Roasted Beet Hummus

Benefits of Bitter Melon

Last week’s Food Highlight was on beets, the jewel toned root vegetable that’s packed with antioxidants and anti inflammatory agents. Didn’t catch it? Read it here.

For those of you who may now be wondering what to do with the bunch of beets sitting in your crisper, try Roasted Beet Hummus. Hummus is a very versatile food, and can easily transform from a dip into a sandwich spread with the wave of a knife. Because hummus is made with chick peas (a legume) it is a good source of protein, which is important for bariatric patients. Gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, and lap band patients are encouraged to incorporate protein into most, if not all, meals and snacks in order to ensure get enough protein over the course of each day. Hummus can help add protein when used as a dip for sliced cucumbers or pepper strips, and can help boost the protein content of a turkey wrap. Adding beets to your hummus may not add a significant amount of protein, but it does add flavor, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other phytonutrients that that help make eating healthy and losing weight taste great.

Roasted Beet Hummus

2-3 small-medium beets, washed
1 15 ounce can of chickpeas (drained, rinsed, and skins removed)
Juice from 1 lemon (about 2 tbsp)
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 clove minced garlic
½ tsp sea salt

Directions:

Wrap clean, unpeeled beets in aluminum foil. Place on a baking sheets and roast for about 45 minutes at 375 degrees, until soft and easy to pierce with a fork.
Remove from the oven, let cool. Peel skin with a knife (you may want to wear disposable gloves to prevent your hands from turning pink).
Roughly dice the beets to they easily fit into a food processor. Add all other ingredients, and blend until smooth.

The above recipe is offered by Dr. Shillingford, M.D, P.A., a board certified surgeon specializing in laparoscopic bariatric surgery. Dr. Shillingford performs gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, and gastric band surgery at one of South Florida’s few hospitals designated as a Center of Excellence for Bariatric Surgery by the American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Some of his patients come from local areas, such as Miami and Fort Lauderdale, but his reputation and skill also attract patients from as far away as Orlando, Jacksonville, Sarasota, Tampa, Fort Meyers, and Naples.