Which is healthier: hummus or guacamole?

Every year, September 16th is Guacamole Day. In this article, we will try to figure out which is healthier: guacamole or hummus. These popular snacks differ in taste, but they are similar in consistency and micronutrient content. Both are creamy, contain unsaturated fats, fiber, and protein. The taste of one or the other basic dish can be changed by adding citrus zest, nuts and seeds, spices, and herbs. You may be interested in the question of which dish is healthier. We will tell you about it!

What Makes Hummus Healthy

Hummus is a signature dish of Arab and Israeli cuisine. In Arabic, "hummus" is Turkish peas, and puree made from it is also hummus.

Hummus is a great seasoning for many dishes and a great snack on its own. It is a source of healthy fats due to the content of sesame seeds (tahini) and olive oil. About 1 tbsp. hummus contains 8 g of unsaturated fat.

Hummus is low in carbohydrates and a good source of plant protein and fiber. Its high fiber content can help maintain normal digestive function and help prevent heart disease. And its high protein content helps keep bones, muscles, skin, and blood healthy. Of course, you can get protein from meat, but what's a vegetarian to do? Eat hummus!

Hummus is made from chickpeas, which contain nutrients that help lower bad cholesterol.

Chickpeas and tahini are good sources of iron, which helps deliver oxygen to red blood cells. When you have an iron deficiency, you may develop anemia, so hummus fights the development of this disease.

Hummus is also good for beautiful skin. It is a source of manganese, which fights free radicals, and molybdenum, which helps detoxify. Folic acid nourishes skin cells and repairs damage from excessive sun exposure.

Hummus is gluten, nut and dairy free. If you have allergies to these food groups, then hummus is something you can eat without any problem.

Overall, hummus is very healthy, plus it is a healthy substitute for other foods. For example, you can use hummus instead of mayonnaise. Mix it with vegetable or mushroom broth or drinking water with a squeeze of lemon juice to use as a salad dressing. Hummus can also be an alternative to a thick spread for raw vegetables instead of ranch dressing.

BJU, calories and microelements in 100 g of hummus

Manufacturers and cooks use different recipes for making hummus, but they all, of course, contain chickpeas, sesame paste, and olive oil. It is impossible to give exact values of the BJU of hummus, unless they are approximate, but they are also interesting for comparing the indicators.

Ingredients of ready-made hummus bought in the store

Caloric content – 237 kcal
Proteins – 7.78 g
Fats – 17.8 g
Carbohydrates – 15 g
Fiber – 5.5 g
Sugar – 0.62 g
Starch – 8.08 g
Calcium – 47 mg
Iron – 2.54 mg
Magnesium – 75 mg
Manganese – 1.16 mg
Phosphorus – 181 mg
Potassium – 312 mg
Sodium – 426 mg
Folic acid – 48 mg

Ingredients for homemade hummus

Caloric content – 177 kcal
Proteins – 4.86 g
Fats – 8.59 g
Carbohydrates – 20.1 g
Fiber – 4 g
Sugar – 0.27 g
Calcium – 49 mg
Iron – 1.56 mg
Magnesium – 29 mg
Manganese – 0.56 mg
Phosphorus – 110 mg
Potassium – 173 mg
Sodium – 242 mg
Folic acid – 59 mg

How to Make Hummus at Home

The most important thing in making hummus is to choose tasty chickpeas and cook them properly. Before cooking, chickpeas are usually soaked in cold water (the only exception is when cooking in a pressure cooker). It is often recommended to boil chickpeas for hummus with a pinch of baking soda: this way it cooks faster. The process will be noticeably faster if you use canned chickpeas. Just remember that regardless of whether you cook cold or hot hummus, you need to puree hot chickpeas.

We present a recipe from Nadezhda Murinets , our long-time reader.

To prepare for 4 – 6 servings you will need:

dry chickpeas – 200 g
drinking water – 2 l
chickpea broth – 200 ml
pine nuts, optional – 50 g
extra virgin olive oil – 5 tbsp.
garlic – 2 – 3 cloves
tahini – 3 – 4 tbsp. l.
lemon juice – 2 – 3 tbsp.
fresh herbs for serving - optional
ground paprika and salt

Soak chickpeas in water for 5-8 hours .
Drain the chickpeas in a colander and rinse. Cover with drinking water and cook for 2 hours. Add salt 20 minutes before they are ready. Drain the chickpeas in a colander. Do not pour out the broth: you will need it to make hummus.
Lightly toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan, if desired.
Place the cooked chickpeas in a deep bowl. Add half of the broth, olive oil, garlic pressed through a press, and tahini. Blend with an immersion blender, adding the broth and lemon juice in parts as needed. You should get a homogeneous, smooth puree.
When the hummus is ready, transfer it to a bowl or plate. Sprinkle with nuts, paprika, you can add some greens and serve.

What makes guacamole healthy?

