I really like houmous, and have tried a variety of different ones from the supermarkets, as well as making my own sometimes. It is easy to make, using a tin of chickpeas, some Tahini (Sesame seed) paste, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and seasoning. I usually roast the garlic and olive oil in the oven, to soften it, then blend with the other ingredients. Sometimes, I make variations on a chickpea dip, adding onions, peppers or chilli. Houmous is very easy to make, but often it is easier to just get it ready made. The Sainsbury's Basics Houmous costs 75 pence for a tub containing 200g. The packaging is the usual Sainsbury's Basics white and orange, and is nothing particularly exciting. It states that there is 'less tahini, still great for dipping'. Tahini is quite expensive, so using less in this product will help to keep the price down.

When the cardboard outer layer is removed, the houmous is contained in a round plastic tub, with a thin Sellophane lid, which you can't replace properly. It could always be put into a plastic box with a rigid lid, to store until it is eaten, though. The smell and taste are quite garlicky, which I like, and so do my husband and daughter, who eats this on wholemeal toast. The texture is fairly thick, but very smooth, and it spreads really well. I will buy this again, as we enjoyed it, and it is great value for money.

The nutritional values per quarter pot are -
146kcal
2.8g protein
4.5g carbohydrate
13.0g fat (1.3g saturates)
3.2g fibre
0.46g salt

It is quite high in fat, but as it is suitable for Vegetarians and Vegans, the levels of saturated fat are very low, as it contains no dairy products or eggs. The high amount of fibre comes from the chickpeas and sesame seeds, which also provide some essential Omega fats. To summarise, I think that this houmous is a great budget buy, especially if you enjoy a houmous with a strong taste of garlic.