Creamy, savory hummus makes a tasty and low-calorie companion to pita bread, fresh vegetables and sandwiches. Because the spread is typically free of any grain-based ingredients and rarely contains vegetables, it's also quite low in carbohydrates. However, every hummus recipe is different. So if you want to raise or lower the amount of carbs in a single serving, it's not hard to add or subtract ingredients as needed.
Nutrition Facts
According to the USDA, 1/4 cup of commercially prepared hummus has about 100 calories, 5 g protein, 9 g carbohydrates, 3.5 g fiber and 6 g fat, 1 g of which is saturated. Homemade hummus, in contrast, has closer to 110 calories per 1/4 cup, 3 g protein, 12.5 g carbohydrates, 2.5 g fiber and 5 g fat, of which less than 1 g is saturated. Higher-carbohydrate foods, such as bread and rice, may have as many as 50 g or more of carbs per serving. According to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, high-protein and low-carb foods like hummus can help build, repair and grow lean muscle tissue.
Ingredients
Most varieties of hummus tend to be so low in carbohydrates, because their ingredients are primarily plant-based proteins. Ground chickpeas are the main ingredient in hummus, which is supplemented by sesame seed paste, lemon juice, garlic, salt, water and occasionally olive oil or a mixture of mild spices. Chickpeas and tahini, the sesame seed paste, are both high in protein and relatively low in carbs.
Low-Carb Alternatives
There are a couple of ways to create a lower-carb version. One is to use another plant-based protein as a primary ingredient. Tofu, for example, has just 2.5 g carbohydrates per 100 g, and it also takes on an extremely creamy texture when blended. Thus, try replacing half the chickpeas in a hummus recipe with tofu to cut some carbs. You can also simply take a smaller amount of traditional hummus or eat it with protein-rich foods instead of the high-carb pita bread wedges and fresh vegetable sticks.
Adding Carbs
If you want to make your hummus higher in carbohydrates, you'll need to use high-carb ingredients. A tasty addition is roasted red peppers, which will add about 5 g of carbohydrates per 1/2 cup. You can also try blending pitted olives into the spread, which will add about 6 g carbohydrates per 15 olives, or sun-dried tomatoes, which can add 15 g carbs per 1/2 cup.
References
- NAL.USDA.gov: Nutrient Data Laboratory
- ChooseMyPlate.gov; Why Is It Important to Make Lean or Low-Fat Choices from the Protein Foods Group?; May 31, 2011
- Fitness.gov: FAQ; 2011
- LIVESTRONG.com MyPlate: Calories in Fire Roasted Red Peppers
- LIVESTRONG.com MyPlate: Calories in Kalamata Olives
- LIVESTRONG.com MyPlate: Calories in Tomatoes, Sun-Dried
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