Before I moved away from home for college I never even saw hummus at my grocery store.
I live in suburbia...Wal-Mart is about it. Publix coming soon though! Woop Woop
So what is hummus exactly?
Hummus is a Levantine Arab food dip or spread made from cooked, mashed chickpeas, blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. It is popular throughout the Middle East and Middle Eastern cuisine around the globe.
Why thank you Wikipedia. I can always rely on you.
Anywho, Publix became my grocery store of choice because it is literally one minute away from my apartment. Publix has a hugeee variety of it (although Sabra is the only brand) and all of them seemed very intriguing. Because of how pricey it was I always passed it by.
When I started reading food blogs indepthly, I noticed how popular hummus was among people who had cut out meat from their diets.
Huh. Why could that be?
Let's ask Wikipedia!
Hummus is high in iron and Vitamin C and also has significant amounts of folate and vitamin B6.The chickpeas make it a good source of protein and dietary fiber; the tahini consists mostly of sesame seeds, which are an excellent source of the amino acid methionine, complementing the proteins in the chickpeas. Depending on the recipe, hummus carries varying amounts of monounsaturated fat. Hummus is useful in vegetarian and vegan diets; like other combinations of grains and pulses, it serves as a complete protein when eaten with bread.
Aha! Such a reliable source, no?
Animal derived foods provide complete proteins to humans, something we NEED because they have all the amino acids our bodies need to function in the best way. So when a vegetarian or vegan eliminates most or all of the complete proteins in their diet, it has to be made up somewhere else.
Hummus to the rescue!!
It has been two weeks that I have gone without meat, and when I found out the benefits of eating this odd dip I finally caved in and bought some.
The above picture shows the $3.99 container I purchased. I went with the classic flavor because I really wanted to get an idea of how it tasted.
On the one minute drive home I prayed that I would like it! How could I survive without this beloved food in the veggie/vegan world??
I ran in the door and threw my groceries on the counter. Immediately opening the container I stuck my finger on the sealer wrap and got a quick preliminary taste.
Hmm...not what I expected...hmmm...I LIKE IT!
Oh happy day it was delicious! I loved the salty, beany texture even more when I dipped these puppies in it.
These little petite pitas are PERFECT little pillows to scoop up and hug your scrumdiddlyumptious hummus from heaven!
Mmmmm see?? (Not the messy counter full of bags of food. I already explained myself!)
Yummy pillowy whole wheat bread + hummus from heaven = a happy Alex
It's always a great idea to try new things..especially when they have amazing health benefits!
I can't wait to try the different flavors of hummus. I have my eye on that roasted red pepper one...
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