## 1 Introduction  
Dietary pulses, the edible seeds of legumes (e.g., beans, lentils, chickpeas, and peas), are sustainable plant-protein sources that are also high in fiber and various micronutrients [1; 2; 3]. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) first recommended the inclusion of legumes in the 2005 iteration [4]. The 2015 DGA now recommends that Americans consume 1-1.5 cups of legumes per week [5]. Despite these recommendations, toddlers aged 1-3 years are the only group in the United States that consumes adequate amounts of legumes [5]. This is relevant given that legume and pulse consumption has been associated with a wide array of health benefits, particularly reduced cardiometabolic risk when consumed as part of a healthy overall dietary pattern [6; 7; 8; 9; 10; 11; 12]. The inverse relationship between legumes and risk of coronary heart disease is apparent at doses \(\geq\)4 servings per week among prospective cohort studies [11; 12]. Further, doses of about 1 serving per day have shown meaningful reductions in cardiometabolic risk factors such as body weight, blood pressure, and hemoglobin AIC [6; 7; 8; 12]. Chickpe (_Cicer arietinum_ L.), also commonly known as garbanzo beans, is a commonly consumed pulse that has grown popular in Western culture due to its nutty flavor profile and versatile sensory applications in food [13]. Hummus is a traditional dip or spread made from cooked, mashed chickpeas that are blended with thahi, olive oil, lemon juice, and spices, although other varieties exist [13]. In Western culture, chickpea consumption is at least somewhat driven through intake of hummus [14]. The worldwide hummus market alone grew to over $780 million in 2019 and is expected to exceed $910 million by 2024 [15]. The United States and Middle East hold the largest market shares in terms of value. The United States accounts for a little over one-third of the global hummus market [16]. The consumption of chickpeas and hummus has been associated with increased intakes of several nutrients, including fiber, polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamin A, thiamin, folate, vitamin B\({}_{6}\), vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and iron, as well as decreased intakes of added sugars, total fat, monounsaturated fatty acids, saturated fatty acids, and cholesterol [14]. Four tablespoons (\(\approx\)140 kcal) of traditional hummus per day provides approximately 25 g of dietary fiber--a shortfall nutrient in the diets of many adults and children [13]. Both raw and cooked chickpeas also contain dietary bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, carotenoids, sterols, and phytic acid, whose health-promoting benefits may extend beyond helping meet basic human nutrition requirements [17; 18]. The nutritional value and health benefits associated with chickpea and/or hummus consumption has been reviewed by our group and others [13; 17; 18]. Acute consumption of an afternoon hummus snack was recently shown to improve diet quality and selected indices of appetite, satiety, and glycemic control in healthy adults (\(n=38\)). Notably, hummus consumption reduced the amount of subsequent snacking on desserts by approximately 20% [19].  
The overall goals of this research were to evaluate temporal changes in hummus and chickpea consumption in the United States, as well as describe eating patterns, nutritional status, and differences in biomarkers of health among chickpea consumers versus non-consumers. This work specifically contributes to understanding characteristics of chickpea and hummus consumers and serves as a foundation to evaluate whether recommendations for chickpea and hummus consumption could improve individual health.