7 Ways to Implement Hemp into your Diet
Why is Hemp as a food source so trendy?
Hemp seeds are :
- Rich in Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids which are essential for a healthy diet
- A complete protein source
- Chock full of fiber
- Delicious
If you haven’t tried hemp as food, you’ll be delighted by the nutty, rich, earthy flavor, and your body will like the nutrition!
Here are some possible ways of delivering hemp into your belly:
1. Hemp Seeds--available at specialty grocers and health food stores, they’re lovely to add crunch to salad or mixed in with granola.
2. Hemp Hearts--these are hemp seeds without the hulls, so just the little bead of oily fiber. Intensely flavorful and great stirred into oatmeal, or pancake batter, or your favorite cake recipe! You can also mix them with breading for proteins or veg.
3. Hemp Protein Powder--there are a couple of options for this, I’ll recommend the 50% hemp protein powder because it’s a softer substance. It’s either made from hemp hearts, or made from hemp flour that’s clarified, meaning the hulls are extracted from the mix using air and mesh and electricity. 50% is a little pricier than the 33% option which contains the hulls and has a little more chew.
4. Hemp flour--if you’re into baking, this can be used in place of some of the flour in a recipe. But there’s no gluten, so you can’t sub 100% if you’re cooking with wheat flour. If you’re working with gluten-free recipes, we still don’t recommend subbing 1:1 hemp flour because it absorbs a lot of liquid by weight.
5. Hemp seed cooking oil-- Be careful because hemp seed cooking oil has a really low smokepoint. We recommend using it as part of a marinade, in salad dressing, or as a finishing oil. Drizzle it on potato soup for a little color and earthiness, or whisk it up with lemon juice or vinegar and herbs!
6. Hemp Leaves--If you can source them, hemp leaves are terrific in salad! Because of the issues of legality and potential THC content in fresh plants, these aren’t easy to source. But we think they will be soon, so keep your eyes open at your local farmers market or in the produce section of your favorite grocery store!
7. Hemp Seed Milk & Butters--these are available at specialty grocers and health food stores and can be used in place of dairy or other nut/seed milks, hemp seed butter is a great sub for peanut or almond butter.
So go on out and get you some hemp food! Let us know what you make with it by commenting on this post. If you find an especially good recipe, we’d love to see it. You can reach us at connect@susquehannahempco.com!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Where can you use hemp seed?
A. Hemp seeds are available at specialty grocers and health food stores, they’re lovely to add crunch to salad or mixed in with granola.
Q. Where can you use Hemp flour?
A. If you’re into baking, this can be used in place of some of the flour in a recipe.
Q. Where can you use Hemp Seed Milk & Butters?
A. Available at specialty grocers and health food stores. It can be used in place of dairy or other nut/seed milks, hemp seed butter is a great sub for peanut or almond butter.