Hummus is healthy, vegan, and rich in minerals and vitamins, as well as being a versatile food. A priori it may seem like a perfect food, but when we are on a diet, mainly to lose weight, hummus tends to wonder whether or not we can eat it.
Hummus can be made with different ingredients, even pumpkin, although the most famous and traditional is with chickpeas. A food high in carbohydrates, since, for every 100 grams of hummus, we have almost 30 grams of carbohydrates , but that in its mixture with extra virgin olive oil and other ingredients make it nutritionally suitable.
If we are dieting to lose weight, carbohydrates are normally controlled. Nutritionally speaking, a loaf of bread also has carbohydrates, as well as pasta, cereals, dairy products, etc. But you have to look at the whole, and in the case of hummus, there are many ingredients with vitamins, fatty acids and essential minerals that are beneficial for the body.
Hummus is fine, but in moderation
We cannot eat hummus every day , nor can we always eat it spread on bread, but it is better to take it with raw vegetables and sporadically. Among the hummus ingredients we have the legume or main ingredient that can be chickpeas, lentils, corn, peas, beets, cucumber, pistachio, pepper, etc. extra virgin olive oil, salt, garlic, tahini cream, spices and lemon juice.
All these ingredients offer the body vitamins as important as A, almost complete group B, C, D, E, K, and essential minerals such as iron, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, zinc and sodium. Apart from essential fatty acids from olive oil.
Consuming hummus sporadically lowers the risk of heart disease or cardiovascular accident, lowers blood pressure and increases the growth of beneficial bacteria for our intestinal flora thanks to garlic, among other benefits.
Although this is not only achieved by consuming hummus, but is achieved by maintaining a balanced and varied diet and with good lifestyle habits where there is sport and we are away from ultra-processed ones.
Approximate calories
A hummus made with good ingredients and taking a moderate amount, such as 2 or 3 tablespoons a day (4 maximum), provides between 50 and 60 kilocalories , and if we consume it with raw and varied vegetables such as leek, zucchini, peppers, carrots and Similarly, we increase the consumption of quality fiber.
The good thing about hummus, when it is made with quality ingredients and is accompanied by bread, such as, for example, using it as a sauce in a 100% vegetable sandwich , it becomes a very satiating food, which will prevent us from biting for several hours. and let’s achieve our goal of maintaining a low calorie diet.
It is a very healthy option or snacks both for mid-morning, mid-afternoon or after training, especially if it is mixed with fresh and varied vegetables.
Therefore, we can consume hummus, but in some moderation and if we can prepare it at home with quality ingredients, it will be better. We already know that it is a food high in carbohydrates and somewhat caloric if we consume a lot of it and also use vegetable oils such as sunflower oil.