Healthy food and diet are necessary for an individual to stay healthy and fit. A balanced diet constitutes or is filled up with every type of nutrition necessary for our body that are vitamins, minerals, fats, carbohydrates, proteins, etc. Many food items have one or more nutrient or sometimes contains all the nutrients like – legumes, nuts, dairy products, fruits, green vegetables.

Chickpea vs Almond

The main difference between Chickpea and Almond is that Chickpea belongs to the Fabaceae family, which is a legume family, while the other hand Almond belongs to the Rosaceae family, which is the Rose family which is a flowering family. Chickpea is a legume used or eaten raw or boiled, and the rest plant part is used as fodder, while Almond is a type of nut that is eaten raw mostly and is used in making cuisine and sweet dishes.

Chickpea is one of the members of leguminous plants or legume family. The scientific name for the chickpea authorized by IUPAC is Cicer arietinum. They belong to the Fabaceae family (legume family), which was earlier known as Leguminosae. The nutrients value of chickpea is rich, as in proteins and fats. 

Almond is one of the healthiest nuts referred for good health by doctors and experts. The nutrient values and calories of it are quite high and rich. The protein and fat content of the almond is quite high. The scientific name of the Almond authorized by IUPAC is Prunus dulcis. 

 Comparison Table Between Chickpea and Almond

What is Chickpea?

Chickpea is also widely known as gram which has different varieties and species known to the world. The different names and varieties that are known include Bengal gram, garbanzo gram, Egyptian gram. The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is responsible for the nomenclature assigned to every organism known; thus, the scientific name assigned to chickpea is Cicer arietinum. India, the Mediterranean, Middle East uses chickpea as an important key product in meals. 

Chickpea belongs to the family Fabaceae which was earlier known as Leguminosae and commonly known as legume family or pea family. Chickpeas are quite high in calcium, dietary fibers, iron, potassium, calories, iron, etc. The amount of folate present in chickpea is quite high. 

The morphology of the plant is that the length of the plant of chickpea is about 25-50 cm in height, erect, and is bushy. The leaf of the chickpea is somewhat elliptical or ovate. The body of the stem is covered with hairs, and the color of the flowers varied from white to pink. 

Chickpea has varied uses like – use as fodder to feed animals because of its richness in protein, the stems can be eaten if cultivated at an early stage, the seed or the chickpea can be consumed raw, roasted, or boiled, the chickpea flour is used in making falafel, also a key ingredient of chana masala and hummus. 

What is Almond?

Almond is a species of tree, and the fruit of the tree is known as a drupe. The native origin of the almond is said to be Iran and the other countries surrounding it. Almonds do have different varieties, and thus that the pricing of them is placed accordingly. The scientific name of the Almond that has been given by the International Union of Pure Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is Prunus dulcis.

Almonds are rich in nutrient value such as protein, fats, calcium, dietary fiber, iron, magnesium, potassium, calories. Almonds are reportedly having a high amount of riboflavin and niacin present in them. They are also a rich source of Vitamin E. The reported calories per 100g in almond is about 579 calories. 

The plant morphology of almond is that it grows up to a height of about 4-10 m. The twigs of the tree in the initial periods are green, then due to the exposure of sunlight turns purple and then in their second year become grey. The leaf of the plant is serrate, and the flowers have different colors varying from white to pale pink color. Considering the seed of the plant, which is called a drupe, is also the nut that is widely known to be as for itself that is almond. The outer covering of the shell is hard, and inside is the ‘almond’ which is consumed. 

Almonds are used in a variety of Indian cuisines, and they are the favorite ingredient for the sweet dish. It is also used in extracting oil which is rich in Vitamin E and is widely used as hair oil. It can be consumed raw or toasted. It is also a favorite choice of ingredient by the world-famous cuisines.  

Main Differences Between Chickpea and Almond

Conclusion

Chickpea and Almond are both rich in different nutrition required for our body, such as – proteins, calcium, vitamins, dietary fibers, fats, magnesium, iron, potassium, and calories, etc. They both are a key source of nutrition for a well-balanced diet of an individual. The calorie intake of both food sources is different and is rich in their respective nutrient.

Chickpea belonging to a legume family is thus mainly rich in proteins, and Almonds belonging to the rose family are rich in saturated fats and riboflavin and niacin. Both food products can be consumed raw or roasted. The largest production of chickpea is done by India as per the records, while the largest producer for almonds is the United States, followed by Spain, Iran, Morocco.

References

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