Hummus has a reputation for being a healthy, high protein, low-fat and low-calorie food, but some brands aren't all they're cracked up to be. I'm an avid fan of snacking on hummus, so you can bet that I've seen it all. From Whole Foods to Trader Joe's, there are so many varieties of the chic pea based dip,
that it's hard to tell the good from the bad.

The first rule I follow while choosing hummus; it should be no more than 50 calories per 2 tbs. If the dip exceeds the 50 calorie limit, I automatically assume it to be counter productive against my diet. Why would I buy hummus with extra calories, when I can have a lower calorie version.

The second thing I do is look at the ingredients. I know that a traditional hummus should contain chick peas, water, tahini(sesame seed paste), salt, natural spices, citric acid and maybe olive oil. Also, I've learned not to assume that all hummus is vegan or even vegetarian friendly. Just the other day I noticed that the Trader Joe's varieties include milk, egg and fish. Who would have thought a simple bean dip could possibly break all of the rules.

Because beans already have the reputation for bloating us, extra sodium is the last thing we need. When buying hummus always opt for the brand with less sodium. I've seen varieties range from 60 mg to 200 mg.

MY PICK: I love Wild Garden Hummus Dip. It's 100% vegan, only 35 calories per serving, and comes in 8 different flavors. You can't go wrong!

It's becoming easier and easier to eat vegan, because the food is so tasty. This week I tried two amazing vegan frozen food items; Garden Burger BBQ Riblets and the Kashi Black Bean Mango Entrée.

I was a little skeptical about trying these considering that I never liked ribs or pork at any point in my life, but my love for BBQ sauce won me over. Lets just say while I was cooking them, my meat eating boyfriend and all of his friends where coming in the kitchen asking me "What smells so good?". The boys were actually astounded by the concept of vegan BBQ ribs. I had one serving of the ribs (240 calories) along with a side of steamed spinach and mashed butternut squash. The meal was so delicious and perfectly well rounded. I love this product and will be buying them again!

I like to stock my freezer with microwavable entrées for those days when I'm either in a rush or don't feel like cooking. I really love the Amy's Kitchen frozen meals but I decided to try the Kashi Black Bean Mango Entrée the other day. The meal includes Black beans with roasted red onions and green peppers, red peppers and carrots. Served over Kashi 7 Whole Grains Pilaf and topped with fire-roasted mango sauce. I especially loved the sweet yet not overly tangy mango sauce. It tasted great and filled me right up.

What are your frozen favorites?

I promised to share Ashlee Simpson's diet and fitness secrets from the June issue of SHAPE magazine and here you have it...

 HER DIET:

Ashlee says she's tries to eat a moderate diet. "If I have pizza or Taco Bell one day, I'll have home-cooked meals the next", she admits.

Breakfast: Strawberry Yoplait yogurt and all-natural granola from Whole Foods.

Lunch: Turkey and veggie wraps

Dinner: Lean proteins like fish and chicken and lots of green vegetables.

"I try to listen to what my body craves" says Ashlee.

 HER FITNESS:

The singer has been training with Mike Alexander, who is best known for making her older sis look fabulous in Daisy Dukes. Ash and her trainer workout at her home where she has a treadmill, elliptical, and dumbbells. " I love it when my arms are toned, so we use weights to target them-- and we do lunges to give my small butt more shape," she says.

"Her backyard has about 30-40 steps, so I have her jog down, do lunges for th length of the pool, jog back up the stairs, then do a set of squats," Ashlee's trainer explains.

Click Here For Ashley Simpson's 30–Minute Body Blast!!!

Want to curb your appetite? Use these 7 helpful tips to eat less!

EAT FIBER: Unrefined foods, especially those that are high in fiber, stimulate appetite-suppressing hormones and make you feel full

BRUSH YOUR TEETH: Take a break from eating to brush up. The minty flavor of toothpaste helps you resist eating more.

BE CONSISTENT: Eating breakfast and regularly scheduled meals keeps hormone levels steady and quashes hunger pangs

EAT SLOWER: It takes a while for the brain to realize that the stomach is stretching. Eating slowly gives the brain time to catch on.

FEWER CARBS: Carbohydrates make you hungrier. Load up on fats and proteins.

PORTION CONTROL: Smaller portions mean fewer calories are taken in, so less fat gets stored. A point system assigns a value to portions of all sorts of foods to help tabulate—and limit—daily consumption.

MEAT FREE:  At nine calories per gram, fat is more than twice as dense as protein and carbs. Thus dieters can consume the same amount of food but still lose weight if they eat less fat. Focusing on complex carbs like whole grains helps stabilize blood sugar, and lots of fiber increases satiety.

SOURCE

I am so in love with the healthy "foodtees" by DietDetetctive. Each tee includes a picture of a food item and a witty healthful remark below. I love them all so much that I can't even decide which one I'm going to buy for myself. I really like the "tree pose" because I'm obsessed with yoga and broccoli. There's even a tee for those of us who need to be reminded to stay away from sweets; a half eaten donut saying "think before you eat".  All designs are available in sizes for men, women, toddlers and babies.  They're also on yoga bags, aprons and totes!

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE!