How do canned and dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

compare in terms of nutritional value?

The nutritional comparison between canned and non-canned
chickpeas can be a tricky one to make. The problem stems
from a difference in edibility between canned versus dried
chickpeas. Canned chickpeas are "ready-to-eat." They are
fully cooked and can be used as is. Dried chickpeas are not
ready-to-eat and need to be cooked by some method in order
to be fairly compared to canned chickpeas.
Since methods of preparing dried chickpeas can vary greatly,
so can the answers you get in any nutritional comparison
between these two forms of chickpeas. Like any food, it's easy
to overcook chickpeas and create a lot of unnecessary nutrient
loss. When comparing canned to non-canned chickpeas, it's
important to select a ready-to-eat form of non-canned
chickpeas. It's also important to notice the calories and gram
weights of the canned versus non-canned versions. One cup of
canned chickpeas will not have the same amount of calories or
weigh the same as one cup of non-canned chickpeas. In other
words, you will be getting slightly more or less food in one of
the versions, and that difference in amount will affect the
nutrient totals.
Given all of the above factors, we selected two forms of
chickpeas from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Standard
Reference database, in its up-to-date SR21 version. Using this
USDA database, we compared 1 cup of chickpeas (boiled
without salt) and one cup of canned chickpeas. The non-
canned version weighed 164 grams, and the canned version
weighed 240 grams. This difference tells us that some of the
liquid contained in the canned version was probably included
in the analysis, or that the chickpeas in the canned version
were slightly more saturated with water. Still, these two
versions were only 6% different in terms of calories, with the
canned version providing 286 calories and the non-canned
version providing 269 calories. Those numbers are plenty
close for making a general comparison between the two forms
of chickpeas.
First, we'd like to address the issue of sodium. Canned
chickpeas usually contain much more sodium than the non-
canned version. In our comparison, we found 11 milligrams in
the non-canned and 718 milligrams in the canned! However, a
large percentage of this sodium can be removed if the canned
chickpeas are removed from the can, placed in a strainer, and
rinsed thoroughly for about one minute. Because this step is an
easy one to take, we don't consider the sodium difference to be
a problematic one. Here are other key nutrient comparisons
between these two chickpea versions:

Non-Canned
Nutrient Non-Canned Canned
Result
Protein 14.5 grams 11.9 grams 14% greater
Fiber 12.5 grams 12.5 grams 15% greater
Magnesium 79 milligrams 70 milligrams 11% greater
4.74 3.24
Iron 32% greater
milligrams milligrams
2.51 2.54
Zinc 1% lower
milligrams milligrams
282 161
Folate 43% lower
micrograms micrograms
0.228 1.135
Vitamin B6 80% lower
milligrams milligrams
Pantothenic 0.469 0.718 35% lower
Acid milligrams milligrams
0.103 0.079
Vitamin B2 23% higher
milligrams milligrams

As you can see in the above comparison, some nutrients come

out higher in the non-canned chickpeas, and some come out
lower. However, when interpreting the above table, it's also
important to think about the way chickpeas fit into an overall
diet. Legumes, including chickpeas, are typically important for
maintaining healthy levels of protein and fiber, and as the
above comparison shows, both do a great job of providing you
with these nutrients. It's true that the non-canned version is
about 15% higher in both protein and fiber. However, at the
same time, canned chickpeas do a great job of providing you
with these nutrients in highly significant amounts. For
example, the fiber content here is actually greater that the
average adult fiber intake in the U.S. for an entire day!
It's also important to note that some nutrients are never
provided in substantial amounts by any form of chickpeas. For
example, there is no vitamin B12 in chickpeas at all. There is
also very little vitamin E and very little vitamin A. In other
words, it doesn't make sense to us to worry about a nutrient
being lower in canned versus non-canned chickpeas if
chickpeas aren't an important source of that nutrient in the first
place.
Given all of the above considerations, we believe that canned
chickpeas make a reasonable alternative to non-canned
chickpeas when it comes to most of the key nutrients provided
by this food. Of course, it is always better to consume food in
the freshest form possible, and this includes chickpeas! But for
an individual who would not otherwise be eating chickpeas
and who is highly motivated by the added convenience of a
canned version, we believe that this version makes a good
trade-off (although please note that there may be other issues,
not related to nutrient levels, to consider when it comes to
purchasing food in cans) . We would not claim that canned
chickpeas can deliver the exact same taste or texture as non-
canned. But they can still be very enjoyable!