Garbanzo Bean Salad

I'm loving that you are all enjoying my food diary! I wasn't sure how it'd go, but I'm enjoying it, too. It's one thing to write down the things I eat in a day. And -- confession time -- sometimes in the past when I simply wrote down my intake, I'd LIE to myself. Trust me, it doesn't make sense to me either, but I'd conveniently leave out things like . . . well . . . five cookies. Hahah.

So, the photos are keeping me honest. And in the spirit of honesty, I need to add an 80 calorie serving of bittersweet chocolate chips to yesterday's mix. (I ate them after the post.)

And if you've missed Day 1 and Day 2 of my food diary, feel free to check them out ASAP.


Anyway, lots of you want the garbanzo bean salad recipe. I anticipated this. After all, a good lunch recipe can make your day (just like it did mine). This dish packs around 600 to 650 calories. Sounds like a lot, but when you consider that it keeps you full all day (and who says you need to eat it all in one sitting? I picked at it throughout the day), it's worth trying out.

What you'll need . . .

• 1 can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
• 2 carrots, scrubbed and chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar (I used Xagave, but you could also use honey)
• 1 tablespoon almond milk (or other substitute)
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened coconut flakes
• Pepper (to taste)

Method . . .

1. In a medium bowl, toss garbanzo beans, carrots, basil, and coconut flakes.
2. In a small bowl, use a fork to whisk together the tahini, agave, and almond milk.
3. Add sauce to veggies/etc., toss, and season with pepper as desired.

The only critique I have of this recipe is that it packs 45% of your daily sodium intake. I guess I didn't realize canned garbanzos have so much salt in them! The good news is that my salt intake yesterday -- not counting this recipe -- was minimal. I'm trying to be more conscious of adding salt to everything (which I started to do this year for some reason). However, the next time we hit the store, I'm going to pick up some dried chickpeas and use them. From now on. After reading this info, I want to use less of the canned variety. There's so much more nutrition when you take a little more time to revive the dried.

So, whatever you choose, I hope you enjoy this recipe. It's immensely tasty. Incredibly easy. Unique in flavor. And easily adaptable -- try it with other veggies and fruits (raisins would be a nice addition), and let me know all about it! Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker@gmail.com.

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