In what's a massive blow for pre-drink snacks across the country, it's been revealed that classic 'healthy' snack hummus might actually be pretty bad for us. With some pots containing more salt than four packets of crisps- or over a quarter of the daily maximum recommended salt intake- health campaigners are warning us to stop messing with the old chickpea dip.
After decades of enjoying the guiltless pleasure, Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH) campaign group reveal that it's packed with alarmingly high levels of fat and salt. This includes the Caramelised Onion one, the Mediterranean spicey-twist one, and even the basic plain one!! The group tested 210 different dips and found that the worst houmous offenders were the Caramelised Onion Hummus from both Tesco and M&S, with around 1.6g of salt per 100g each. Other dips that raised concerns were salsa, guacamole and taramasalata. Is nothing sacred?
Worryingly, high levels of salt and fats in food are the leading causes of stroke and heart diseases. The chickpea based dip also contains on average 280 calories per 100g – that’s 10% of the recommended daily intake for women. CASH is now calling for the government to draw up a new plan to tackle the high salt levels in the nation’s food. CASH chairman Graham MacGregor, said: ‘Once again we demonstrate the unnecessary amounts of salt and fat being added by the food industry to what could be a healthy product.’
‘A diet high in salt leads to strokes and heart disease, the commonest cause of death in the UK. Reducing salt is the most cost effective measure to reduce the number of people suffering, which is why it is imperative the government announce a new robust plan for reducing salt in our diet.’
All might not be over for hummus though, as it’s found that the large variation in salt content between different pots means it's possible for them to be made with less bad stuff. Lidl’s Red Pepper Hummus, for example, only contains 0.43g of salt per 100g compared to Tesco’s Caramelised Onion Hummus at 1.6g. Sonia Pombo, nutritionist and campaign manager for CASH, comments: ‘The variation of different products revealed in our survey shows it can be achieved, which is why it’s equally important that we as individuals read the label carefully and opt for healthier brands.’
CASH did give out some helpful tips and tricks for reducing salt consumption in your diet like checking the label for salt content, cutting down your portion size, swapping crisps for vegetables, or just simply making your own. It’s all just not the same without Caramelised Onion Hummus though really, is it?
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.