Are the vegetarian dishes hummus and baba ghanouj low in fat?
It depends on how big a portion you eat. Although they are meatless – hummus, made from chickpeas, and baba ghanouj from eggplant – they are excellent reminders that meatless dishes are not always low in fat or calories. Both of these dishes are made with tahini (sesame seed paste), which is as high in fat as peanut butter. Although the good news is that little of the fat is saturated, it means hummus and baba ghanouj are concentrated in calories. Olive oil and sesame seeds may also be included in these dishes, adding more fat. The calories aren’t significant if you use just a tablespoon for dipping, but hummus may contain about 12 grams of fat and 200 calories in a half-cup. Calorie and fat content of baba ghanouj vary widely, but a half-cup can contain 100 to more than 400 calories and 8 to 50 grams of fat. You can make lower-fat versions of both dishes by reducing the amounts of tahini and olive oil, allowing you to eat a larger portion without the calories adding up so quickly. Q:
