Hummus for Diets
Hummus consists of chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice and garlic. Since tahini is made from sesame seeds blended with vegetable oil, it adds some fat, but it’s mostly healthy unsaturated fat that lowers cholesterol. The bottom line is that a 2-tablespoon serving of hummus has 50 calories and 3 grams of total fat. You can include it in your weight-loss diet if you watch the amount you eat. Another benefit for dieting is that 2 tablespoons of hummus have 2.4 grams of protein. Protein helps you feel full by slowing the movement of food out of your stomach.http://www.ebiochem.com/
Glycemic Control
The glycemic index rates foods according to their impact on your blood sugar levels. High glycemic foods, scored 70 and above, significantly and rapidly raise your blood sugar levels. When that happens, your body releases insulin to get the sugar out of your blood. Excess amount of sugar are turned into fat and stored in adipose tissue. Hummus has a glycemic index score of six, which makes it a low-glycemic food that won’t affect levels of blood sugar. It’s ideal for diabetics and dieters, especially low-carbohydrate dieters.
Nutrients
When you’re watching calories, you need to pack as many nutrients as possible into your meals. If you eat just 2 tablespoons of hummus, you’ll get almost 2 grams of dietary fiber, which supports weight loss by making you feel full and protects your heart by lowering cholesterol. The same portion also contains 5 to 6 percent of your recommended daily allowance of magnesium, zinc, folate and vitamin B-6. One thing to watch is the amount of sodium in the brand of hummus you buy. The generic hummus reported in the USDA National Nutrient Database has 114 milligrams of sodium in a 2-tablespoon serving.
Using Hummus in a Diet
Weight loss is a product of burning more calories than you consume, which you can achieve through exercise and limiting calories. While portion control is essential, you don’t have to restrict the amount of food as much if you replace high-calorie foods with low-calorie options. Used as a dip for your favorite raw vegetables, hummus makes a great replacement for high-calorie snacks. You could also turn this snack into a light lunch. Another good way to use hummus in a weight-loss diet is as a spread. Put it on whole-wheat bread, add lean meat and veggies and it adds a boost of flavor and nutrients to a filling sandwich.
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