Source: readingeagle.com
Special to the Reading Eagle: Kimberly Marselas | Hemp comes in a variety of forms, blends and flavors. From, Qi'a chia, buckwheat and hemp cereal in apple cinnamon; Nutiva raw shelled hempseed; Manitoba Harvest hemp heart toppers with onion, garlic and rosemary. Manitoba's Energy-ball like hemp heart bites are stacked behind.
In 1999, Shawn House took a gamble that hemp could be the food of the future.
Nearly 20 years later, the nutty seed has a foothold in the natural foods aisle, and entrepreneurs like House are looking for new ways to use it in everything from granola bars to tortilla chips.
He has dabbled in everything from hemp brownies to peanut-butter filled hard pretzels, all of the results packed with more protein, vitamin E and fiber than traditional versions.House's Lancaster Trading Co. specializes in pretzels and spreads made with hemp, most notably his Hempzels a twist on the classic soft pretzel incorporating hemp seed, hemp flour and hemp oil; a horseradish-hemp-and-honey mustard; and hemp seed butter sold under the Natalie's Choice brand.
Hemp's growing reputation as a nutritional powerhouse is on equal footing with its versatility.
"It's a light, nutty flavor," House said. "Kind of like a sunflower seed."
Mixed into existing recipes before cooking, it might not even be noticeable to finicky eaters. But raw or gently heated, it can add welcome texture and depth of flavor to soft baked goods, crunchy salads, even meaty meatless burgers.
In June, the Rodale Institute's culinary arm designed a colorful, hemp-themed menu for an event promoting all things hemp at the institute's experimental farm in Maxatawny Township.
Among the offerings: coffee with hemp milk, hemp burgers, toasted hemp crackers and a salad dressing made with hemp oil.
RodaleWellness.com named hemp to its list of 70 super foods, citing the 11 grams of complete protein in a single ounce. Complete proteins include all 9 essential amino acids - ones the human body can't make on its own -a nd are typically only found in animal sources, including meat, eggs and dairy.
That's one reason the food originally gained traction with and remains popular among vegans, according to Sarah Glunz, lead nutritionist for Giant Food Stores.
A growing number of hemp foods are available online through Thrive Market, Amazon and other retailers. Hemp is popping up in everything from energy drinks to gummy bears.
And more traditional hemp products are making the transition from health food stores like Vitamin Shoppe and Whole Foods to mass market grocers. Glunz said several brands are available in Giant stores that have a Nature's Promise Marketplace.
Pacific hemp milk is available at both Target and Wal-Mart stores nationally, while Giant carries the Tempt brand. Hemp heart bites, Qi'a cereal bars that pair hemp with chia and Nature's Path superfood bars are also available locally.
"Companies seem to be finding more ways to make their products more nutritious, and hemp is any easy way to do that," Glunz said. "These types of seeds are so important for overall heart health."
Glunz suggests customers experiment with hemp in much the same way they would flax seed, either ground and mixed into smoothies or yogurt or as a topping that adds texture and subtle crunch to salads or soups.
The key is to go slowly - maybe with 1 tablespoon a day - until you know how that heart-healthy fiber affects you.
In addition to fiber, hemp is packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for the heart, brain, skin and mood. Ounce for ounce, it contains more than six times as much omega-3 as tuna.
It might also be easier to swallow.
Hemp's subtly nutty flavor is easy to blend, and it's often found paired with other superfoods like cranberries, blueberries, nuts or dark chocolate. House said he's only just begun using hemp protein powders to make smoothies.
Eating (or drinking) hemp has nothing to with the leaves of the cannabis plant, where the high-inducing TetraHydroCannabinol, or THC, is present in much higher concentrations.
Hemp-based foods come from the plant's seeds, or achene, tiny nuts covered with hard shells.
House sells the shelled hemp, along with mustards and jam recipes that feature hemp as a star ingredient.
He still sees plenty of opportunity to expand his brand and hemp's popularity and is a strong advocate for reducing regulation of hemp growth in the U.S. The cannabis plant, even when intended for food products, is still regulated as a controlled substance.
