Canada observes more than 15 public holidays yearly (up to 22, depending on your territory or province) ? what better occasions are there for spending time with family and friends? And what do we all love to do when we get together? Eat!
Hey, eating?s fantastic, we need to eat, but when it comes to the holidays, we tend to over do it a bit, or more than a bit. Now, I don?t want to alarm you, but the prevalence of weight issues and obesity in Canada?s adult population shows that 50% of Canadian women and 70% of Canadian men are intaking more calories than they expend. And this is a continuing trend. From 2003 to 2012, obesity rose almost 18% among men and almost 17% among women.
So what can we eat at the holidays that?s delicious, healthy, locally grown? How about Hummus?
There so many hummuses to try, from a great roasted garlic hummus recipe to roasted pepper hummus, there are many flavors of hummus. Hummus is great for times like the holidays, when you need fast and easy appetizers. And the question isn?t really what to dip in hummus, but what shouldn?t you dip in hummus (because the answer is: try it with everything).
Hummus is healthy. Canada’s Food Guide says that a 175 mL, or three-fourths of a cup of hummus can be substituted for a serving of meat. And one serving (2 tablespoons) of hummus only contains 130 mg of sodium, which is good news, as nearly one in five (17.7%) of Canadians have high blood pressure.
A study published in 2014, in the Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences, found that hummus snackers are 51% less likely to have high blood sugar than those who don?t eat hummus, and have a 53% lesser chance of being obese. Another health benefit, Hummus is rich in folate, containing 36% of the suggested intake in one cup. Foods that are folate rich are known to lower risk of certain types of cancer, such as colorectal cancers, and can also lower risk of heart disease.
Not only is hummus healthy and delicious (Remember how good that roasted garlic hummus recipe sounded?), but buying hummus supports your local economy and cuts back on your carbon footprint. In 2012 and 2013 Canada grew 158,000 tonnes of chickpeas on 200,000 acres of land. In fact, Canada is among the five leading exporters of chickpeas in the world. So, not only are you creating easy appetizers and terrific mediterranean recipes, you?re also helping Canada?s farmers.
So many flavors of hummus to choose from, health benefits, good for the local economy and the environment? The only question to ask now is, where is that roasted garlic hummus recipe?