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!