If you are kicking off the new year with a new diet, you might be asking yourself right about now, “What snack can I eat without the guilt?” The answer is hummus. In a 2020 study in The Journal of Nutrition, people who ate an afternoon snack of hummus and pretzels reported less hunger than when they munched on a granola bar (both were 240 calories). The hummus was such a potent appetite suppressant that it even helped the volunteers snack less later in the evening, reducing their overall daily intake by 120 calories compared to when they ate the granola bars. Now, you may be wondering why hummus is one of the best snacks for weight loss, here's what you need to know.
• Contains Fiber
Made from chickpeas, hummus is an easy way to work more slowly digested fiber into your day. According to the USDA, just ¼ cup of this creamy spread delivers nearly 4 grams of fiber. That's as much as you'd get from an entire bowl of oatmeal.
• Contains Protein
Did you know that protein is more satiating than fat or carbohydrates? It also takes more energy to digest. A ¼-cup serving of hummus delivers almost 5 grams of this helpful nutrient.
• Keeps Blood Sugar Levels Stable
The chickpeas in hummus have a low glycemic index (a mere 28 out of 100, per the 2022 study), which means eating them is unlikely to lead to blood sugar spikes. This may explain why the volunteers in the study exhibited lower blood glucose levels after eating hummus versus a granola bar.
Source: https://www.eatingwell.com/article/8021027/best-sn...

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