Is Hummus Good for You? Let’s Dip In

Whether you like it swirled with a big squeeze of lemon, blended with roasted garlic or dotted with herb pesto, hummus is straight-up delicious. The recipe for a basic batch of hummus is pretty simple: It calls for chickpeas, garlic, tahini and cumin, plus some lemon, salt and pepper for added flavor. That’s all well and good—especially slathered on pita—but is hummus good for you? Let’s dip into this mystery. 

“Hummus is so excellent for you,” says nutritionist Lisa Young, Ph.D., who loves the chickpea spread because it’s loaded with protein and fiber and doesn’t have a lot of salt or sugar—even when you’re too fried to whip it up from scratch and pick up a container at the grocery store instead. Hummus is also a great way to get in some extra veggies by subbing chips or bread for carrot sticks, broccoli florets, bell pepper slices or cucumber spears—or by incorporating them into the hummus itself. Vegetable loaded hummus, anyone?

The fiber in hummus is good for your gut and will help keep you nice and regular. Plus, the added garlic—a known prebiotic—certainly doesn’t hurt. Oh, the wonders of this dip!

It’s true that hummus has some fat in it (five grams per two tablespoons) but just as avocados and salmon are high in healthy fats our bodies need, so is hummus. There’s also only one gram of saturated fat in the spread, so you don’t have to worry too much about indulging in some for a snack. Hummus is relatively low in calories, with about 70 per serving. But, if you’re keeping an eye on your intake, it’s best to resist the urge to eat the whole container. But who are we to stop you?