There is a mistaken belief that you can get high by eating hemp seeds. Hemp seeds are cultivated from the hemp plant, which is grown predominantly for its seeds and fibers. Here’s where the doubt comes from: The hemp plant looks a bit like the marijuana plant and it comes from the same plant species, Cannabis Sativa L, but there are major differences between the two.
As we move towards a more open-minded food style, we’ve learned that hemp seeds do not contain any amount of psychotropic properties. It’s one of the healthiest types of seeds to enjoy. Luckily, India believes in the ayurvedic and natural properties that hemp seeds provide us with; therefore, it’s a big part of our foods as well as medicine.
A couple of spoons of hemp seeds combines a serious amount of essential nutrients, sometimes they are often known to as hemp hearts, they're easy to eat and cook with, and they have a very good nutty taste, like a cross between a sunflower seed and a pine nut. Hemp produces not only nutty, fatty, buttery-tasting seeds, but also can it be refined into paper, textiles and clothing, biodegradable plastic (cutlery, cups, tableware), bio fuel, and even construction material (hempcrete).
Here's everything you need to know about how to consume these little seeds.
How do you eat them?
Hemp seeds are not only edible, but they are also highly nutritious. They go under the name of a super food, along with the more celebrated chia and flax seeds.
Hemp seeds are nuts. Hulled or dehulled, you can always just sprinkle them on your salad and mix them with your breakfast cereal. People who have gluten sensitivity can eat hemp seeds as a substitute for breadcrumbs to coat chicken or fish. Just like you can blend almonds and water to form almond milk, you can do an equivalent with hemp seeds for hemp seed milk, which you can use as a better change in drinks and recipes. And because of its nice nutty flavor, hemp seeds make a great substitute for people with nut allergies—you can dry-toast them in over low heat to bring out even more of that nuttiness. They will not only add a nutty flavor and a crunchy taste but a healthy supply of essential nutrients also. However, there are other, more creative ways of consuming them. Let’s get into it.
Hemp milk
Here’s a simple step to help you along the way:
1) Add about a half cup of hemp seeds, 3 cups of water, and a pinch of salt to a high-speed blender. If you want the milk to be sweeter, you can add a bit of maple syrup, vanilla extract, or a pitted date, but these are optional.
2) Blend until the ingredients are well combined.
3) Strain the liquid so that you are left with a milky consistency and discard the pulp.
4) Store the milk in the refrigerator for 5–7 days.
You can make a large quantity of hemp milk easily by increasing the number of hemp seeds and water that you combine with this recipe.
One glass of homemade hemp milk provides almost 10g of protein, and it is nearly equal to 2 eggs.
Hemp Ice cream
As summer rolls in, nothing says relief from the heat like an ice-cream cone. However, it’s not as sweet for our bodies as it is for our taste buds. So what is there to do? Simple! The answer is hemp ice-cream.
Ingredients:
1) 200g Hemp Seeds
2) 100ml Hemp Seed Milk
3) 100ml water
4) 50g caster sugar
5) 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
The following steps of the recipe make plenty enough for a family of four.
1) The primary step in making the hemp seed ice cream recipe is placing the Hemp seeds and water into a blender and blend until the mixture is thick and creamy.
2) Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and add Hemp Milk to thin the hemp seed mixture slightly.
3) Add the sugar and vanilla (you can add other flavors like Strawberry, banana, chocolate, etc.) and heat very gently until the sugar has dissolved.
4) Remove the pan from the heat and leave until completely cool.
5) Now, transfer the mixture to your ice cream maker and let it work its magic.
Hemp seeds give this eco-friendly dessert a thick, rich texture. But, with benefits like protein, fatty acids, minerals, and nutrients, there is a lot to love about hemp ice-cream.
Oats with hemp seeds
A bowl of oats with hemp seeds is incredibly nutritious. Whole oats are rich in antioxidants, which include avenanthramide. Oats also contain a powerful soluble fiber called beta-glucan, which helps lower cholesterol levels and protect LDL cholesterol. Fortified almond milk is a great source of protein and vitamin D.
Ingredients:
1) 2 cups almond milk
2) 1/2 cup oats
3) ½ cup hemp seeds
4) Pinch of salt
5) 1 tbsp maple syrup
6) 1/2 cup of blackberries ( or berries of your choice), fresh or frozen; nuts (for toppings)
Method to follow:
1) Combine the oats, milk, hemp seeds, and salt to a boil in a small saucepan.
2) Stir the ingredients with a wooden spoon and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low.
3) Let the oatmeal simmer until it thickens (approximately 4 minutes), making sure to stir constantly to prevent the mix from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
4) Once the oatmeal is ready, add maple syrup for a sweet topping.
