HEALTHIEST HUMMUS EVER!!!
Beans, Beans are good for your heart, your muscles, your energy, and most importantly, for your BOOTY…and your BRAIN. Hummus is an EASY PEASY WAY to eat beans EVERYDAY!!
Mmmmmm…Hmmmm….HUMMUS or Houmous, however you spell it, it’s pronounced “Dee-Licious!!”
I simply LOVE HUMMUS! So much so, that I just had to learn to make it myself!
And make it I did; many, many, many times over. In fact, I can’t seem to make it fast enough for the likes of my Lebanese boyfriend who eats it like candy, stating that it is “in his blood;” that need to have hummus on a regular basis…Rightfully so since Hummus is a traditional Lebanese food.
Traditional humus is typically made with garbanzo beans aka chickpeas, tahini (ground sesame seeds), olive oil, lemon, garlic & salt. Traditional hummus also contains up to 17g of fat per 1/2 cup serving. And buying tahini has been a risky business lately due to recalls of products possibly contaminated with Salmonella. So, I decided to really see if it makes a big difference in taste, and in nutrition, when tahini is used, or not.
In my video, I mention that sesame seeds, when compared to tahini on an equal calorie basis, contain higher levels of CALCIUM. This is only true if you buy “unhulled” sesame seeds. The “hulled” seeds are used to make tahini & just that one little process, “de-hulling” the seeds, significantly lowers the calcium content. However, because “unhulled” sesame seeds contain more calcium as calcium oxalate, it is questionable how much more actual calcium is absorbed.
There is also a concern for those suffering from oxalate type kidney stones. Kidney stone sufferers are often well aware, after just one painful attack, of which foods to avoid. So, there you go. More to ponder in your quest to make hummus from scratch. To use tahini, or to use unhulled sesame seeds? That is the question. But you must choose one. Well, you don’t HAVE TO, but sesame seeds, whether from the whole seed, or from Tahini, do significantly improve the nutritient content of your hummus. So just pick one. ☺️
Since I was trying to make a Healthier Hummus, I also decided to see if eliminating the olive oil would make any difference in the final product. There is a slight textural difference without tahini & olive oil, but it’s only noticeable if you compare them side by side. If you have a REALLY good Cuisinart brand food processor, then just puree the heck out of this recipe and your hummus will be as creamy-smooth as you like.
But before we get into the recipe, I thought it would be nice to give you some selling points as to why I’m so fixated on chickpeas, well, actually, on all beans…
Why beans? Because BEANS are not only good for your heart but they are a fantastic fanny firming food offering filling fiber and muscle building protein plus fuel efficient complex carbohydrates and the B vitamins necessary to help you use those energy nutrients effectively.
One cup of beans offers the same amount of protein and three times the volume of lean beef for one twelfth the cost, plus you get 16 grams of fiber with seven grams coming from cholesterol lowering soluble fiber.
In one research study, men following a low-calorie diet lost more weight when beans (legumes) were part of their diet plan. Their bad cholesterol was also significantly reduced thanks to all that soluble fiber. According to Susan Kleiner, PhD, “Beans are an excellent source of manganese and molybdenum, two nutrients that are crucial for the metabolism of protein, cholesterol and carbohydrates.” For the best antioxidant and weight loss benefits, aim for four servings of beans per week.
A cup a day keeps your mood at bay.
Beans, peas, legumes, and especially lentils, are the richest whole food sources of folate, a B vitamin that strongly affects mood and cognitive function. Folate is necessary for building new brain cells, and falling short on folate could lead to an increased susceptibility to oxidative damage of brain cells. In fact, a folate deficiency has been observed in up to 38% of patients diagnosed with depression.
Soooo many reasons for BEANS…
Let’s start with something simple…
HEALTIEST HUMMUS EVER!!
3 cups garbanzo beans (or 2 cans drained)
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 lemon, juiced (cut off about an inch square piece of the outer rind and mince it up)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup water, or liquid from cooked beans or liquid from canned beans
Throw everything in the food processor.
Hit the ON button.
Process until creamy smooth
THAT’s IT!
Enjoy with cut up carrotS, celery, red, yellow or orange peppers OR throw hummus on your salad greens for a dressing & protein combo.
Cost per serving: $0.42
Nutrients per serving (4 oz-wt/ 1/2 cups / 113g): Calories: 200, Total Fat: 7 g, Total Carbohydrates: 26 g, Dietary Fiber: 8 g, Protein: 9 g, Sodium: 101 mg
% Daily Value
57% manganese
38% Folate
38% Copper
23% Iron
21% Phosphorus
20% Magnesium
16% Calcium
14% Zinc
14% Niacin
13% Thiamine
11% Vitamin B-6
10% Vitamin C
9% Potassium
6% Selenium
5% Riboflavin
3% Vitamin E
0% Vitamin D
0% B-12
OR make your own tortilla chips for dipping
Homemade Corn Tortilla Chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
6 corn tortillas
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Combine the last five ingredients and brush onto one side of each tortilla.
Stack the tortillas
Cut them in half, and then in half again to end up with four equal triangular pieces.
Bake 15-17 minutes until just slightly browned on the edges.
