Hummus, guacamole and packaged vegetable spreads: which are the healthiest

When we think of a healthy snack, both hummus and guacamole immediately come to mind. They are easy to prepare and allow all kinds of variants and versions, but when we talk about packaged products it is advisable to choose well so as not to get carried away.

The nutritional study of 79 vegetable spreads (hummus, guacamole and other creams based on eggplant, lentils, radish, escalivada…) published in the latest issue of the magazine OCU Salud reveals that, although in general they are healthy products its composition is not always ideal. Thus, some may include unhealthy fats and added sugars, high amounts of salt and possible additives (especially preservatives, antioxidants, acidity regulators and even gums as thickeners) that make them less healthy than those prepared at home following the instructions. traditional recipes.

Hummus: check the percentage of chickpeas

Chickpeas, its main ingredient, are usually accompanied by tahini paste, lemon and spices, although it is not unusual to find less conventional ingredients such as pepper, olives or almonds. The fact is that the majority of the 46 products analyzed have a good nutritional contribution and obtain an A or B rating on Nutriscore. The rest, with a C (a simple acceptable), are usually penalized for an excessive amount of salt or a low percentage of chickpeas, which reduces their fiber content. Their prices are very different and vary between 4 and 34 euros/kg. Among those that obtain the best results, Carrefour’s Classic Chickpea Hummus (€3.95/kg) stands out for its excellent quality-price ratio.

Guacamole: how much avocado does it contain?

The 15 guacamole products analyzed by the OCU contain no less than 90% avocado, in many cases accompanied by other ingredients such as onion, tomato or cilantro cut very finely. All of them have a good nutritional profile, which is why they get a good grade, an A or a B on Nutriscore. In any case, it doesn’t hurt to compare the amount of additives they incorporate or the amount of fiber on the label. Although where there are the most differences is in the price, which varies between 8 and 17 euros.

Vegetable spreads: not everything goes in the mix

Eggplant, lentils, escalivada… and such peculiar combinations as horseradish and apple or papaya and curry. Also guacamole sauces, with a much lower percentage of avocado than traditional ones.

Overall, they are the spreads with the least interesting nutritional profile: only 3 of the 18 products have an A in Nutriscore. Among the most widespread problems are its low percentage of vegetables, fruits or legumes, excess salt (11 products exceed 1%), its limited fiber content or the presence of misleading additives, such as coloring: there were these in 7 of the 18 products analyzed.