Do you like to dip? Whether crisps, pitta, breadsticks or crudites are your weapon of choice, they all come second place to the star of the show - the dip.
We've checked out the credentials of 2 of the most popular - houmous and guacamole, so you can choose which delight you want to dip into!
Ingredients
Let's start with the ingredients of both - houmous is traditionally made from chickpeas, tahini (a sesame seed paste), olive oil, lemon juice and garlic. Guacamole from avocado, cream, tomato, coriander and chilli. A pretty good show from both sides in terms of whole food ingredients.
Calories
When it comes to calories, although they certainly don't tell the whole story. both houmous and guacamole are pretty high - a 25g serving of houmous contains 80 calories and the same amount of guacamole, 51 calories. So be sure to exercise some portion control when you're snacking by pre-measuring out your dip.
Carbs
Cutting back on carbs? Go for guacamole - it contains 3 times less carbohydrates than houmous.
Protein
Chickpeas are an awesome source of meatless protein. It's no surprise that houmous wins this as it contains nearly 7.7g of protein per 100g, whereas guacamole contains 1.9g.
Fats
Yay! Both houmus and guacamole are full of healthy fats! The main source of fat in guacamole, avocado, is full of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. In chickpeas, the fat is found in the monounsaturated rich olive oil and polyunsaturated and monounsaturated tahini. Find out more about healthy fats here.
Other stuff
Both guacamole and houmous are packed full of fibre - great for keeping you full and things ticking over in the digestive department. Guacamole has good levels of vitamin c, a powerful antioxidant which helps the body form and maintain connective tissue, skin and bones.
The verdict
When it comes to your dip, as long as you exercise restraint and don't eat the whole pot then you're good to go with whatever you enjoy the most. Feeling healthy? Then dip carrot, celery and peppers for a double dose of goodness!
