longer periods. If you eat legumes like chickpeas regularly you can expect more robust weight loss than you’d get from simply cutting calories, a study described in the March 2009 Journal of Medicinal Food states. Volunteers in that study who ate legumes daily lost an average of 8 lbs. over an eight-week period — outperforming a typical low-calorie diet.

Intestinal Health

Fiber-rich foods like chickpeas help promote a healthy intestine. The fiber in chickpeas lessens the strain on your intestine, reducing the risk of painful diverticulitis disease and constipation, Harvard University reports. A single-cup serving of canned chickpeas contains more than 10 g of fiber, the USDA Nutrient Database states.

Diabetes

People who eat legumes are less likely to become type 2 diabetic, according to a study published in the January American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The paper reports on a study which found that women who ate legumes like chickpeas were 40 percent less likely to get type 2 diabetes than women that who didn’t eat legumes. The authors note that the carbohydrates in legumes are digested slowly, reducing the blood sugar peaks and valleys that can contribute to insulin resistance and diabetes. ~livestrong.com

 Benefits of Nutritional Yeast

• With 18 amino acids, nutritional yeast is a complete protein. It is considered to be 55% high quality protein. In addition to that, it has 15 minerals.
• For vegetarians and those who are on a low cholesterol diet, yeast is a great substitute for meat, dairy products or other sources of proteins that are also rich in fats.
• It is a rich source of vitamin B complex which helps in managing stress levels, maintains a good metabolic rate, prevents cancer of the pancreas and ensures a healthy skin.
  In fact, vitamin B12 which is deficient in most vegetarian foods is also added in certain varieties of nutritional yeast. This vitamin is produced separately from bacteria and then added to yeast to increase its health benefits.
• Nutritional yeast consists of a trace mineral – chromium, which is known as Glucose Tolerance Factor (GTF). It is beneficial for dealing with diabetes, low blood pressure and fluctuating blood sugar levels.
• It is also rich in manganese, copper, vanadium, molybdenum and lithium.
• Other health benefits include:
  It maintains ideal intestinal ecology.
  It improves blood production.
  It helps in maintaining optimum cholesterol levels.
  It improves liver health and function.

Nutritional Yeast in Your Diet

Its nutty and cheese like flavor also has a role to play in popularizing this supplement. It is favored by many people as a cheese substitute. Here are some ways in which it can be included in the diet:

• Use it as a topping for popcorn, instead of butter and salt.
• Put in on your scrambled eggs.
• Use it for its cheesy flavor in pizzas, pastas and casseroles.
• Add to soup to give it a creamy taste without adding milk.
• Use it with fried or mashed potatoes.
• It can be used with gravies and sauces.
• Mix it with vinegar and oil and use as salad dressing.
• Mix 1 tablespoon with every 2 cups of vegetable mixture for burgers.
• Add 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast to each cup of flour while making baked foods.
• What is best about this yeast is that it is a tasty way of staying healthy. Just sprinkle a few flakes in your soup or in your breakfast cereal, and get a tasty meal fortified with proteins, vitamins and minerals.

Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/nutritional-yeast-benefits.html