Hummus can help regualte sugar levels, produce a calming effect, and is a great source of fiber

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If you are looking to add more healthy variety to your diet, you may want to consider adding some hummus to your regular mix of snacks and meals.

For the uninitiated, hummus is a rich, tasty Middle Eastern dip made from chickpeas, garlic, olive oil, tahini (sesame seed paste), and sometimes lemon juice. It’s kind of like the popular Mexican style bean dip we’ve all snacked on at parties, but with a Middle Eastern flair.

It makes a fabulous dip, but can also be used in a myriad of other ways, such as spreading it on toast or a roll instead of butter. (1)

Healthy, yummy hummus provides protein, and essential vitamins and minerals. It can be a bit high in fat, but no need to worry, the source is heart-healthy unsaturated fat! (2)

Here are three of the best reasons to bring hummus to your table:

1. Protein and Iron

The protein in hummus can help regulate your blood sugar levels, and therefore curb your hunger. Plus, there is plenty of iron, which can help increase your energy levels. (3)

2. A Calming Effect

Some of the ingredients in hummus contain high amounts of tyrosine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan, known to have a calming, relaxing effect on the body. (4)

3. A Great Source of Fiber

Chickpeas, the foundation of all hummus recipes, is high in dietary fiber, which keeps you regular, your digestive system in top shape. It also can help lower cholesterol! (5)

Even the Mayo Clinic touts the benefits of hummus, and include a unique recipe (this one with vinegar) for it on their website.

Another delicious and nutrient-rich recipe can be found here, on the Natural News Blog.

Creative ideas for using hummus in your diet

Hummus is of course delicious as a dip for your favorite crackers or chips, but it can be used in a variety of other ways: (6)

  • Make a healthy Alfredo sauce! Use hummus and plain Greek yogurt in equal amounts and use it with whole grain pasta for a healthy version of this classic sauce.
  • Mash it with avocado to make a Mediterranean-Mexican infusion style topping.
  • Use it as a unique and tasty topping for your baked potato.

No matter how you use it, hummus is a tasty, savory and healthy addition to your diet – you can get it at any grocery store, or even better, use one of the easy recipes above and make it yourself!


Raw Michelle is a natural health blogger and researcher, sharing her passions with others, using the Internet as her medium. She discusses topics in a straight forward way in hopes to help people from all walks of life achieve optimal health and well-being. SUBSCRIBE here to get more from Raw Michelle!


Sources for this article include:
1) http://www.naturalnews.com/
2) http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/
3) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
4) http://weightloss.answers.com/
5) http://wholetothecore.com/
6) http://www.prevention.com/

Michelle Bosmier
Raw Michelle is a natural health blogger and researcher, sharing her passions with others, using the Internet as her medium. She discusses topics in a straightforward way in hopes to help people from all walks of life achieve optimal health and well-being. She has authored and published hundreds of articles on topics such as the raw food diet and green living in general.

( http://www.rawfoodhealthwatch.com/ )