Do I Need to Give Up Hummus?

[taymariekay]

Hello all!

I haven’t been on here in a very long time. For a quick update, I was able to stop bingeing and was able to quit my sugar/junk food addiction. All it took was having healthy homemade (albeit pretty dense) treats around to suffice while the cravings went away. It did the trick!

I’m about to dive back into MWL eating (fell off for a bit) which I did for about a couple months and lost 12 lbs. I was very compliant. I found It to be really enjoyable but there is one caveat: I missed my hummus so bad! Oasis brand specifically. It’s the best. It’s no oil and only 1 gram of fat per two tablespoons so I justify it even though I know it has tahini. I use it as a dressing base and it’s wonderful. It’s the glue that holds my meals together...haha! But I’m afraid that if I add it back in while trying to do MWL again that it will hinder my weight loss. I bet I average a few servings per day which is about 3 grams of fat.

So, what do I do? Am I possibly overthinking this? I am totally fine not eating bread, tortillas, all other nuts and seeds, but this hummus really helps me enjoy my meals and stick to MWL as much as possible. Maybe it’s okay since it’s the only source of fat I’m having?

Help get me out of my head haha

[VeggieSue]

Sorry, but not okay for MWLP.

Why not just make your own without it? It only takes 5 minutes and you can flavor it up so many different ways.

[Tian-De]

Hummus is awesome. I can totally relate. Hummus was my snack time staple for a long time. I found it pretty easy to make with a food processor. Just canned chickpeas and a little aquafava (chickpea water) is awesome without any flavorings, but you can definitely spice it up.

Personally, my issues with hummus hasn't been the fat content, but rather that I find it easier to overeat processed foods. Sometimes I could zoom through two cans of chickpeas in hummus form like they were nothing. Maybe it's a little like Jeff's "Don't drink your calories" rule.. not sure.

A good good alternative is to put chickpeas in an air fryer with a little garlic powder and spice. It's super satiating on what feels like half the calorics of hummus.

[Lyndzie]

I’m with Serene. Try removing the major players from your diet, such as tofu, nuts, bread, etc. If your weight loss isn’t happening, then take the next step and remove the hummus. But don’t lose the forest because of the trees.

[Blipvert]

You can make hummus without tahini. Use brown chickpeas (kala chana), lemon juice and a little salt. or use regular canned chickpeas, give them 30 minutes to simmer from the can, let them cool and blend with the aquafaba (liquid from the can) - but the trick is to whisk the aquafaba first. add lemon juice and salt. neither of these techniques require tahini or extra oil the results are amazing. enjoy!

[carolw]

I've been working on a no oil, no tahini humus for a few years. Canned beans don't do it for me so I soak dried chickpeas over night, boil them up til soft and zap them while warm in a food processor, with paprika, chili pepper, cumin, garlic and lemon juice. If too thick I use the liquid from cooking and add it til I get the right consistency. If you still miss the tehina, add a 1/2 roasted red pepper to the humus. It gives it a feeling of oiliness without the oil.

Save the liquid from the chickpeas because it makes the best soup stock.

[taymariekay]

Wow, thanks for the helpful replies! I have decided to keep it in since I’ve noticed I only eat about two servings per day, which equals about 2 grams of fat. Would think that’s pretty negligible in the big scheme of things!