Engine 2 Hummus

In the refrigerated section of most grocery stores are rows and rows of prepared hummus – a garbanzo bean spread that has been popular in the Middle East for centuries (if not longer). In recent years, hummus has gained popularity in the US and is used as a dip for an appetizer and even as a spread in wraps.

Although hummus is very simple to make at home with a food processor, sometimes its just easier to pick up a container at the grocery store. Most prepared hummus contains a lot of additives and oils but there are three new hummus products on the market made by Engine 2 and carried by Whole Foods that are low-fat and low in sodium with no added oils.

Engine 2 Traditional Hummus contains 8 ingredients: chick peas (freshly steamed), water, sesame seeds, lemon juice, garlic, seal salt, cumin, and guar gum (the ground seeds of the guar bean that acts as a thickener and binder).

Each serving – 2 tablespoons – has 25 calories, 1 gram of fat, 50 mg of sodium, and 1 gram of protein.  Creamy and delicious, Engine 2 Traditional Hummus is fabulous on multigrain chips, with carrot sticks or slices of red, yellow, or orange peppers, or spread inside a whole wheat pita filled with avocado, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and sprouts.

Engine 2 Roasted Red Pepper Hummus is a delicious alternative to classic hummus. Made with chick peas, water, roasted red pepper, sesame seeds, cultured dextrose (fermented sugar), garlic, citric acid, lemon juice concentrate, smoked paprika, tomato paste, carrot fiber, salt, and spices, the Red Pepper Hummus is a great tasting bolder version of the traditional hummus, and my favorite of the three.

Jalapeno Cilantro Hummus is just as its name suggest: the classic hummus blended with cilantro and jalapeno peppers to provide a hotter version of hummus. For those who appreciate a little heat, the Jalapeno Cilantro Hummus is delicious on freshly sliced vegetables, as a dip, or as a spread in a tortilla, wrap, or whole grain pita. Made with chick peas, water, cilantro, jalapeno peppers, sesame seeds, cultured dextrose, garlic, citric acid, spices, carrot fiber, natural flavors, vinegar, and salt.

The 8 ounce containers sell for $2.69 and can be found in the refrigerated section of Whole Foods.