Viral: is hummus really as healthy as we think?

Maybe it’s because of my name, probably not, but I love hummus. Preferably the kind from the market, with mango or aubergine or little pieces of feta. Mmm. Another nice thing: it’s healthy. Vegetarian, high in fibre, nutritious. Great. Well, not exactly.

On LinkedIn, this post by food innovator Harro Schwencke is going viral:

Right, so there’s some nuance: hummus isn’t always healthy. But it isn’t always unhealthy either. It varies quite a bit depending on the hummus brand and type.

People are flabbergasted. Reactions such as ‘I’m in shock’ and ‘I didn’t expect this’ can be found under Harro’s post. An attentive reader also writes: ‘A classic hummus recipe shouldn’t contain any oil anyway… chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice and garlic. That’s it.’

Harro’s main message is: read labels critically and don’t take anything for granted. If you’re interested in more examples of this kind of misleading information from the supermarket, by the way, check out @upfront on Instagram, where many more interesting food facts are listed.

Also read:

• With this trick, you can always serve silky-smooth hummus
• Toppings for your hummus sandwich
• Hummus: the perfect base for your dessert