Hulled, unhulled, powdered or oil extracted, hemp seeds offer myriad health benefits and can be found in your health shops or superfood sections at grocery stores.
Heard of hemp milk? Another vegan alternative that you can easily make at home! Simply blend up with some water and add to your coffee. Note: although hemp seeds come from the Cannabis sativa plant, they do not produce a mind-altering effect.
Hemp seeds contain all nine essential amino acids that our bodies need, as well as magnesium, zinc, iron and calcium. And they’re packed with essential fatty acids – which is great for vegans needing a plant-based source.
The unhulled seeds are affordable and crunchy, making them a great addition to salads or granola. The hulled version can be used to make hemp butter, milk, porridge and pastes. The powdered form is pure protein, so add a couple spoons to your post-workout smoothie, while the oil (Hi, omega-3s!) can be used as a dressing over salads or roast veg.
How To Make Hemp Milk: Place 100g hulled hemp seeds in a container with 3 cups of water and blitz with a handheld blender. Ta-da!
Try This Salad Recipe With Crunchy Hemp Seeds
What You Need
100g baby spinach leaves
1 avocado, sliced
200g baby tomatoes, quartered
¼ cup (unhulled) hemp seeds
¼ red onion, very finely sliced
Dressing:
1 tbsp hemp seed oil
Pinch salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Squeeze of lemon juice
Method
1/ Plate the baby spinach, top with avocado, tomatoes, hemp seeds and onion slices.
2/ Mix the dressing together and drizzle over the salad.