Is Hummus Paleo?

At a recent party, I was thrilled to see that the host had plenty of fresh veg to munch on as an option, during the few hours prior to dinner being served.  Also available were guacamole and homemade salsa, both quite tasty and of course, Paleo friendly.

I had a chat with one of the guests who said he loved eating raw veg like carrots, celery and broccoli, all of which were being served, but that he absolutely had to dip them in hummus.

“Why isn’t hummus Paleo”, he asked me?

It’s simple; it’s made of garbanzo beans, and beans are not part of the Paleo diet.

Want a simple substitute?   Whiz up your own batch of a Paleo friendly version using olive oil, fresh garlic, lemon juice, freshly ground black pepper and pureed, roasted eggplant (just halve, and roast under the broiler until soft, peel and puree), finished off with a scant dash of sesame oil*.  

*Remember, seed and nuts and their oils, used once in a while are in keeping with Paleo, and as long as your overall balance of Omega 3:6 fatty acids are kept intact by adding some good sources of 3s (like wild salmon), a little bit of sesame will keep the flavor profile closer to what you used to enjoy from the tahini in hummus.

Be creative when you feel the urge to eat something non paleo.  Dissect the dish, pick out the important flavor notes and recreate your own, paleo friendly version.