Make hummus the hero and serve it with every meal

International Hummus Day may be celebrated on May 13 each year, but we think every day should be hummus day. With a colourful array of flavoured varieties of the popular side dish, hummus is one of the most versatile dishes on an Arabic table.

Over the last two decades, hummus has evolved from a basic mezze, served in thousands of homes across the Middle East, to one of the hottest and trendy nutritious dishes served in five-star restaurants around the world. It’s nutritious and versatile, and a better-for-you snack, welcomed by vegans, kosher consumers and the lactose intolerant.

Hummus is a thick paste that originated in the Middle East and the classic recipe has two main ingredients, ground chickpeas (garbanzo beans) and tahini, a paste of toasted sesame seeds; along with olive oil, lemon and garlic. The word hummus is Arabic, meaning chickpeas and the full name of the spread is "hummus bi tahina", meaning chickpeas with tahini.

We love the roasted red pepper hummus available as part of the delicious Goodness Foods Gourmet range, but the options are many. Why not whip up your own, or, if you're short on time, Choithrams.com will happily deliver to your door.

Rice cake goals

The best thing about hummus is that you really can slather it on just about anything. However, if you're watching the calories, waistline, or number of those scales, the humble rice cake has to be one of the best options for a quick and easy snack.

PureHarvest Organic Rice Cakes are made from organic whole brown rice and were one of the first products ever produced under the PureHarvest brand, a favourite in Australia. The entire range of grain cakes are made with no added sugars, preservatives or flavours – just simple ingredients. That's the way we like it!