Is Chickpea Flour Keto-Friendly? (& Substitutes)

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Legumes are typically not keto-friendly but you may wonder whether chickpea flour is different and what other options you have.

Unfortunately, chickpea flour is simply made by grinding down regular chickpeas. That means it is very high in carbs.

More specifically, one example of chickpea flour contains 47 grams of net carbohydrates (total carbs minus fiber) per 100 grams.

In turn, it is fair to say that chickpea flour is not keto-friendly at all.

A few chickpea flour substitutes that are better for staying in ketosis include flaxseed meal, ground chia, seeds, and almond flour.

Keep in mind that these still contain some amounts of carbs.

Is chickpea flour low-carb?

One of the most important keto-related nutrition details in foods like chickpea flour is the number of carbohydrates. This influences what portions would still fit within your keto diet.

100 grams of chickpea flour contains the following amounts of carbs (1):

  • Total carbs: 57.8 grams
  • Of which fiber: 10.8 grams
  • Net carbs: 47 grams

To stay in ketosis, most people will need to get less than 5% to 10% of their calories from carbohydrates.

This keto fact typically means eating less than 20g – 50g of carbs a day.

If you consider that you will want to eat other foods too, it becomes clear that chickpea flour is typically not keto-friendly.

One cup of chickpea flour is about 92 grams and contains the following amounts of carbs:

  • Total carbs: 53.2 grams
  • Of which fiber: 9.9 grams
  • Net carbs: 43.3 grams

By making your portions of chickpea flour smaller, you will also consume fewer carbs.

This means you could theoretically fit in a tiny amount of chickpea flour on a ketogenic diet.

That being said, you likely don’t want to consume this many carbs in such a small amount of food. You will likely get hungry and lack nutrients when doing this.

Other nutrients in chickpea flour

From the number of carbohydrates in chickpea flour, it becomes clear that this food is not suited for ketogenic diets.

That being said, you may still want to know what chickpea flour looks like in terms of other nutrients. 100 grams contains the following amounts (1):

  • Calories: 387
  • Protein: 22.4 grams
  • Carbs: 57.8 grams
  • Part of the carbs that is fiber: 10.8 grams
  • Fat: 6.7 grams
  • Folate: 109% of the DV (Daily Value)
  • Manganese: 80% of the DV
  • Copper: 46% of the DV
  • Magnesium: 41% of the DV
  • Thiamin: 32% of the DV

And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.

Chickpea flour is relatively high in net carbs but it does contain nice amounts of valuable nutrients.

If you don’t necessarily want to stay keto, you could still consider this food option.

Substitutes for chickpea flour on keto

There are a variety of flour substitutes besides chickpea flour. Some of these are better for staying in ketosis due to their low net carb counts.

You can find these net carb counts next to the chickpea flour substitutes below (3, 4, 5, 6):

  • Flaxseed meal: 0 grams of net carbs
  • Ground chia seeds: 10 grams of net carbs
  • Almond flour: 13.3 grams of net carbs
  • Coconut flour: 26.7 grams of net carbs

As you can see, these chickpea flour substitutes often still contain relatively high amounts of net carbs.

You likely still have to keep an eye on your portions of these if you want to stay in ketosis.

Why are you following a ketogenic diet?

By now, it should be clear that chickpea flour is not keto-friendly at all. Even tiny amounts can increase your carb intake too much to stay in ketosis.

Before just deciding that you will never eat chickpea flour again it can be worth taking a step back and considering why you are following a ketogenic diet.

Most people follow this diet for weight loss and general health.

For these purposes, chickpea flour and chickpeas can still be helpful. Even if they kick you out of ketosis.

Ketogenic diets have their benefits but they are typically not the only way to lose weight and get healthier.

Is chickpea flour high in carbs?

Chickpea flour contains around 57.8 grams of total carbs (including 10.8 grams of fiber). This is typically considered to be high in carbs.

How many net carbs are there in chickpea flour?

100 grams of chickpea flour contains around 47 grams of net carbs. Different ways of processing the chickpeas can influence the exact nutrient composition.

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Author:

Matt Claes founded Weight Loss Made Practical to help people get in shape and stay there after losing 37 pounds and learning the best of the best about weight loss, health, and longevity for over 4 years. Over these years he has become an expert in nutrition, exercise, and other physical health aspects.