Sprinkle Some Protein with Hemp Seeds

By / Food / April 9th, 2019 / 12
Hemp Seeds

When many of us hear the word hemp, our minds jump to marijuana. Even though both the hemp and marijuana plants are in the cannabis family, hemp contains only trace amounts of marijuana’s psychotropic ingredient THC. This means you’re not going to get high from eating hemp seeds and it’s extremely unlikely THC from hemp will show up in a drug test.

When you buy hemp seeds in a store, you’re buying the hulled kernels, which are usually called hemp hearts. These nutrient-loaded seeds are safe, delicious, and contain plenty of protein.

Protein Content in Hemp Seeds

How do hemp seeds stack up compared to other seeds? 100g of hemp seeds contains roughly 31.6g of protein. This is almost double the amount of protein found in flax, sesame, and chia seeds. Pumpkin seeds, which contain 29.8g, are the only commonly eaten seed that can rival hemp for protein.

Not only do hemp seeds contain more protein, they also have more essential amino acids (the amino acids your body can’t make itself) compared to other plant-based proteins like soy or peas.

Other Benefits of Hemp Seeds

Hemp seeds have a favourable ratio of the polyunsaturated fatty acids omega 6 and omega 3, between 2:1 to 3:1. Both fats are essential for your body, but many Western people consume too many omega 6s and not enough omega 3s, which causes inflammation.

Hemp seeds are also an excellent source of many essential nutrients including vitamin E, magnesium, iron, zinc, phosphorous and potassium.

Hemp Seed Taste and Usage

Hemp seeds have a nutty and earthy taste similar to pine nuts, flaxseed, and pumpkin seeds. They make a great alternative to nuts for people who have a nut allergy. If you have a gluten sensitivity, you can also use hemp seeds as a replacement for breadcrumbs.

Try sprinkling this versatile little seed into your smoothies, oatmeal, yogurt, or salads for a protein and nutrient boost.

Here’s a delicious smoothie recipe you can make with hemp hearts in under five minutes.

Peanut Butter Banana Hemp Seed Shake

1/2 cup almond milk
1 ripe banana
2 tbsp peanut butter
2 tbsp hemp hearts
1 cup spinach
1 cup ice

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.


If you have chosen a vegan (or even vegetarian) lifestyle, then you are very familiar with plant-based proteins. We have a few delicious plant-based recipes in our upcoming May/June issue of Quench Magazine – including Hemp Hearts. Subscribe today to get a copy.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Daniel Yetman is a freelance writer who left the shores of Nova Scotia to pursue his MFA in Writing at the University of Saskatchewan. When he’s not binging on dark chocolate and kimchi, he’s jetting around the world to try the local cuisine.

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