Hummus is a delicious snack and dipping for pita chips. It is eaten along with various dishes, used as dressings, and as an addition to vegetables. Can you eat hummus while on a low-carb diet? Is hummus keto?
Hummus can be a part of your keto diet in small amounts. It contains carbohydrates, most of which are fiber and some starchy carbs. So hummus is keto. However, if you want to eat it on a low-carb diet, you should choose a small serving or try low-carb hummus recipes.
How many carbs are in hummus? What amount of hummus can you eat on keto? How to make low-carb hummus? What are the benefits of hummus for your health? I’ll tell you everything in detail, so keep reading to find out more!
What Is Hummus?
Hummus is widespread in the Middle East: Israel, Turkey, Lebanon, as well as in Greece, and Cyprus. It is a cold appetizer or thick chickpea sauce. Hummus is very tasty and nutritious and is made from pureed chickpeas, sesame paste (tahini), garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice, with the addition of various spices. Classic hummus contains two ingredients – peas and tahini, and different ingredients are added to it in each country. And even within the same country, you will not find two identical hummus recipes.
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To make chickpeas at home, soak them for 13-16 hours and add a teaspoon of baking soda. Then cook until soft, add tahini, grind in a blender, and prepare the simplest hummus. You can also add garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and spices to it. The most popular spices are cumin, turmeric, paprika, dried ginger, and authentic za’atar spices – they are difficult to repeat since they consist of 40-50 components.
Hummus puree can be smooth or lumpy, higher in calories if cooked with more tahini, or lighter if the base is chickpea. Serve hummus as a cold snack or cold sauce with pita bread, breadsticks, potato or corn chips, caramelized onions, green beans, sautéed mushrooms, pine nuts or ground beef, vegetable sticks, etc. This wonderful snack has become widespread among vegetarians and people who lead an active lifestyle.
Is Hummus Keto?
It is actually a difficult question that requires a lot of clarification. A small amount of hummus is keto, but a large serving contains too many carbs. So, two tablespoons of original hummus (30 grams) made from chickpeas and tahini contain about:
- 75-80 calories
- 1-2 grams of protein
- 5-6 grams of fat
- 6-8 grams of carbohydrates
- 2-4 grams of fiber
- 4-6 grams of net carbs.
As a result, 1-2 tablespoons of hummus won’t hurt your ketosis. However, we understand how easy it is to overeat this delicious snack and exceed your daily carbs intake. The food you eat with hummus is also very important. If you use carrot sticks for dipping, you can easily exceed the number of carbohydrates because carrots also contain carbs.
Also, you shouldn’t eat any chips or pitas, potatoes or beans. Choose green vegetables like raw cauliflower or broccoli, or make low-carb tortillas using my simple recipe. If you’re worried about going over the limit of your carbs while eating original hummus, try keto hummus.
Hummus Health Benefits
Hummus has many beneficial effects on your body due to the properties of those foods that are part of the snack. The dish is a valuable source of vegetable protein, and therefore it is great for the keto diet of vegetarians. The powerful antioxidants contained in olive oil have an anti-inflammatory effect and prevent the development of cancer. The fiber in chickpeas improves digestion and helps in the elimination of toxins.
Other benefits of this snack include:
- normalization of blood sugar levels;
- improving the functions of the brain;
- support of the immune system;
- stabilization of the work of blood vessels and heart;
- health-improving effect on the nervous system;
- acceleration of metabolism.
Hummus is rich in vitamins B1, B2, B5, B6, B9, PP, C, E, K, and microelements: zinc, selenium, copper, manganese, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and calcium. The snack has a beneficial effect on overall well-being, improves skin condition, and activates the brain. This food is able to lower blood cholesterol levels and remove toxins from the body, as it is loaded with beneficial fatty acids and fiber.
When figuring out what hummus is good for, it is important to note that it can be consumed by people with a tendency to allergic reactions. The dish does not contain gluten and lactose; therefore, it does not harm you if you are intolerant to these substances.
Tips for Hummus on Keto
Choose Low-Carb Ingredients
And while the original hummus recipe is based on chickpeas, which contain starchy carbs, you can substitute other keto foods for peas. On a low-carb diet, sweet hummus is not your best bet as it contains added chocolate, honey, or sugar. Buying hummus at the store, pay attention to the labels and choose natural hummus that does not contain any flavor enhancers or sweeteners.
If you’re eating original hummus that contains carbohydrates, use it with low-carb foods such as green vegetables, boiled eggs, cheese, low-carb tortilla chips, or keto breadsticks. If you’re making keto hummus with a small number of carbohydrates, you can afford some carrot sticks, nuts, or sweet potato chips.
Count the Proportions
If you make hummus at home, it is very easy for you to make it keto, even with peas. Vary the proportions by adding more tahini, using small amounts of peas, and adding more healthy fats. This way, you can reduce carbs, increase fat content, and make your hummus more ketogenic.
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When consuming snacks that contain carbohydrates, take into account even a small amount because it is very easy for you to exceed your daily limit. If you eat controversial keto foods such as tomatoes, carrots, onions, keto fruits, or hummus, use a small serving to match your carb intake and not disrupt ketosis.
Add Healthy Fats
While on a keto diet, you should choose healthy oils and avoid certain types that can negatively affect your health. For more information on keto oils, see our guide to the best oils for the ketogenic diet.
