It’s a fact: when you’re pregnant, you want to eat. Cravings come out of nowhere, and they are NOT messing around. It’s no joke when they say you’re “eating for two!” And while you need to eat healthy food during pregnancy, it’s just as important that your healthy snacks be easy to prepare—because otherwise you just might just grab that package of cookies instead!
So, what exactly constitutes healthy food for pregnancy? Well, any doctor worth their salt (no pun intended) will tell you to maintain a diet that includes plenty of healthy macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals. In simple terms, the best pregnancy foods will be made of quality natural ingredients, contain no synthetic preservatives or additives, and will supply your body with plenty of building blocks for baby!
Hummus is a Super Healthy Food for Pregnancy
Simply put, hummus is one of the healthiest foods for pregnancy out there. Packed with everything a mother’s body needs, it’s commonly cited as a prime ingredient in healthy pregnancy snacks. So if you’re already addicted to our favorite yummy dip, in all its delicious flavors, then trust us—you will want more of it when you’re pregnant!
This means that as long as your hummus is a premium brand instead of a conventional, preservative-laden one, you can rest easy. Whether you’re looking for protein rich foods for pregnancy or iron rich foods during pregnancy, hummus has it all. Check out our Instagram page and our HOPE Kitchen for some super healthy pregnancy snacks that you and your baby will both love!
So how do you ensure that your hummus is a premium brand for your pregnancy snacks? There are a few things to check for. First, your hummus fats should only be coming from extra virgin olive oil, not just regular olive oil or canola, to provide your baby with healthy Omega-3s and monounsaturated fats. Second, make sure your hummus is High Pressure Processed, as HPP removes the need for unhealthy preservatives and completely prevents bacterial contamination. And third, only trust hummus that is USDA Certified Organic, meaning free of harmful pesticides or additives and non-GMO.
So grab your veggies and pita; take a seat and learn more about why hummus is one of the best foods for pregnancy.
Hummus Nutrition Data
So then, if we’ve made sure our hummus is premium quality, then what’s in it? Since we always hear about needing more healthy carbs, fats, and protein for pregnancy, let’s take a quick survey of hummus’ macronutrients. For every 5 ounces (roughly 175 calories), hummus contains:
- 20 grams of complex vegetable carbohydrates
- 5 grams of complete proteins
- 8.5 grams of heart-healthy (monounsaturated) fat
Great, right? No wonder hummus is considered such a healthy food for pregnancy! But that’s not all—we constantly hear about the necessity of folate, calcium, and iron rich foods for pregnancy. And that’s where hummus wins again! Check out these percentages of vitamins toward your Recommended Daily Values:
- Iron – 12%
- Manganese – 12%
- Folate/Folic Acid – 11%
- Calcium – 9%
When you consider that hummus also contains vitamin B6, vitamin C, magnesium, zinc, thiamin, and potassium, it’s clear that hummus isn’t just one of the high-protein foods for pregnancy… it’s high in everything!
Stay Safe and Choose HOPE Hummus
Next time that craving hits, grab a container of HOPE Hummus, you don’t have to worry about the ingredients. Our hummus is USDA Certified Organic, which means we are non-GMO and contain no unhealthy additives. We use premium extra virgin olive oil to make sure your baby receives only the healthiest fats. Additionally—and most importantly, we are High Pressure Processed.
With all the recent hummus listeria scares, HPP is becoming a necessity. Nearly every major hummus brand, except HOPE, has suffered from listeria hummus recalls. That’s because instead of relying on the uncertainty of heat and chemicals to sterilize our hummus, we use cold pressure to completely wipe out harmful bacteria. We ensure that our hummus is a healthy food for pregnancy, or for anything else.
So if you’re feeling the cravings, hop on over to our Insta page and the HOPE Kitchen for your next healthy pregnancy snack!
As always, cheers and happy eating.