5) Serve with blackberries and nuts for extra crunch and flavor.
Next time you’re craving a yummy treat, why not try this oatmeal for a change?
Hemp pesto sauce
Ingredients:
1) 1 and 1/2 cups fresh basil (loosely packed)
2) 1/3 cup olive oil (or other high-quality oil)
3) 1/2 cup Hemp seeds
4) 5 cloves garlic
5) 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
6) 3/4 teaspoon salt
7) 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
8) Nuts, such as almonds or walnuts ( completely optional)
Steps to follow:
1) Gather the ingredients and combine all in a food processor until seeds are ground. Pesto should be still held texture and not be completely smooth.
2) Add more salt and pepper to taste.
3) Add to pizza, pasta, or any other dish and enjoy it!
4) Store in a glass container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Recipe nutrition notes:Hemp seeds are one of the best plant-based sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Fresh basil is a source of antioxidants and micronutrients like vitamins C, A, K, B6, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron. Nutritional yeast is a source of trace minerals like zinc, selenium, and manganese. Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids. It’s also a source of vitamins E and K as well as antioxidants.
Hemp seed butter
Ok, so you’ve had enough of the healthy stuff. Still, we’re going to give you more healthy stuff. This is however a sweet hemp seed butter using hemp milk (instead of oil) with some cacao powder and maple syrup.
How to make:
1. Toast 1 cup of Hemp Seeds on the hob for 5 minutes until golden brown.
2. Leave to cool for 20 minutes then blend with ¼ cup Hemp Seed Milk, 1 ½ tbsp cacao powder, 1 ½ tbsp maple syrup (or to taste), coconut oil (optional).
Dip with fruit, drizzle over porridge or spread on some waffles.
Hemp seed flour
Hemp Seed Flour is made by crushing whole hemp seeds to extract the oil and then finely milled into the flour. This nutritional flouris gluten-free, gives a nutty flavor to your baked goods such as bread, muffins, pizza bases, cookies, or waffles.
Hemp Seed Flour can be used just like regular flour in your baking, just swap out a 1/2 of regular flour for a healthy boost of Hemp Seed Flour.Hemp Seed Flour deepens the texture of bread, provides a full serving of fiber, lots of omega essential fatty acids and increases the digestible protein.
Hemp Coffee
Hemp Coffee is the latest in healthy products for happy people and it's about to make your mornings a whole lot easier.
Lightly roast some hulled hemp seeds and mix them with your coffee beans. Grind them together and make your coffee. That’s all you need to do. Your cup of perfect hemp coffee is ready for a beautifully smooth yet bold flavor, with hemp nut aftertaste.
A healthy supply of several essential nutrients will be a bonus. A cup of hemp coffee contains 2.5 grams of Omega-3 fatty acids and 8 grams of Omega-6 fatty acids per serving (100g-dry weight).
Miscellaneous
There are a lot of other creative ways to use hemp seeds like Chocolate Hemp seed snack bar, Home-made granola with hemp seed, hemp seed muffins, lamb and hemp meatballs, mix with your smoothie, or you can just simply sprinkle some hemp seeds on top of your salads, yogurt, or even cereal. The possibilities are endless. Check 3 unique ways to cook with hemp seeds in the video below:-
Why we should use them?
Hemp seeds are often called nature’s most balanced vegetarian food source because of the proportions in which they contain omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. Both these polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are necessary for human health. That is how high and balanced their nutritional quality is. These seeds also contain the cannabinoid known as cannabidiol, but it doesn’t have any effect on your conscious state.
Two tbsp of hemp seed serves up to 90 calories and 6 grams of fat. That two-tablespoon serving size offers 2 grams of fiber, 5 grams of protein, 300 mg of potassium, 15 percent of your vitamin-A requirement, and 25 percent of your daily iron needs. It’s hard to find another food that nutrient-dense.
They are rich in vitamin A and E, as also in several essential minerals. Dehulled or shelled hemp seeds retain much of the nutritional value of their hulled counterpart, except the fiber content. In every version, hemp seeds are remarkably versatile. Know more about health and nutritional benefits of hemp seeds in our previous blog https://www.himalayanhemp.in/post/hemp-seeds-a-complete-nutritional-guide
Conclusion
If your interest lies in finding realistic and practical ways of eco-friendly food/eating habits just like us, you can experiment with your recipes by adding some hemp seeds.
Have you tried hemp seeds? What’s your favourite way to eat them? And if you gave any of the above recipes a try, let us know by leaving a comment below and/or share a photo on social media so we can see your delicious creation. Just use the hash tag #himalayanhemp so we don’t miss it. Be sure to follow along on Instagram and Facebook for more simple and healthy recipe ideas.