Guacamole is a traditional Mexican snack or dip made from avocado. The word "guacamole" comes from the Aztec language, from the words auacatl - "avocado" and molli - "sauce".

There are many recipes for making guacamole . It is prepared with onions, sweet peppers, jalapenos or chili peppers, tomatoes, herbs, garlic, olive oil. But the basis of guacamole is always the same - it is a puree of avocado pulp with the addition of salt and lime or lemon juice.

Guacamole is a proven way to get monounsaturated fats, fiber, and potassium. These types of fats are good for your heart, muscles, joints, and skin.

The potassium found in guacamole is an important nutrient for regulating blood pressure and fluid balance in the body.

BJU, calories and microelements in 100 g of homemade guacamole

Foreign researchers believe that the standard serving size of guacamole is from 2 to 4 tablespoons. If you eat more, you can go beyond the benefits of guacamole. Why is that? Avocado can boast an abundance of healthy fats, but it is high in calories and some guacamole recipes recommend using a lot of salt - a hidden source of sodium. Here are the BJU of the most basic guacamole - without tomatoes, garlic and olive oil. The composition includes only avocado, lemon juice, onion and salt.

Caloric content – 155 kcal
Proteins – 1.95 g
Fats – 14.18 g
Carbohydrates – 8.45 g
Fiber – 6.5 g
Sugar – 0.72 g
Calcium – 12 mg
Iron – 0.54 mg
Magnesium – 28 mg
Manganese – 0.56 mg
Phosphorus – 51 mg
Potassium – 472 mg
Sodium – 344 mg
Folic acid – 79 mg

How to Make Guacamole at Home

The simplest recipe for making guacamole is this. Peel the avocado, cut it in half, and remove the pit. Use a blender to make a puree, add a little salt and lemon juice to it so that the avocado does not have time to oxidize and darken. The dish is ready! However, using a blender is not necessary, because ripe avocado pulp can be mashed with a fork, and the remaining ingredients can be finely chopped with a knife.

Traditionally, guacamole is served with corn chips, but it will be very tasty if you cut Armenian lavash or pita into small triangular pieces, grease them with olive oil, fry them in the oven until crispy and serve with guacamole. For those concerned about dietary nutrition, you can offer to put chopped raw vegetables and lettuce leaves next to guacamole.

To prepare for 6 – 8 servings you will need:

fleshy tomatoes – 2 pcs.
chili pepper – 1 pc.
garlic - 2 cloves
sweet red onion – 0.5 pcs.
ground cumin – 1 pinch
avocado – 2 pcs.
juice of half a large lemon
parsley leaves – 3 – 4 sprigs
salt, freshly ground black pepper

Make a cross-shaped cut on the tomatoes, dip them in boiling water for 30 seconds, pour cold water over them and peel them. Cut the tomatoes into quarters, remove the seeds along with the liquid. Cut the pulp into very small cubes.
Remove seeds and membranes from the chili, chop the flesh very finely. Chop the garlic and onion, mix with the chili and prepared tomatoes; sprinkle with cumin and black pepper.
Cut the avocado in half lengthwise around the pit, separate the halves by turning them around the axis in opposite directions. Remove the pit. Peel the avocado, cut the pulp into very small cubes or mash with a fork. Immediately pour lemon juice over the pulp, adding a little pulp, salt and mix.
Mix the avocado with the onion-pepper mixture, add chopped cilantro, season with more salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Hummus vs. Guacamole: Which is Better?

If there's a winner to be had, hummus has a slight edge over guacamole, mainly due to its higher protein content and greater micronutrient content.

Many cooks believe that guacamole is best served for dinner, and hummus for lunch. On foreign forums, they read advice to add hummus to soups to thicken it or use it to stuff peppers as a cold vegetarian appetizer.

Guacahumus for Peace and Health

And for the sake of peace between fans of hummus and guacamole!

If you want the avocado to be more noticeable in this dish, you can reduce the amount of tahini a little. And those who want to feel the full power of chickpeas can fry or bake the prepared beans and add them whole (or very coarsely chopped) to the homogeneous mass. Or you can add chickpeas to the finished dish, for example, as in the photo. Guac hummus was spread on slices of baked sweet potato (or on bread), and fried chickpeas were added on top.

To prepare for 6 servings you will need:

avocado – 1 – 1.5 pcs.
boiled chickpeas – 300 – 350 g
tahini – 100 g
sun-dried tomatoes – 100 g
ground red chili pepper – 1/4 tsp.
ground cayenne pepper – 1/8 tsp.
cumin – 1/8 tsp
ground black pepper – 1/4 tsp.
garlic – 1 clove
lemon juice – 1/4 tsp.
sea salt – 1/4 tsp.

If the tomatoes are dry, soak them in water for 15-20 minutes . Drain in a sieve, dry with paper towels and cut into small cubes.
Mash the avocado and chickpeas into a puree. Press the garlic through a press.
Mix all ingredients until smooth and serve immediately.