Hummus, with its chickpea base, wins with certain nutrients, like protein, zinc, and iron, while guacamole helps avocado fans slim down with fewer calories and carbs, heart-healthy fats, and potassium.
They are similar in terms of total fat and calories but guacamole has higher levels of mono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFA). MUFAs may lower your cholesterol and help regulate your blood sugar levels. Hummus has a higher protein content, which may help you feel fuller for longer.
Despite the misconception that hummus is fattening, traditionally-made hummus is a wholesome food made with chickpeas and containing olive oil – a heart-healthy unsaturated fat. Hummus is a nutrient-packed food that can help you manage your weight, when it's eaten in moderation as part of a healthy eating pattern .
Hummus nutrition
While it's a decent amount to get you toward that daily fiber goal, it won't wreck your digestive system. It's all about moderation. Individual food sensitivities aside, chickpeas and hummus are perfectly safe to consume as long as they don't make up your entire meal.
Chia seeds
"Avocados are high-fat, high-fiber foods. If you're looking for a food swap with similar nutritional values, your best option are chia seeds," Carr says. "Similar to avocados, chia seeds have inflammatory fighting omega-3 fats, and they happen to be one of the most fiber-rich foods.
“Usually, I would recommend that ½ to one avocado a day is reasonable,” she says. She notes that since avocados are a pretty significant source of healthy monounsaturated fat, they make you more satisfied and are harder to overdo because they tend to fill you up.
There is no reason to fear that avocados will be fattening, as long as you eat them as part of a healthy diet based on whole foods. On the contrary, avocados have many qualities of a weight loss friendly food.
Hummus is a great source of fiber and protein, which may promote weight loss. Surveys have shown that people who consume chickpeas or hummus regularly are less likely to be obese, plus have a lower BMI and smaller waist circumference.
The only problem with hummus is the calories! Olive oil is calorie rich, instantly making this a dish where portion size matters! The addition of other ingredients to create different types of flavored hummus can sometimes increase calorie levels further still.
Is Hummus Healthy? Yes, hummus is healthy enjoyed in moderation. Hummus is rich in nutrients, and research shows that people who regularly eat chickpeas tend to have higher intakes of fiber, polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and minerals.
Fortunately for us all, most hummus contains little to no sugar. Whew! In fact, hummus is often recommended for low- or no-sugar diets—since aside from skimping on sweeteners, it packs a heavy dose of vitamins and minerals, protein, complex carbohydrates, heart-healthy fats, and fiber.
Hummus is a great source of plant-based protein, providing 7.9 grams per serving. This makes it an excellent option for people on a vegetarian or vegan diet. Consuming enough protein is essential for optimal growth, recovery and immune function.
“It is relatively high in calories due to the tahini and oil content,” says Angela Lemond, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. A store-bought brand of hummus typically contains around 70 calories for a two-tablespoon portion, so “it is very easy to overdo it,” adds Pine.
There's also no reason to believe avocados should be avoided when losing weight. In fact, one large study found that people who regularly ate avocados were up to 9 percent less likely to develop overweight or obesity over a period of 4 to 11 years compared with those who did not regularly consume avocados ( 15 ).
Eating more than 70 grams of fiber daily is when digestion issues can occur, a report from Medical News Today states. This would mean eating more than 4.5 tablespoons of hummus can put your body at risk, which is something that's easy to do when using the dip to complement chips or veggies.
Degreed nutritionist Heather Hanks told the online food publication in February that eating hummus in excess can cause gastrointestinal inflammation. In her own words: "Hummus is made from chickpeas, which are a legume. These can be hard to digest for many people, and induce GI inflammation."
Peanut butter is richer in Vitamin B3, Manganese, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin B2, while Hummus is higher in Copper. Peanut butter's daily need coverage for Vitamin B3 is 78% higher. Hummus has 9 times less Vitamin B5 than Peanut butter.
You could gain weight if you overdo it.
"While hummus is healthy, it still contains olive oil and often contains tahini, which is essentially sesame seed butter. Too much of any of that is going to rack up calories."
So, traditional Hummus (or Houmous if you'd prefer) contains tahini (sesame seed paste) and olive oil, both of which are quite high in Points. My favourite supermarket hummus works out at 3 Points per tablespoon (& that's not a nice, big heaped tablespoon - that's one of those annoying small level tablespoons!).
Eat it for a snack with celery, carrots, or peppers, spread it over your whole wheat bread instead of mayo, or top your soups with a dollop. This tasty, healthy dip is good for losing weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle!
The researchers learned that avocados were linked with a redistribution of body fat, which can ultimately reduce the risk of disease. Women who ate one avocado every day had lower visceral fat levels and lower ratios of the two kinds of belly fat.
In fact, researchers have found that avocados may protect the heart in a similar way as olive oil and nuts do in the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet. A 2018 analysis of 10 studies found an increase in HDL (protective cholesterol) in people who consumed an average of 1 to 3.7 avocados daily.
Miranda Hammer, R.D., considers an ideal serving for most healthy people one-half an avocado per day, although she also suggests consuming more limited quantities if you're on a low FODMAP diet or suffer from IBS.