Beetroot Hummus

This beetroot hummus proves you can train for a bikini fitness competition without following the “standard” diet.

Before I committed to doing a bodybuilding competition, I really did my research.  As in, I wanted to make sure I could eat something besides oatmeal, egg whites, chicken breast, and broccoli!  Haha.  Because all over the internet I kept finding “Bikini Diets” that included only those foods, and in proportions that highly favoured the egg whites.  No thanks.

Food is very important, people!  And so is eating what you actually like.  Not to say that we should base our diets solely around dark chocolate and Sauvignon blanc… or Cheetos and beer… that might lead to not only nutritional imbalances, but digestive disruption, know what I mean??  However, keeping things reasonable, I’m not a big fan of “following a diet,” and certainly not one that restricts entire food groups or forces you to eat foods you don’t like.  That just brings on rebellion and sets you up for failure.

Fortunately my coach gets that, and she’s allowed me tons of freedom in my diet, so much so that other than eating a lot more protein (and calories!), and not as much sugar or alcohol (ahem!), things look very similar to what I ate before.  Phew!

This beetroot hummus is a perfect example of that.  I’ve always loved hummus… it’s so garlicky and smooth… perfect as a dip with crackers or veggies… or as a protein-packed sandwich filler.  The addition of the cooked beetroot just takes it to the next level, with the earthy flavour of the beets complementing the chickpeas & tahini perfectly.  I’ve been eating beets a lot more these days because of their oxidative capacity, meaning they enhance your body’s ability to deliver oxygen to working muscle cells.  Extra oxygen sounds pretty good whether you’re lifting weights or just walking up the stairs in your house!

It’s just too easy to make this hummus… cook your beet (or buy pre-cooked for all you lucky people for whom that’s an option), then throw everything into your food processor and whirl away.  The food processor I mean.  This recipe is flexible in terms of how much tahini and olive oil you add.  For super-creamy hummus, add the higher amounts of tahini and olive oil called for in the recipe.  For a lighter, brighter red hummus, use the lower amounts.  I used the lower amounts… you can see the colour really pops, and the lemon & cumin flavours come through brightly.

Use this yummy dip as an appetiser, as a sandwich spread, or as a protein, healthy fat, & fiber boost for any meal.  It keeps up to a week in the fridge and tastes even better the day after you make it.  You don’t have to be on a bodybuilding diet (or any diet, thank you very much!) to love it!

Beetroot Hummus

March 30, 2017

by thexpatdietitian

Category Appetizers

Persons

2

Notes

Note the prep time does not include cooking the beet

Ingredients

• 1 can chickpeas, drained (reserve ¼ cup liquid)
• 1 medium beet, cooked & peeled
• 1-2 cloves garlic (I used one)
• juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 2-4 T. tahini
• 2-3 T. olive oil
• ½ t. salt
• ½ t. cumin
• freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. In a large food processor, combine all ingredients except olive oil.
2. Process until smooth.
3. Drizzle in olive oil until creamy.
4. Makes a little over 2 cups

Tags

appetizer,

beetroot hummus,

bikini diet,

bodybuilding diet,

hummus,

vegan

https://www.thexpatdietitian.com/beetroot-hummus/