Hummus is a popular Middle Eastern dip and spread that is packed with vitamins and minerals. Research has linked hummus and its ingredients to a variety of impressive health benefits, including helping fight inflammation, improving blood sugar control, better digestive health, lower heart disease risk and weight loss.
Hummus nutrition
While it's a decent amount to get you toward that daily fiber goal, it won't wreck your digestive system. It's all about moderation. Individual food sensitivities aside, chickpeas and hummus are perfectly safe to consume as long as they don't make up your entire meal.
Is Hummus Healthy? Yes, hummus is healthy enjoyed in moderation. Hummus is rich in nutrients, and research shows that people who regularly eat chickpeas tend to have higher intakes of fiber, polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and minerals.
Hummus has sesame seeds that help in reducing inflammation in the body. Inflammation can cause arthritis, gut problems, and heart problems. Chronic inflammation in the body can also increase the risk of injuries and infections, so it is important to eat a diet rich in anti-inflammatory properties.
A common question we hear is, “how many carbs in hummus?” Much like the healthy fat it contains, the carbs in hummus are complex carbs that are an important part of a well-balanced diet. Complex carbohydrates take longer to digest – this means they don't spike your blood sugar like processed carbs do.
Hummus is a great source of fiber and protein, which may promote weight loss. Surveys have shown that people who consume chickpeas or hummus regularly are less likely to be obese, plus have a lower BMI and smaller waist circumference.
Hummus, with its chickpea base, wins with certain nutrients, like protein, zinc, and iron, while guacamole helps avocado fans slim down with fewer calories and carbs, heart-healthy fats, and potassium.
Humus is a perishable food item, which means it is prone to spoil more quickly if not kept refrigerated at 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Most freshly prepared vegetable-based spreads fall under this category; this is why they are kept in the refrigerated section of your supermarket.
Peanut butter is richer in Vitamin B3, Manganese, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin B2, while Hummus is higher in Copper. Peanut butter's daily need coverage for Vitamin B3 is 78% higher. Hummus has 9 times less Vitamin B5 than Peanut butter.
Try it instead of mayo. You'll get more protein and fiber for half the calories you would from mayonnaise. Hummus adds 1 gram of fat to your lunch box, compared to 5 grams for regular mayo.
Hummus commonly contains tahini (sesame seed paste) which is also considered high risk as in the past it has been contaminated with salmonella. For those with normal immunity, eating hummus within its use-by date, or homemade varieties eaten fresh, should be fine.
If it smells sour, it tastes sour. So don't bother tasting it, just toss it. After that it will start to develop mold. Some hummus manufacturers will use preservatives that keep their product fresh beyond the recommended 5 days, but most will begin to smell sour after about 5 days.
You could gain weight if you overdo it.
"While hummus is healthy, it still contains olive oil and often contains tahini, which is essentially sesame seed butter. Too much of any of that is going to rack up calories."
Hummus is packed with things your skin loves
They are an excellent source of manganese, which combats free radicals, and molybdenum, which helps detoxify skin by removing sulphites. Other nutrients such as folate and vitamin B nourish skin cells and repair damage from the sun and harmful toxins.
Most hummus you buy in a supermarket is made with either soybean oil or sunflower oil. Both of these are highly processed and can be inflammatory. Look at the label and find hummus made with extra-virgin olive oil for the most health benefits (not to mention flavor – good olive oil is like a fine wine).
Store-bought hummus can be just as healthy as its homemade counterpart, the experts say, and very convenient—but you should read the label carefully. “Buy hummus with as few ingredients as possible, mostly whole foods,” Jones recommends. To do that, just look for ingredients with names you recognize on the label.
Eating more than 70 grams of fiber daily is when digestion issues can occur, a report from Medical News Today states. This would mean eating more than 4.5 tablespoons of hummus can put your body at risk, which is something that's easy to do when using the dip to complement chips or veggies.
Hummus and Carrots
Traditional hummus is made from chickpeas and sesame oil, so it contains plant protein as well as healthy fat and fiber. Carrots are a good source of vitamin A and potassium, so the pairing makes a balanced and nutritious snack.
Hummus is a great source of plant-based protein.
"Chickpeas are a plant-based protein source and beneficial for repair and recovery in the body," Cotton says.
All we can say is yum. So, to put it simply – yes, warm hummus is absolutely acceptable. Not only acceptable, but recommended, depending on where in the world you live (in Turkey, hummus is traditionally served warm). Of course, many prefer to enjoy hummus cold – especially when you're dipping fresh cut veggies.