We’ve all heard the hype around keto diets. Can all the claims be true? “My brother lost 20 pounds in a month!” “I stay fit on nothing but cheese, steak, and veggies!” “I don’t know anything about it, but it’s popular so I’m doing it!” This diet approach, based on cutting carbs as completely as possible, has indeed been proven to garner results—if you can do without carbs!
That’s right… You can get rid of extra weight very quickly, as long as you don’t eat pasta, bread, pancakes, brownies, or many other carb-laden delights. Sigh. For some people, this is a deal breaker. It’s a sad fact that if you want to stay in a ketogenic state, you’re probably gonna be sacrificing a lot of foods you love.
So then, you might be wondering, is hummus keto? Well, it turns out that our chickpeas and tahini dip is high in carbs, so generally speaking, hummus is not keto friendly. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t eat it. Depending on the type of diet you’re following, and the type of hummus you’re eating, it may be possible—but offhand, most people would not include hummus in their list of keto on the go snacks!
How to Eat Keto Hummus
If you’re off the carb train, how can hummus fit into your keto snacks and meals? The skinny is, there are a couple types of keto diets that actually include carbs! Both options are designed for people with athletic lifestyles and training regimens, to replenish blood glycogen levels during intense physical activity. If you’re on one of these diets, then keto hummus is on the menu.
Interested? Check out cyclical ketogenic diets (CKD) and targeted ketogenic diets (TKD). The CKD focuses on high-intensity exercisers who need a steady supply of extra carbs, and the TKD is built for athletes who require more carbs before and after workouts.
In either of these diets, high carb consumption means your keto snacks can include any kind of hummus you want—and there are certainly some amazing flavors to choose from! However, make sure that you buy a premium hummus made with organic ingredients, free of artificial preservatives and additives, and containing only extra virgin olive oil instead of canola or sunflower oil.
But maybe that’s not enough. If you’re a true hummus fiend and you want to get creative, you can make your own keto hummus!
Make Your Own Keto Diet Hummus
After everything we’ve just said, you might be surprised to learn that you can whip up your own keto diet hummus. But the secret is, almost all of the carbs in hummus come from the chickpeas—so if you want to create a low-carb hummus, then simply substitute another ingredient for chickpeas and you are on target for yummy keto snacks.
What can you sub in? Popular keto hummus recipes include the following substitutions:
- Cauliflower
- Artichoke
- Zucchini
- Avocado
- Almonds
Obviously you may want to tweak your personal recipe to suit your taste, but with these ingredients, thankfully hummus is not totally off-limits!
So, is hummus keto? It can be! By modifying your diet for a super-active lifestyle, or modifying your recipe to make keto diet hummus, you can make sure you don’t miss out on the flavor and health benefits of the superfood dip. And at HOPE, we don’t care if you’re enjoying one of our delicious flavors or creating one… we just love eating hummus!
Cheers and happy eating.
