Five hemp foods you need to eat now
It’s been two years since hemp foods have been legally sold in Australia. So…have you tried any yet?
A bit of background first. In November 2017, the Food Standards Code was amended to permit the sale of low-THC hemp seed foods. Hemp is a species of the cannabis plant (yep, CANNABIS!) that has a low concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, the psychoactive component in marijuana. This means that you won’t experience the infamous effects of marijuana when you eat hemp foods.
From a nutritional perspective, hemp has significant health-giving benefits. Hemp seeds contain 25-30% plant protein, high levels of polyunsaturated fats (a.k.a. the good ones), high levels of dietary fibre, vitamins B and E, and the minerals calcium, magnesium and iron.
Currently, in Australia, whole hemp seeds, flaked seeds (de-hulled seeds, referred to as ‘hearts’), flour, oil, milk and protein powder are available for sale directly to consumers, or to food manufacturers who use these ingredients in a variety of products.
Here at FIT, we are always on the lookout for nutritious and delicious foods to support your training, so we’ve curated a short list of new and exciting hemp foods for you to try!
1. Hemp Seeds
Buy in small sealed packs for freshness and store in the fridge. Simply sprinkle a tablespoon or two over your cereal/muesli/porridge/yoghurt, to instantly add extra nutrients, taste and crunch.
2. Hemp Oil
Choose 100% cold-pressed ‘extra-virgin’ hemp oil, preferably sold in dark glass bottles to preserve the goodness. Use in place of the oil in your salad dressings or mix a 1:1 ratio of hemp oil and a neutral oil like canola or sunflower when making mayonnaise from scratch.
3. Hemp Flour
This is just milled or ground hemp seeds and is a versatile ingredient to add into home-baked goodies – think: muffins, loaves and pancakes. Try replacing up to 1/4 of the wheat flour in recipes with nutty hemp flour.
4. Hemp Protein Powder
Here’s the one for vegetarian or vegan gym junkies! Just add a scoop of this power-packed powder to your post-workout shake or smoothie, to provide the protein needed for recovery. Give the Organic Hemp Protein Powders from Hemp Foods Australia a go – you’ll be doing your body (and the environment) a favour!
5. Hemp Snacks
And finally, time for a bit of a treat! There are more and more better-for-you snacks on the market now with the added goodness of hemp. We particularly like Health Labs Hemp Energy Balls and Munch’s Thinkfood Hemp Seed Crunch as yummy pick-me-up snacks, and Mayver’s Smunchy Protein Plus Hemp Seed Peanut Butter for a spread with a difference.
Jade Petitat is a Power Living certified yoga teacher, who combines traditional yogic philosophy with a modern-day approach to give participants a challenging, yet nurturing practice. When she is not on her mat, Jade works as an Accredited Practising Dietitian and is mum to a sweet little yogini.
