Craving a healthy food that packs plenty of nutrients, is filling, and has good flavor while maintaining a clean diet? Try Hummus ! Add a dash of lemon juice; one or several cloves of garlic; and salt and pepper to your Hummus to make it even tastier. No matter how you whip up this treat, rest assured that it’s a snack that treats your body well.
Hummus is High in Fiber
Chickpeas are legumes that are also called garbanzo beans. Beans such as chickpeas are an excellent source of fiber, which can help you keep cholesterol levels low and promote better heart health. Fiber-rich chickpeas also help diabetics regulate blood sugar levels, making hummus a particularly diabetes-friendly snack as well. The high fiber in chickpeas also helps promote a healthier digestive tract and fend off constipation.
Hummus is rich in Vitamins and Minerals
Chickpeas also boast a variety of other nutrients, vitamins and minerals that your body needs to stay healthy. They’re a good source of folic acid, which is particularly important for women of childbearing age to help prevent the risk of birth defects in babies. Chickpeas also contain manganese, zinc, magnesium, copper and iron and are rich in protein, says Everynutrient.com.
Healthy Fats
When you drizzle olive oil into your food processor with the garbanzo beans to make hummus, you’re adding healthy fats. Olive oil is a rich source of monounsaturated fatty acids, which are thought to be heart-healthy. These healthy fats help to lower cholesterol levels, promote healthier blood clotting and help manage blood sugar in diabetics.
Mohammad Ghorabi: “Treating myself and Master Sami Kiblawi to a tasty snack of Hummus at my dad’s Hummus and Foul shop in Saida”
Hummus is Filling and Low-Calorie
Thank the fiber in chickpeas for making hummus a snack that fills you up and stays with you. Fiber helps you feel full and stay full, so that you won’t be reaching for another snack shortly after you finish eating. Hummus is also very low in calories and fat. A 2 tbsp.-serving has only about 50 calories and 3 g of fat — so snack away.
Source: www.livestrong.com
