--- title: Health Benefits of Chickpeas and High Fiber Foods: Is Falafel Healthy? description: Are high-fiber foods healthy when they become fried foods? Find out the truth about falafel and the health benefits of chickpeas canonical: https://time.com/3772723/falafel-fiber-chickpeas/ author: Mandy Oaklander article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-04-09T12:00:24.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:41:01.743Z article:section: Health og:title: Should You Eat Falafel? og:description: Is it really a health food? Five experts weigh in og:url: https://time.com/3772723/falafel-fiber-chickpeas/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt71493a28a047848c/6987ea25a988ca74116b0153/screen-shot-2015-04-08-at-12-58-09-pm.png?branch=production&width=562&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 562 og:image:height: 316 og:image:alt: screen-shot-2015-04-08-at-12-58-09-pm.png og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Should You Eat Falafel? twitter:description: Is it really a health food? Five experts weigh in twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt71493a28a047848c/6987ea25a988ca74116b0153/screen-shot-2015-04-08-at-12-58-09-pm.png?branch=production&width=562&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Should I Eat Falafel? > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=96ac5a23-f3a5-4307-b8e2-d612e44c34d2&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Daily | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Tuesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=96ac5a23-f3a5-4307-b8e2-d612e44c34d2&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=96ac5a23-f3a5-4307-b8e2-d612e44c34d2&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ## Video: A Year in Space: The Mission [Watch (HLS stream): A Year in Space: The Mission](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/gEqrnCPI.m3u8) (3:59)  _Published 2015-03-24. On March 28, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly begins a historic year in Space. Time follows Kelly and his twin brother, Mark, as they work the test the boundaries of long-term space travel._  by [Mandy Oaklander](https://time.com/author/mandy-oaklander/)  ## Mandy Oaklander Oaklander is a senior editor at TIME. Apr 9, 2015 12:00 PM UTC  by [Mandy Oaklander](https://time.com/author/mandy-oaklander/)  ## Mandy Oaklander Oaklander is a senior editor at TIME. Apr 9, 2015 12:00 PM UTC **5/5 experts say yes.**  Illustration by Lon Tweeten for TIME Prepare the pita: falafel’s a health food, say all five of our experts. That’s great news for lovers of the little gold balls, made from soaked chickpeas, parsley, garlic and spices. Rich in plant protein with about 2 grams per ball, falafel stands in handily for red meat. “I certainly eat falafel,” says **Dr. Walter Willett**, chair of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. “Imagine falafel with a Middle Eastern salad replacing meatballs and spaghetti made with white flour.” But the benefits go far beyond plant-based protein. A 3.6-ounce portion of chickpeas—what’s in three falafel balls, roughly—gives you about 26% of the daily recommended fiber. “As a result, falafel can improve bowel function and decrease the absorbance of both cholesterol and simple sugars,” says **Peter Zahradka**, PhD, principal investigator in molecular physiology at the Canadian Centre for Agri-food Research in Health and Medicine at St. Boniface Hospital in Winnepeg. It’s worth meditating a minute on the benefits of fiber, since most of us don’t come close to the recommended 25 grams a day. Doing so would do us good, says **Phil Chilibeck**, PhD, professor at the University of Saskatchewan. “High-fiber foods will help to lower blood lipid levels”—i.e. cholesterol—“reducing your risk of heart disease and also lowering your risk of colon cancer,” he says. A study earlier this year found that people who simply[ added more fiber-rich foods](http://time.com/3709904/fiber-weight-loss/) lost the same amount of weight and showed similar drops in cholesterol, blood pressure and inflammation as people who were assigned a low-fat diet. Foods like chickpeas help fill that fiber gap. “Our own [research](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24075762) has shown that legumes like chickpeas can actually improve the function of our blood vessels,” Zahradka says. “This makes falafel potentially a very good way of reducing the risk of heart disease, especially if the fat content is kept low through baking.” Must we really ditch frying the balls? Yes, say both Chilibeck and Zahradka. “Personally, I like falafel a lot,” says Zahradka, “but would not recommend eating it regularly if fried, since it adds too much fat to the diet.” **Kristin Kirkpatrick**, registered dietitian and manager of wellness nutrition services at Cleveland Clinic, concurs. But Willett has another take. “Deep-frying is not necessarily bad if the oil is non-hydrogenated unsaturated oil from plant sources, and if care is taken to not overheat the oil,” he says. “Until recently, most commercial deep frying used beef fat or oils high in trans fat. This was unhealthy, but most deep frying now is done with trans-fat-free oils that are largely unsaturated, and these can actually reduce your blood cholesterol levels and decrease risk of heart disease.” So should you eat falafel? “Hell ya!” says **David Katz**, MD, director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center, in a short but spirited response. “Chickpeas, spices, olive oil. Love it!” _Read next:_[ _Should I Eat Tofu?_](http://time.com/3712038/should-i-eat-tofu/) [_Listen to the most important stories of the day._](http://time.com/newsletter/the-brief/?sl%5Fautoplay=true&xid=spl-fullbrief-article) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3772723/falafel-fiber-chickpeas/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3772723/falafel-fiber-chickpeas/"},"headline":"Should I Eat Falafel?","datePublished":"2015-04-09T12:00:24.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:41:01.743Z","description":"Are high-fiber foods healthy when they become fried foods? Find out the truth about falafel and the health benefits of chickpeas","url":"https://time.com/3772723/falafel-fiber-chickpeas/","keywords":["Diet & Nutrition","fiber","should i eat this?"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt71493a28a047848c/6987ea25a988ca74116b0153/screen-shot-2015-04-08-at-12-58-09-pm.png?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Mandy Oaklander","jobTitle":"Oaklander is a senior editor at TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/mandy-oaklander/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt71493a28a047848c/6987ea25a988ca74116b0153/screen-shot-2015-04-08-at-12-58-09-pm.png?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"screen-shot-2015-04-08-at-12-58-09-pm.png","caption":"","creditText":"","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/dietnutrition/","name":"Diet & Nutrition"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3772723/falafel-fiber-chickpeas/","name":"Should I Eat Falafel?"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"A Year in Space: The Mission","description":"On March 28, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly begins a historic year in Space. Time follows Kelly and his twin brother, Mark, as they work the test the boundaries of long-term space travel.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/gEqrnCPI/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-03-24T14:30:40.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/gEqrnCPI.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3772723/falafel-fiber-chickpeas/","duration":"PT3M59S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3772723/falafel-fiber-chickpeas/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```