KIDS GO DIPPY FOR HOUMOUS – ACCORDING TO NEW SURVEY
Gone are the days of feeding children a mashed banana and a cheese sandwich. Their tastes are now much more sophisticated, with houmous  becoming a staple in many parts of the country, particularly in London according to a recent survey of mums with children.
The survey revealed that London babies are the most sophisticated with a third (33%) of children under two having tried houmous. This rises to 57% by the time they reach the age of five. It also showed that children in the south of England are the most likely to love houmous and start eating it at an early age.
In contrast, it appears that Scottish children’s tastes are not quite as adventurous, with almost half (42%) of Scottish children never having tried houmous by the time they are 16.
The survey confirmed that children are influenced by their mothers’ tastes as  mothers who don’t like houmous are unlikely to feed it to their children.
Yorkshire is a county of houmous loving kids. It had the highest percentage of children who love houmous in the whole of England (31 per cent), although neighbouring Lancashire had the highest percentage of children who disliked it (56 per cent).
Houmous is the nation’s favourite dip and has seen a sharp sales increase since 2000. In 2002 houmous sales accounted for 25 per cent of the market, however, today accounts for half of all single pot dips sales.
 With 65 million pots of houmous sold each year, it’s no surprise that we’re a nation going dippy for houmous. So, forget the credit crunch and go for a carrot crunch instead with a good dollop of houmous.
Leading children’s cookery writer and mum Annabel Karmel, who is a great fan of houmous has created a delicious recipe of char grilled vegetable and houmous wrap.
Annabel Karmel says, “I’m not surprised that houmous is so popular. Whether you need a quick after school snack, a lunchtime staple, or something to share with friends, houmous is a really useful and nutritious dip to have in your fridge. Serve it with a selection of raw vegetables for a healthy snack, and it will help your child on his way to 5-a-day. A pot of  houmous is perfect for picnics as it is easy to transport and it also makes a great base for sandwich fillings or tortilla wraps. Try combining it with grated carrot in granary bread to make a tasty sandwich. You can also use it as an ingredient in hot dishes such as my Char Grilled Vegetable and Houmous Wrap recipe (below).”
Houmous Facts:
- Little wonder that mums like to include houmous in their children’s diet as it is a great source of fibre for digestive health and also contains folate which is needed to make healthy cells and blood.
- Houmous is the Arabic word for chickpea. The chickpea was used as food by our hunter gatherer ancestors tens of thousands of years ago and was cultivated around 7,000 years ago in the Middle East.
- Thanks to its chickpea and sesame seed content Houmous is a good source of protein and a range of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals (beneficial plant compounds).
- There are 18 different varieties including red pepper and roast vegetable which have the natural benefit of added vegetables.
- So whether you love, like it, or just want to try something different, the following recipes are quick, easy, tasty and nutritious.
Why not try these delicious houmous recipes, which are perfect for the whole family.
ANNABEL KARMEL’S CHAR GRILLED VEGETABLE AND HOUMOUS WRAP
Energy(kcal) |
235 |
Protein |
6.7 |
Fat (g) |
14.0 |
Of which saturates
(g) |
2.0 |
Carbohydrate (g) |
22.1 |
Of which sugars (g) |
4.7 |
Fibre (g) |
3.7 |
Salt (g) |
1.49 |
Half a small red pepper
Half a small yellow pepper
1 medium courgette
Olive oil
Ground sea salt
4-6 tbsp houmous
2 tortilla wraps
1. Core and deseed the peppers and slice into strips. Top and tail the courgette and slice into rounds. Toss the vegetables in a little olive oil and season with salt. Char grill on a ridged griddle or under a hot grill in a tray for 4-5mins or until soft.
2. Warm the tortillas for a few seconds in a microwave or a small frying pan. Spread with a thin layer of houmous and arrange some peppers and courgette in a line along one side. Roll up.
HOUMOUS CRUSTED LAMB CUTLETS
Energy(kcal) |
327 |
Protein |
23.9 |
Fat (g) |
24.0 |
Of which saturates
(g) |
6.8 |
Carbohydrate (g) |
4.2 |
Of which sugars (g) |
0.5 |
Fibre (g) |
2.2 |
Salt (g) |
0.66 |
Cook: 10 mins
Prep: 5 mins
Serves 4
Ingredients
8 lamb cutlets (trimmed of fat)
a little chilli or extra virgin olive oil
200g pot houmous
Greek salad and cous cous to serve
Method
1. Season the lamb and rub the oil into both sides of the meat. Cook under a hot grill 8-10mins, turning once until golden brown on both sides and cooked to your liking (for well done cook for a bit longer).
2. Place a heaped spoonful of houmous on each cutlet then pop them back under the grill for a minute or two or until the houmous is tinged golden brown. Serve hot with a salad and couscous.
OVEN BAKED CHICKEN WITH HOUMOUS MASH
Energy(kcal) |
542 |
Protein |
42.0 |
Fat (g) |
24.0 |
Of which saturates
(g) |
3.5 |
Carbohydrate (g) |
42.2 |
Of which sugars (g) |
11.6 |
Fibre (g) |
6.9 |
Salt (g) |
1.28 |
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 30-35 mins
Serves 4
1 butternut squash, skin washed
4 chicken breast fillets
3 tbsp chilli infused or extra virgin olive oil
1tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
500g new potatoes, halved if large
4 spring onions, sliced
200g pot houmous
1. Preheat the oven 200C/Fan 180C/ Gas Mark 6. Halve the butternut squash and scoop out the seeds. Cut the flesh (it doesn’t need peeling) into large slices. Place these in a large roasting tray. Add the chicken breasts, olive oil, fennel seeds and seasoning and turn to coat. Roast for 30-35 mins or until the chicken is golden and cooked through.
2. Whilst the chicken roasts, Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 20mins or until tender when tested with fork. Drain then return to the pan. Lightly crush the potatoes with a fork. Add the spring onions, parsley and two thirds of the houmous and mix well.
3. Serve the chicken and roasted squash on a bed of houmous mash with the remaining houmous and salad leaves to garnish.
HOUMOUS AND CARROT SANDWICHES
Half a pot of fresh Houmous dip
1 large carrot
Multigrain bread
Spread multigrain or wholemeal bread with houmous (reduced fat if you’re feeling extra good!) then top with crunchy grated carrot. Perfect for everyone’s packed lunch box.
Survey was carried out in June 2008, by Lightspeed Research, on behalf of Bakkavor Ltd, a leading producer of supermarket own label fresh dips. The survey questioned 708 mothers, aged between 18 and 54 years.
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