You’ve Got a Friend in Hummus The Curious Eater’s Starter Guide

You’ve probably got some version of this memo already, but it’s worth repeating. As a society, we’ve really got food all backwards. We consume processed sugars and junk food at an unprecedented rate, and in the meantime 90% of Americans don’t get enough fruits and vegetables in their daily diets. We’re getting bigger, slower, and unhealthier, and it’s not because most of us are lazy or don’t care. A huge part of the problem is that most of us have no real idea what to do to make significant changes in our diets, and even if we did, cooking is something we just can’t work into our insane schedules.
We’re not pretending to have all the answers to your diet problems, but one good change you can make right now is to eat more hummus. Hummus dips and recipes using hummus have been around since medieval times, and hummus nutrition has long been lauded as protein rich and high in vitamins. In fact, two tablespoons of hummus per day will satisfy your entire recommended legume intake for the week!
Now we know what you’re thinking. “But I don’t want to eat the same thing every day! I’ll get so sick of it!” And we totally hear you. One of the great things about recipes using hummus is that hummus, like tofu, is a blank canvas. You can add many things to hummus to make it tasty and interesting, but look for recipes using hummus that pair the miracle legume with the following interesting ingredients:
-Basil
-Roasted garlic
-Pine nuts
-Spinach and artichoke
-Spicy red pepper
-Jalapeno
-Pesto
-Black olives
-Rosemary and sage
-Sun dried tomato

These ingredients are easy to find in just about any grocery store and can literally be chopped up and mixed right in with hummus. Some hummus companies even take out that step and mix them for you! Oh, by the way, no, you don’t have to cook hummus. This is something a lot of people get confused about, mostly because they’re new to the legume in general and get it mixed up with falafel, which is also made from chick pea but which is mixed with other savories and fried. No, you can literally just scoop hummus into those tupper ware your mom bought you last Christmas in the desperate hope that you would learn to cook for yourself, grab something to dip with, and you’ll be good to go. And if you’re looking for a healthy dipping alternative to Tostitos, might we suggest these alternatives:
-Celery
-Carrots
-Rice cakes
-Sweet potato chips
-Cucumber slices
-Whole wheat pretzels
-Raw red or green pepper

Well there you have it. More than enough hummus knowledge to get your hummus starter kit set. Now go out there and make this small change! We promise you won’t regret it. And please, if you decided to get a little more ambitious with the recipes using hummus, don’t be afraid to brag in the comments below and tell us all what you’ve discovered.