You’ve looked at it on the shelves but you haven’t bought it yet because honestly, who knows that a chickpea is? The truth is, if you’ve ever tasted an authentic hummus recipe, you wouldn’t care anymore. A chickpea could literally be ‘chick-pee’ and it wouldn’t matter because it tastes so good and has health benefits that make organic peanut butter look like fast food.
Why you should just buy hummus already:
It helps maintain a healthy diet. Nearly one in five Canadians has high blood pressure. Three-fourths of a cup of hummus can be substituted for one serving of meat, which in turn, can help lower blood pressure. Most brands of hummus contain 36% of the suggested daily folate intake in just one cup. Foods rich in folate can help lower the risk of certain cancers and heart disease.
Healthier snacking helps cultivate weight loss and higher energy levels. Only a little over half of Canadians are physically active. Between 2003 and 2012, obesity prevalence rose 17.9% among men and 16.8% among women. Obesity among Canadian adults indicates that seven in ten men and five in ten women have a higher energy intake than energy expenditure, meaning, they consume more than they need to. A study published in 2014 found that people who snack on hummus have a 53% lesser chance of being obese and 51% are less likely to have high blood sugar than those who don’t eat hummus.
Still not convinced?
There are a multitude of ways to use hummus spread. You can incorporate most brands of hummus into a cedar plank salmon recipe, or deviled egg recipes, or garlic bread recipes. You can even use it in southwestern rice recipes. The easy appetizers you can put together with hummus range from dips and spreads to fancy hors d’oeuvres. No need to stall any longer, hummus is delicious, multifaceted and healthy to boot.
