As I was making my morning smoothie the other day with hemp seeds, I became inspired to write about all the ways to eat hemp seeds and the benefits of hemp seeds since they are my favorite superfood that I use almost daily.
Hemp seeds are one of the easiest superfoods to add to your diet. They’re packed with plant protein, magnesium, omega-3 fats, and antioxidants while having a mild flavor that works well in smoothies, oatmeal, salads, soups, and snacks. If you’re looking for a simple way to boost your nutrition, hemp seeds are a great place to start.
One of the easiest ways to eat hemp seeds is blended into smoothies or sprinkled on top for a nutritious crunch. It is so easy to use hemp seeds in smoothies as they combine well with almost every fruit and vegetable (dare I say all). Hemp seeds can be a bit pricey yet worth every penny! I like to use 2 tbsp in my smoothies to boost my nutrition.
Disclaimer: This site contains affiliate links. As an amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Other ways to eat hemp seeds are sprinkled on top of salads, mixed with oatmeal porridge, or on top of toast or a rice cracker with banana, peanut butter, honey, and hemp seeds. Mmm, such a yummy healthy snack!
You can also add hemp seeds to scrambled eggs, blended or sprinkled on top of soups. The ideas are endless as to all the ways you can eat hemp seeds.
Benefits Of Hemp Seeds
High In Protein
Hemp seeds are an excellent source of plant protein and contain all essential amino acids. Eating hemp seeds is especially beneficial for vegans and vegetarians as they are a complete protein source.
They are a fantastic addition to anyone’s diet as they are a nutrition powerhouse packed with essential fatty acids and amino acids. 2 tbsp of hemp seeds provided 6 grams of protein and is such a simple way to boost your intake of plant based protein.
Excellent Source of The Essential Fatty Acids
Hemp seeds are one of the best plant-based sources of essential fatty acids, providing both omega-6 and omega-3 fats in a ratio of approximately 3:1. This balance is considered ideal for supporting overall health, as omega-3 fats help counter inflammation while omega-6 fats play important roles in brain function, growth, and development.
High In Vitamins And Minerals
Hemp seeds are exceptionally high in magnesium, manganese, and phosphorus. They are also a good source of zinc, iron, copper, and vitamin B1 (thiamine).
Magnesium is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies and plays an important role in blood sugar regulation, insulin sensitivity, muscle function, and energy production.
Zinc supports immune function, while phosphorus is essential for healthy bones, teeth, and energy metabolism.
Manganese helps boost antioxidant production as manganese is the co-factor for the SOD enzyme to make the body’s internal antioxidant superoxide dismutase.
High in Antioxidants
Hemp seeds provide vitamin E, manganese, polyphenols, flavonoids, tocopherols, and other antioxidant compounds that help protect cells from oxidative stress and free radical damage.
Flavonoids are one of the most abundant bioactive compounds found in hemp seeds. These compounds help protect cells from oxidative stress and free radical damage while also providing anti-inflammatory benefits.
Some flavonoids found in hemp seeds may support cardiovascular health by increasing nitric oxide levels. Nitric oxide helps relax blood vessels, improve blood flow, and maintain healthy blood pressure, making it an important compound for heart health.
Hemp seeds also contain terpenes, plant compounds with significant antioxidant properties. Research suggests that terpenes help protect the body from oxidative stress by neutralizing free radicals before they can damage healthy cells.
How to store hemp hearts
Hemp seeds should be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator to prevent the oxidation of the delicate polyunsaturated fats. I recommend a glass jar or container over plastic.
Where to get hemp seeds
While I think everyone should have hemp seeds in their kitchen cupboards, they can still be difficult to source as many grocery stores do not stock hemp seeds (let’s hope that changes!) Almost all health food stores stock hemp seeds and is the best place to get hemp seeds local to your community.
Fortunately, we have access to online shopping such as Amazon and many other companies that ship hemp seeds worldwide!
The local health food supermarket is my go-to place for hemp seeds, where I buy a small bag weekly. I really should buy in bulk.
The easiest ways to eat hemp seeds are in smoothies, soups, and topped on salads, although there are so many ways to enjoy hemp seeds.
Here is a list of hemp seed recipes that I love!
- Healthy oatmeal for fatty liver
- Chocolate energy balls
- Greek quinoa salad
- Apple Banana Smoothie
- green Smoothie Recipe
- Beet Raspberry Smoothie
- Mango Banana Smoothie
- Banana Porridge for Babies
I love putting hemp seeds into low fodmap smoothies as they are an excellent low fodmap protein source for anyone on the low fodmap diet or SIBO diet. Below are some low fodmap smoothie recipes with hemp seeds.
- Low Fodmap Blueberry Smoothie
- Low Fodmap Carrot Orange Smoothie
- Low Fodmap Chocolate Smoothie
- Low Fodmap Strawberry Smoothie
Another reason why I love eating hemp seeds is that they are great for the environment and a sustainable protein source. The hemp plant is more effective than trees at sequestering carbon; thus, eating hemp seeds is a great way to offset our carbon footprint.
The benefits of hemp seeds go far beyond their impressive nutrition profile. Hemp seeds are a rich source of plant protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that support your health in many ways. They are also one of the easiest superfoods to add to your diet thanks to their mild flavor and versatility.
Whether you blend them into smoothies, stir them into oatmeal, sprinkle them on salads, or enjoy them as part of your favorite snacks, there are countless ways to take advantage of the health benefits of hemp seeds. I personally always have hemp seeds stocked in my cupboards and consider them one of the best nutrition investments I make for my health.
They are among the top superseeds that I use daily or in combination with chia seeds which also offer an impressive nutritional profile with the essential fatty acids. Learn all about the benefits of chia seeds in this post and why I love them just as much as hemp seeds!
I hope you enjoy all the ways you can eat hemp seeds and find some new hemp seed recipe ideas! Let me know what your favorite way to eat hemp seeds is?! Also, be sure to learn about the benefits of hemp seeds for babies and how to get this superfood into their diet!
References:
Leave a Reply