Let’s talk about hummus! We all know iron is an essential nutrient on our diet right?. The recommended average iron daily intake is of 18 mg per day, but iron from plant based foods tends to be less easily absorbed by our bodies than iron from animal sources, thats why vegetarian and plant based diets recommended iron intake is 1.8 times higher than for meat eaters. I know this sounds like a lot of work, but if you eat a varied, healthy plant-based diet that includes a balance of grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, fruits and vegetables you can achieve this and stop worrying about your iron intake. Hummus is one of my all time favourites, it is made from chickpeas and tahini, both of which are very high in iron. Hummus also contains lemon juice making the combination of chickpeas, tahini and lemon create the perfect storm for maximum iron absorption your body. Plus tahini is a great source of calcium, so whats not to love about hummus?
Serves: Approx. 2-3 Cups
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 45 min
Ingredients
2 small to medium beets
1 (15.5 oz) can chickpeas
2 cloves of garlic (* optional)
3 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp olive or avocado oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cummin
pepper to taste
Method
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F / 200 degree C.
Trim the leaves of the beets so that just a bit of stem is left then clean and scrub them well.
Wrap each beet individually in foil and roast in the oven for 45 min to an hour.
Once the beets are done roasting, run them under cold water to make them easier to peel and give them a rough chop.
Add all ingredients into the food processor, except for the oil, and puree for 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape the sides and continue pureeing for an additional 30 seconds.
Slowly add the oil while the mixture is processing, adding more as needed, until nice and creamy.
Serve and enjoy!
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION Serving Size: ¼ cup Calories: 149 Fat: 8.1 g Saturated Fat: 1.1 g Carbs: 16.5 g Fiber: 3.3 g Protein: 4.3 g Sugar: 1.6 g
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