These days, it can be tough to find good food. Things have gotten better since the health food boom of the 2000s—but even so, discerning nutrient rich foods from name-brand impostors on supermarket shelves can be a daunting task. Practically everything these days contains added corn syrup or sugars, hydrogenated oils, synthetic additives, unnatural flavors, or who knows what else… sometimes you need to be a scientist to understand what you’re actually eating!
Nutrient dense foods, sometimes known as nutrient rich foods, contain high amounts of healthy macronutrients, vitamins and minerals while maintaining a relatively low calorie count. The most nutrient dense foods do not use any “filler calories,” which come from added carbohydrates, sugars and fats that decrease a food’s nutritional value. The sneaky manufacturing trend of adding cheap filler ingredients in order to maximize profits has led many people to become more health conscious, and to advocate for nutritionally dense foods made from easy-to-understand ingredients.
Hummus: A Champion Among Nutrient Rich Foods
In the last two decades, national U.S. hummus sales have risen from an annual total of $5 million to over $800 million annually—and they’re still rising! This 150-fold increase didn’t just happen because hummus is delicious, but also because hummus is one of the most nutritionally dense foods available today. Hard to believe? Well, think about the ingredients:
- Chickpeas
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Tahini
- Lemon
- Garlic
- Sea Salt
- Spices
What’s not to love? Complete protein, complex carbohydrates, heart-healthy fats, vitamins and minerals… It stands to reason that if hummus ingredients are all nutrient dense foods, then they combine to make hummus one of the most nutrient dense foods! For a closer look at nutritional percentages in hummus, check out our recent workout blog to get the skinny.
It is important to note that if you’re looking for protein dense foods, you should think about adding some chicken or quinoa to your meal. Hummus is a very well-balanced nutrient dense food and it contains very high-quality protein, but if you’re looking to boost your protein specifically then try just adding a little meat!
Nutrient Rich Snacks
We all know that veggies are super healthy. And thankfully, dipping veggies in Hope Hummus is about as easy as it gets! Carrots, broccoli, bell peppers, cauliflower, green beans, cucumbers, snow peas—you name it! For quick and simple nutrient dense snacks at home, at work, or even in the car, you can’t beat veggie and hummus combos. And now, with all the exciting flavors available, like Jalapeño Red hummus or Buffalo Bleu hummus, you can make sure that your nutrient dense snacks taste exactly the way you want!
But maybe you’re looking for more of a meal. Maybe you’re trying to find more nutrient rich foods and/or protein dense foods to mix in with your hummus. If that’s the case, visit our Hope Kitchen for a ton of healthy and delicious recipes—or stop by our Instagram page to see all the creative and beautiful meal ideas our foodie friends are creating! With quality hummus like HOPE, you can be assured that every meal you eat is gonna be a winner!
Got ideas? Send ‘em by! We’d love to see your favorite nutrient dense snacks. Cheers and happy eating!
