Is Hummus Keto? The Amount of Carbs in Hummus

Usually served with pita and dip, hummus offers many health benefits such as fighting inflammation, managing blood sugar, improving digestion, and supporting weight loss.

But, for those who are on a keto diet, is hummus allowed in the keto diet?

In this article, you will learn how many carbs hummus has, the best keto hummus recipes you can try, and what alternatives you can try aside from this recipe.

Why Is Hummus Keto-Friendly? Calories and Benefits

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Is It Okay to Eat Hummus on a Keto Diet?

To answer the question: is hummus keto, we have to tackle the number of net carbs this recipe has.

Hummus is a nutritious snack that may come in pita chips or bread. It is a creamy and smooth meal.

Generally, hummus is made with chickpeas, olive oil, garlic, chickpeas, tahini or sesame paste, lemon juice, and sea salt.

Although this keto-friendly recipe comes with many ingredients, one cup of this recipe offers around 4 grams of net carbs and 6 grams of total carbs only with 10 grams of fat.

Still, this does not mean that this low-carb hummus is fit for those who are on a ketogenic diet. Depending on how it was prepared, these carbohydrate counts may change.

If you want to make low-carb homemade hummus, keep it more keto by using healthy fats as your oil base. All you would need is a food processor and all the ingredients. 

If you want to add new flavor and improve the taste of your hummus meal, you can incorporate your low-carb spices.

If you are on a keto, keep in mind that your net carb count should be less than 25 grams per day.

So, one serving size of classic hummus may already fit your lifestyle.

Hummus Dip

If you consume hummus as a keto dip and not as a garnish, you might want to consider the number of carbs from the food you dip.

Most chips are high in carbohydrate content thus, you might want to avoid these foods. For other dipping options, you can try the vegetables celery, raw broccoli, raw cauliflower, or roasted cauliflower. All of these vegetables perfectly fit the ketogenic diet.

When choosing keto veggies, always go for those that contain few carbohydrates and are gluten-free to keep your body under ketosis. Among all these, cauliflower is mostly used.

Health Benefits of Homemade Hummus

As said, hummus is a very healthy recipe. It is rich in calories, fiber, fat, and protein. 

The carbohydrate content of hummus is moderate and it contains other nutrients and vitamins such as manganese, copper, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, thiamin, vitamin B6, and potassium.

Chickpeas, the main ingredient in this keto meal, are also considered low-carb and can reduce weight and aside from this, it can also promote the following benefits:

1) Olive oil for inflammation

Another main ingredient for low-carb hummus includes olive oil. As we all know, this oil is one of the healthy fats that are rich in antioxidants and comes with anti-inflammatory effects.

2) Improves digestion

Hummus is a keto snack that has a high nutrition profile.

It is rich in fiber and this can aid in digestion. Additionally, these fibers can support regular bowel movements.

These help the healthy bacteria live as well.

In a study from Portugal, a hummus keto-friendly snack can also reduce the risk of cancer.

In another study from the USA, low-carb chickpeas slow down the digestion of carbs. Chickpeas are rich in protein, resistant starch, and antinutrients.

3) Controls blood sugar levels

Hummus has a low glycemic index. Hummus is made from chickpeas and these chickpeas have a glycemic index of only 28.

4) Reduces heart disease

Based on a study from Australia, chickpeas can lower bad cholesterol. In this study, it was also stated that eating chickpeas is better than eating wheat bread.

In another report from New Orleans, the LDL cholesterol levels of participants who consumed chickpeas were reduced by 5%.

Other ingredients of hummus that can effectively lower cholesterol levels include garlic, lemon, and tahini. 

Keto Hummus Alternative

If you are looking for keto hummus alternatives, there are many options as well.

2 servings of keto hummus can already fill your daily carbohydrate limit, thus, considering the following keto hummus alternatives that offer the same nutrition as hummus would be a smart choice.

1) Baba ganoush

This is one of the low-carb, creamy, Mediterranean recipes and many people replace chickpeas with eggplant instead.

A 45-gram serving of baba ganoush can provide around 3 grams of net carbs per serving.

You can also add roasted macadamia nuts to this meal. A 100-gram of macadamia nuts only provides around 14 grams of net carbs.

This keto meal contains moderate amounts of fat and calories.

This is also one of the dairy-free keto foods. You can also add your favorite low-carb spices to this meal to make it more flavorful.

2) Pate

This is also one of the best low-carb, dairy-free recipes that you can eat instead of hummus.

This hummus meal alternative is a smooth spread that is made from any of the following ingredients:

  • Cooked chicken instead of chickpeas
  • Beef
  • Duck liver

Pate is high in fat but only contains a few carbohydrates and fiber. One tablespoon of this meal can provide less than 1 gram of carb.

To make it more hummus-like, add some cauliflower toppings and drink some lemon juice as well.

3) Black soybean hummus

Black soybean hummus is also one of the best low-carb alternative recipes for hummus. As we all know, soybeans are keto-friendly.

They are high in fiber and are very low-carb and fat. 3 tablespoons of this meal contain around 3 grams of net carbs only.

Final Thoughts

Indeed, hummus is one of the best and most nutritious meals that can fit the lifestyle of those who are on a low-carb diet. It is a balanced food many health enthusiasts would surely love.

Some of the ingredients of this meal are chickpeas, tahini, garlic, and lemon. All of these ingredients are also gluten-free.

To add some flavors and improve the taste, low-carb herbs and spices can also be incorporated.

Aside from the hummus snack, there are also other hummus alternatives such as baba ganoush, pate, and black soybean hummus.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How many carbohydrates are there in a cauliflower?

100 grams of cauliflower can give up to 5 grams of total carbs. This vegetable also contains low amounts of fat.

Can I have chickpeas while on keto?

Chickpeas generally contain low amounts of carbohydrates. This means that they are suitable for those who are on a keto diet.

Is hummus high in carbohydrates?

Depending on how a hummus meal was prepared, hummus usually has a low carbohydrate content.