Pulse-powered pasta: Chickapea launches organic pulse based Mac & Cheese

02 Mar 2018 --- US based company Chickapea has launched a new line of pulse based Mac and Cheese to the market. The “mac” is created from chickpeas and lentils, while the “cheese” is organic, according to Chickapea. The product boasts 19g of protein, 8g of fiber and less than 500mg of sodium per serving. The product joins an established market of pulse-based pasta products

“We're so excited to bring Chickapea Mac and Cheese to market,” says Shelby Taylor, founder and CEO at Chickapea. “It's packed full of nutrients and tastes like the cheesy traditional comfort food we all love and grew up on. Our mission at Chickapea is to make healthy eating simple, convenient and delicious by reinventing comfort foods with only nutritious, organic ingredients.”

Chickapea’s founder, Shelby Taylor, had a difficult time creating a pasta that had absolutely no fillers in it, especially in terms of taste and shape, Kim Masin, Chickapea Marketing Manager, tells NutritionInsight. But from Taylor’s experience of working in a health food store, she says she knew what customers wanted and what was missing in the healthy food market: “Something that was familiar and good for you — not just better for you."

Chickapea’s Mac and Cheese is available in three different flavors, although a vegan variety with a “creamy vegetable sauce” is in the pipeline.

Alternative pastas, crackers and breads made from pulses have begun making their appearance in supermarket aisles globally. A sure draw for certain consumers is the wheat-free - and therefore often gluten-free – status of these products. 

Aside from the benefits of being gluten-free, pulse-based pastas are nutritionally richer than their wheat based cousins. They are high in protein and fiber yet also lower in carbs and are made from more satiating complex carbs, over simple carbs. Our sister website, FoodIngredientsFirst, has further explored pulse-based protein sources that can be used to create products, such as pasta.

by Laxmi Haigh