This is going to sound a little odd, but it has been my favorite lunch for the past week. I wasn’t certain that I was going to post this salad since it is unorthodox but I have eaten it now at least 5 times and think I am officially addicted so I decided to share the idea.
I made a batch of low fat hummus last week and decided to put it on my salad instead of dressing and I loved it. The hummus is creamy adding texture as well as flavor. Hempseeds were included for additional healthy omega 3 fatty acids. I can’t believe I didn’t try this before. Cooked Chickpeas on salad are standard fare, so hummus isn’t as crazy as it sounds from a flavor perspective.
This salad contains almost 2800 IU’s of Vitamin A, 150 mg’s of Vitamin C, and 240 mcg of folate all for 144 calories. I think it would be hard to beat the nutrition of this salad for the calories. If you choose to use commercial hummus know that you will be adding a lot more fat and calories. My reduced fat humus only has 2.05 grams of fat per half cup.
Green Salad with Reduced Fat Hummus
Serves 1
Ingredients:
4 cups of mixed greens, cleaned, dried and torn into bite size pieces
½ cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/3 red bell pepper cut into bite size pieces
¼ cup reduced fat hummus
1 teaspoon of hulled hempseeds
Directions:
Place the greens in the bottom of the dish, top with tomatoes, bell pepper, hummus and hempseeds and enjoy.
Nutritional Information:
Amount Per Serving
Calories - 144.06
Calories From Fat (25%) - 36.11
Total Fat - 4.2g
Saturated Fat - 0.37g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 168.81mg
Potassium - 772.36mg
Total Carbohydrates - 20.65g
Fiber - 7.7g
Sugar - 3.6g
Protein - 7.79g
Comments:
This salad is surprisingly filling for the few number of calories it contains. I think the protein from the beans is what makes it satisfying. At the moment this is my favorite salad. If you like hummus give it a try.
This doesn't sound crazy to me, and the colors are fantastic...you can tell it's packed with good nutrients.
ReplyDeleteRose,
ReplyDeleteHave you read either "Eat to Live" or "Eat for Health" by Dr. Fuhrman? If you haven't I think you would enjoy the books. I was rereading "Eat for Health" today which is what made me think to mention it. He is a big believer in eating large amounts of veggies and fruit.
BTW, either the salad isn't crazy, or we are both nuts. My husband just shakes his head when I mention this salad. He definitely thinks it is odd so he gets oil and vinegar with whole chickpeas instead.
Alicia
Yeah, I get that from my hubby too, when I do things like eat sauerkraut for breakfast. I'll definitely check out those books...there's so much to learn about health and nutrition.
ReplyDeleteI recently read "Never Be Sick Again" by Raymond Francis, in that book, he goes into how the food we eat affects our bodies, and it's really had an effect on the food choices I've been making. He's all for a mostly plant-based diet, mostly raw, organic, and allergen free diet.
Rose,
ReplyDeleteYou are so right, there is so much to learn about health and nutrition that I think I will never be finished. But I try to make the best choices for both Dan and I everyday and that is all I can do.
"Never Be Sick Again" is on my short list of books to read. I have about 10 books at home now I need to get through before I add to the reading pile.
Alicia