The Hummus and Pita Co. restaurant in New York City has launched a new permanent menu item it hopes will mark the start of a trend – to healthier beverage indulgences. The Hummus Shake may be just the first in a new generation of healthy treats that mimic traditional high-Cal, high-Sugar ones…
The Hummus Shake is not a Milk Shake, per se, but a blend of Hummus, frozen Bananas, Dates, Almond Milk, Pure Vanilla Extract, and a sprinkle of Cinnamon. Sounds really good!
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The Hummus Shake:
Available in several Fruit and Nut flavours…
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Thank goodness there’s some kind of Milk to thin-down the Hummus to a consistency that can be drawn up through a straw!
First of all, let me say, I like the whole idea of the Hummus Shake. It’s definitely healthy, and it appears it would be satisfying – at least as satisfying as a conventional Milk Shake.
I like that the concoction is free of artificial flavours and colours, and has no added Sugar. I just want to know what it tastes like. Since it’s available only at one resto in NYC, I guess I’ll have to either wait for the Hummus Shake to come north, or try making a knock-off myself.
Regardless, I think it’s a great idea, and a healthy alternative to the traditional Shake, which relies on Ice Cream and Sugar and Syrups and so on for its texture and flavour. In fact, with that much Hummus and Almond Milk and fresh Fruit, I can see using it as a jiffy meal replacement. Not quite a Protein Shake, but one full of good stuff and more or less devoid of unhealthy ingredients.
My take…
Now, Hummus is made from puréed Chick Peas (Garbanzo Beans) and Tahini, the equivalent of a runny Peanut Butter but made from ground Sesame Seeds. Sounds good, but I wondered how many calories I would be letting myself in for, per Shake? I was impressed. Turns out that a 1 cup / 165 mg of cooked Chick Peas (the maximum I’d expect to get in a Hummus Shake) packs:
269 Calories
45 grams total Carbohydrates0 Cholesterol 24 g Sodium
14.5 grams Protein
4.2 grams Fat
12.5 grams Fibre
And it’s also a good source of Vitamin B6, Iron and Magnesium.
But, while the shake contains an estimated 350 Calories, total, including the Almond Milk, Fruit and other ingredients, your traditional Plain Vanilla Restaurant Milkshake clocks in at anywhere from 480 to 620 Calories. And there’s a lot more Cholesterol, Fat and other not-so-nice things, as well. On the plus side, the conventioinal Shake is notably high in Calcium.
I’ve decided I can enjoy a Hummus Shake anytime this summer, guilt-free. Heck, I could probably congratulate myself on my healthy choice!
~ Maggie J.