Three Cool Things You Didn’t Know About Hummus Nutritional Content

You may have looked at the title for this article and wondered, “What is hummus?” While most people are familiar with this type of food, others may have yet to experience the many hummus nutritional benefits that the dish can offer. Hummus is made from chickpeas and tahini, or sesame paste; however, the best part about hummus is that just about anything can be added to it. Spicy hummus dip can contain chipotle peppers, wasabi, or other ingredients. Other additives like roasted red peppers, roasted garlic, and spinach and artichoke make different types of hummus that are also popular.

Yet one of the biggest advantages to eating hummus is that it contains a multitude of nutritional benefits. Looking at hummus nutritional information, you can see that this food contains adequate protein, iron, vitamins, fiber, and other necessities for anyone’s diet. Here are three other things you may not have known before about hummus nutritional content — and if you’ve never tried hummus, they may finally convince you to give this versatile dip/spread a shot:

• Eating just two spoonfuls of hummus a day can fulfill the recommended amount of beans, or legumes, you should have in your diet. Why is this so important? Eating legumes at least four times each week lowers your risk of heart disease by 22%, and it can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease by 11%.
• This heart-healthy food is perfect for just about all types of diets. That includes vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free, low carb, diabetic, and other lifestyles.
• There’s a good chance that eating hummus can make you healthier. According to the Healthy Eating Index for 2005 (HEI-2005), those who ate hummus and chickpeas had a significantly lower BMI and a smaller waist circumference on average. The Healthy Eating Index was created by the United States Department of Agriculture Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion in order to guide Americans in making healthy food choices. With a recommendation from this organization, it’s no wonder that more people have been trying hummus in recent years.

If you’d like to take advantage of hummus’s nutritional benefits, make sure to check your local supermarket to find a variety you like. You can also check out easy hummus recipes online to make your own. Have more questions about hummus? Leave a comment below.