Boosting Plant-Based Foods + Beet Hummus Recipe
Plant-based foods are good for the whole body! Get some from homemade almond butter and roasted beet hummus, both chock full of nutrients and easy to make!
Today I have a guest post from my colleague and friend, Melissa Halas-Liang, MA, RDN, CDE. I was first acquainted with Melissa when I wrote and edited articles for her site SuperKids Nutrition. She is an expert in childhood nutrition and I’m very excited to share her post about boosting plant-based foods with some fun recipes for the whole family!
This post is sponsored by Champion Juicer.
We all know the importance of eating lots of plant-based foods throughout our lives for good health. Plant-based foods are chock full of vitamins and minerals that help fight disease and are good for our whole body, from our hearts and brains to our hair and skin. Plants contain unique compounds called phytochemicals that maximize our wellbeing and keep our bodies functioning at their best. Plant foods can also be fantastic sources of protein. Nuts, beans, and legumes are just a few examples. Eating a variety of these protein sources every day maximizes our intake of the variety of nutrients.
Research shows that adults who regularly consume vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes are generally those who consumed those foods as children, so be a role model for your family and improve your own health by finding ways to make eating healthy fun. The almond butter and beet hummus recipes made in the following video are a great way to fuel up with plant protein.
These recipes are made with the Champion Juicer for a smooth consistent texture but you can also use any food processor or blender. The best part is the Champion Juicer does all the hard work, so you don’t need to scrape out the side of the blender, start, and stop again. The nut butter or hummus comes out 100% smooth and ready to eat!
Roasted Beet Hummus
Beets contain a phytochemical called betanin that supports healthy blood pressure. Try roasting and steaming beets to make peeling these little gems easier. For a delicious, colorful twist on hummus, puree roasted beets and chickpeas. You can also make a beet pesto by combining roasted beets, walnuts, olive oil, garlic, and Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 can Chickpeas
- 2 beets, roasted and cut into chunks
- 1 garlic clove
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 teaspoon olive oil or 2 teaspoons tahini sauce or tahini butter
- Optional: fresh herbs, dill or basil and sumac for topping
Instructions
- Fit the blank screen (or use homogenizing body) onto the juicer body. Alternate chickpeas, garlic clove, and beets for best flavor melding. Mix in olive oil or tahini until you have your desired taste and texture.
Notes
To make green hummus, replace beets with 2 handfuls of fresh spinach.
Beet hummus is the best! The color is fabulous, and the taste, amazing!
Agreed! The color is really the best part!
Yum- I never thought to put beets in my hummus- perfect for Valentine’s Day 🙂
That’s so true! Didn’t even think about that part of it!
its all about the beets this week! I’ve never tried beets in hummus before. I still have some leftover from this weeks recipe making.. I’ll have to try!
Now I have the Meghan Trainor song in my head! “It’s all about the beets…” haha. I love beets and love the recipes you’ve been making with them. Definitely make some of this hummus if you have enough left over!