Hummus has exploded in popularity (at least in the United States) over the last few years. It’s a relatively simple dish to make, you can make it taste like anything, and it’s actually not all that bad for you. Did you know that hummus can actually be healthy? But not all of it is, we prefer some homemade sources, they are easy to make and taste great with a variety of dipping options.
Hummus has a high amount of protein. Protein is an essential building block in bone, muscle, skin, and blood health. You can get this from meat but vegetarians are usually looking for all sorts of ways to get protein. It is made from chickpeas which are better known as garbanzo beans. Beans in general have nutrients in them that can help lower your cholesterol. Of course, if avoiding heart disease is a high priority, you may want to make your own at home because grocery store brands tend to be high in sodium! Chickpeas are high in antioxidants. It doesn’t take a doctor to know that antioxidants are good for you and chickpeas have a lot of them. Getting plenty of antioxidants helps reduce the oxidant damage done in our bodies. While there is no specific thing it prevents or helps in, it just contributes overall to good health.
Hummus is traditionally made with sesame seed butter (called tahini) which contains a fair amount of monounsaturated fats. These have their own set of health benefits but among them is the ability to help promote weight loss and reduce belly fat. This is because monounsaturated fat is a popular substitute for trans fats and polyunsaturated fats which cause weight gain and increases in belly fat.
Hummus is gluten-free, nut free, and dairy free. If you have those allergies then you’ll be happy to know that hummus is still something you can eat freely. Since it can be warped into so many different flavors, you can use this to replace a lot of stuff that you may be allergic to and thus reduce the risk of allergic reactions.
Check out some of our recipes:
Simple Basic Hummus– can be whipped up in minutes and add your favorite flavorings to get your own personal flavor!
We hope that you enjoy one of these varieties- or share yours with us- and if we publish it we will provide you a a gift box of gluten-free products- simply respond in the comments that you are interested.
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