For hummus, olive oil and avocado oil are the best choices. You should avoid canola, soybean, corn, and vegetable oil. These oils will not do you any good and are not suitable for preparing hummus. They are made up of seeds that are actually low in fat, so they go through a refining process that is bad for your health.
Don’t Overeat
The original hummus and its keto options are high in fat anyway and therefore high in calories. If your goal is weight loss on a keto diet , you should avoid overeating hummus, even if it is low in carbohydrates. And while we don’t usually count calories during a keto diet, you shouldn’t eat too much. Make keto hummus a tasty treat and rare snack rather than a regular part of your low-carb diet.
Keto Hummus Recipes
So, we found out that the original hummus is suitable for a keto diet in small quantities, no more than 1-2 tablespoons per day. However, you don’t have to limit yourself to this nutritious snack, as there are delicious keto options. I will tell you a few recipes and indicate the approximate amount of ingredients because keto hummus is one of those dishes where you can freely change the proportions and get different tastes. You will never get two identical hummus snacks, and this is great. Try one of my favorite keto recipes, and enjoy!
Cauliflower Hummus
Keto hummus with cauliflower turns out to be so tender and spicy that you can hardly distinguish it from the original hummus with peas. It contains about 3 net carbs per 50-gram serving. As you know, cauliflower is one of the best vegetables on the keto diet, so feel free to include it in your nutrition. Cauliflower hummus will be delicious with vegetable sticks, sesame or linseed crackers, and oven-baked salmon. Try this simple recipe, and you won’t regret it.
Ingredients:
- Cauliflower
- Tahini (optional)
- Olive oil
- Lime juice
- Garlic
- Keto mayo to taste
- A pinch of sweetener
- Canned artichoke bottoms (optional)
- Spices to taste.
Boil the cauliflower until soft, cool, and squeeze out the liquid with your hands. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix using a food processor. Adjust the amount of garlic, mayo, tahini, and artichokes to your liking.
Broccoli Hummus
Don’t like broccoli? You should definitely change your attitude towards this vegetable during the keto diet because it is rich in fiber and contains almost no carbs. And with delicious keto recipes, you can transform broccoli from the boring, tasteless nightmare of all kids into a hearty and delicious dish! Broccoli hummus is a great option for those looking to get a tasty snack and keep ketosis stable as it contains just 1 net carb per 50-gram serving. I love to eat this hummus with egg bacon breakfast because it’s fresh, spicy, satisfying, and gives me energy for an intense workout.
Ingredients:
- Broccoli
- Tahini
- Lemon juice
- Garlic to taste
- Olives to taste
- Avocado oil
- Parsley to taste
- Spices to taste.
Cooking it is as easy as the rest of the options. Boil broccoli, cool, squeeze out excess liquid with your hands and combine all ingredients in a food processor. Season to taste and enjoy a smooth, low-carb snack.
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Zucchini Hummus
This is another low-carb hummus recipe that you will love due to its delicate flavor and smooth texture. This snack contains only 1-2 net carbs per serving, and you can eat this without restriction on keto, but keep calories in mind if you want to lose weight. Zucchini hummus is a great match for keto breadsticks, keto tortillas, and baked meats.
Ingredients:
- Zucchini
- Tahini
- Lime juice
- Coriander
- Sesame oil
- Garlic
- Cumin
- Spices to taste.
You may come across a zucchini hummus recipe that recommends using raw zucchini or boiling until tender. Of course, it’s also delicious, but I prefer to cut the zucchini into small pieces and fry until golden brown using ghee. This makes zucchini hummus softer and smoother and goes well with tahini and sesame oil. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and grind until smooth.
Eggplant Hummus
This dip is a Mediterranean dish called baba ganoush. It is prepared in the same way as the original hummus. All you need to do is replace the peas with baked eggplant. You end up with a very tender snack containing about 2-3 net carbs per 50 grams. Try this flavorful dip with baked meat and vegetables. I bet you will love it!
Ingredients:
- Eggplant
- Tahini
- Lemon juice to taste
- Olive oil
- Garlic to taste
- Sugar-free yogurt (optional)
- Spices to taste.
The preparation of keto baba ganoush is very simple. Grill or oven bake the eggplants, spoon out the soft pulp and grind with the rest of the ingredients. Add spices to taste and enjoy!
Avocado Hummus
This keto hummus will appeal to all avocado lovers. As I told you before, avocados are the best fruits for the keto diet because they contain a lot of healthy fats and almost no carbs. Avocado hummus is fresh and tender, and I especially love it with baked fish, seafood, and keto breadsticks. One serving (50 grams) contains only 1-2 net carbs, so you can safely eat this snack before your workout.
Ingredients:
- Ripe avocados
- Tahini
- Yogurt
- Garlic
- Coriander
- Lime juice
- Avocado oil
- Spices to taste.
This is the easiest keto hummus recipe because you don’t need to bake or boil anything. Just mix all the ingredients in the food processor, add the spices of your choice and enjoy!
Conclusion
To sum up, I can say that the original hummus is keto in a small serving (about 1-2 tablespoons per day). Since the main ingredient in the original hummus is chickpeas, which contain starchy carbs, you should control your daily carbs intake. You can adjust the nutritional value of the original hummus by varying the proportions of the ingredients, or try the keto hummus recipes you’ll love!
