Britain has taken hummus to its heart. Apparently, 41 per cent of us have a pot of the stuff in the fridge, and we spend around £60 million a year on it. Earlier this month, singer Robbie Williams revealed he eats it every day. Made by blending cooked chickpeas with olive oil, tahini (sesame seed paste), garlic, cumin, lemon and salt, hummus has much to recommend it for your health. Chickpeas are a protein-rich legume high in fibre — important for digestive health, lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels — and a good source of iron and other minerals. There are ever more sophisticated versions of hummus available, but not all are equal nutritionally. Noor Al Refae, a dietitian in Yorkshire, assessed 12, we then rated them.
MANDY FRANCIS
Nando's hummus + peri-peri drizzle
170g, £2, ocado.com
This is 55 per cent chickpeas and has rapeseed, sunflower and olive oils. While the oils provide omega-3 fatty acids, they also boost the calorie content — a 60g serving (two heaped tablespoons) has 190 calories and 1.92g saturated fat — about as much as in a teaspoon of butter. It is also high in salt, with 0.6g in a serving, which is roughly what you’d get in two bags of ready salted crisps. That’s a ninth of the daily limit.
Taste: Bland — the chilli drizzle is a must.
4/10
Sainsbury's roasted beetroot hummus
200g, £1.55, sainsburys.co.uk
THIS is made with 39 per cent beetroot, which is a good source of nitrates, shown to have beneficial effects on blood pressure. It’s also high in vitamin C.
This has the second-lowest salt content here — a bag of ready salted crisps’ worth in a 60g portion. The 10 per cent tahini provides calcium, which aids bone health, and magnesium, for muscle and nerve function. The half-a-teaspoon of sugar in a portion is natural sugar from the beetroot.
Taste: Delicious: slightly sweet with a minty zing.
8/10
Asda extra special basil pesto hummus
170g, £1.75, asda.com
On the plus side, the sundried tomato paste in this is a good source of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant which helps protect cells.
But this is topped with pesto, parmesan cheese, olive oil and pine nuts, giving it the second highest calorie content here, with 212 in a 60g serving — the same as three digestive biscuits. The 2.52g saturated fat in a portion is also 12.6 per cent of a woman’s daily limit.
Taste: An acquired taste as the cheese is powerful.
3/10
Moorish pea hummus
150g, £1.80, sainsburys.co.uk
This is described as having ‘50 per cent more protein, to keep you feeling fuller for longer’. The addition of peas — 30 per cent of the hummus — and pea protein powder here means a 60g portion contains 6g protein, which is about the same as a large egg.
That said, a 60g portion of lean meat, fish or soya would have more than double that amount of protein, without the high-fat content typical of hummus. But peas are a good source of protective antioxidant vitamin C.
Taste: The clean, fresh, pea flavour is scrumptious.
7/10
Chicp chilli pumpkin hummus
170g, £1.99, ocado.com
This is made with surplus vegetables that have been rejected by supermarkets due to their shape or size, thereby reducing food waste. It contains roughly equal quantities of chickpeas and pumpkin.
Pumpkin is a rich source of cell-protective beta-carotene, vitamin C and fibre, as well as lutein, which is important for eye health. Chilli flakes have been added, along with ginger puree.
This is lower in salt than most of the other products here, but a 60g serving will