Though 16 sites in Pennsylvania were allowed to grow hemp this spring as part of a statewide research trial, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture required growers to destroy the resulting crops.
Meanwhile, foreign growers are seizing on the plant's superfood claims and its rising popularity. House imports his seed - toasted to keep it from sprouting new growth, as required by law - from Canada.
If local farmers were permitted to grow hemp, he said, many products would come down in price, and consumers would have even more healthy choices. He's hoping his hemp-seed butter grows as an alternative to nut butter in PB&Js.
At beer festivals, he touts his Hempzels as the microbrew to the bigger pretzel-makers' Budweisers.
"I know we can create a lot more opportunities," he said, noting increasing demand for raw, shelled hemp seed. "My goal is to sell it to the bakeries and breweries. They all love that nutty flavor."
Contact Kimberly Marselas: life@readingeagle.com.
Eight healthy hemp foods to try
Nutiva Organic Shelled Hempseed: Straight-up hempseeds. That's what you're getting with Nutiva Organic Shelled Hempseed. In 3 tablespoons, you'll get 7.5 grams of omega-6s, 3 grams of omega-3s, 15 percent of your recommended daily iron, 25 percent of your recommended zinc, and 10 grams of protein. Enjoy them straight out of the bag, sprinkle them on salads, add them to dips, mix it into your oatmeal, blend them into smoothies — the options are endless.
Himalania Dark Chocolate Hemp Seeds: New to the hemp world? These tiny chocolate-covered hemp seeds by Himalania are the perfect place to start. Delicious, with a slight crunch, these little guys make a great topping for frozen desserts or just a quick straight pop of chocolate.
Cereal Maple Buckwheat Hemp: It seemed impossible, but we found a deliciously sweet cereal that hasn't been sugar-jacked. Peace Cereal's Maple Buckwheat Hemp cereal has only 6 grams of sugar per serving, balanced out with great hits of fiber and protein.
Harvest Tempt Hemp Milk: For a truly perfect breakfast, go for hemp on hemp. Living Harvest Tempt hemp milk comes in a variety of flavors, including original, unsweetened original and vanilla (sweetened and unsweetened) to splash over your cereal. Each serving of non-GMO hemp milk provides vitamins A, B12 and D, magnesium, phosphorous and calcium.
Nature's Path Hemp Plus Frozen Waffle: Which would you rather start your day with: a waffle full of GMOs and artificial colors or an organic waffle that's naturally packed with omega-3s? No-brainer. Plus, Hemp Plus Frozen Waffle has 5 grams of fiber and 21 grams of whole grains.
Manitoba Harvest Hemp Pro 70: Give your workout the organic edge it needs with Manitoba Harvest Hemp Pro 70 powder. Great for pre-workout fuel or post-workout recovery, this shakable, plant-based protein powder has all of the essential amino acids. Or try mixing it into your favorite pancake recipe for a morning protein boost.
Hummus: Forget gross dips full of questionable ingredients. Hope Super Hemp Hummus is made only with things you can pronounce, such as organic garbanzo beans, organic tahini, organic extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt and (of course) organic hemp seeds. This mild-tasting spread is perfect for all kinds of dippables, from carrot sticks to pita chips.
Greens Hemp Milk Drinks: If you're dying for a sweet drink and are hooked on green tea iced lattes, we've got your cure: Daily Greens Matcha Green Tea Hemp Milk. While the standard sugar-saturated latte contains nearly 40 grams of the sweet stuff, this hemp-milk drink has nearly half as much (that's still 23 grams, but if you're looking for a green tea latte fix, it's a much smarter swap). Plus, it's loaded with B vitamins, vitamin A, magnesium and manganese. This refreshing drink is a blend of hemp seeds, coconut water, matcha green tea, spinach and lemon juices and is sweetened with coconut nectar — and they're all organic.
Source: www.rodalewellness.com
Smoky Black Bean and Hemp Burgers
Serves 4
- 2/3 cup canned black beans
- 1/2 cup shelled hemp seeds
- 3 to 4 tablespoon minced mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon minced onion
- 2 tablespoons diced parsley
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoon coconut flour
- 2 tablespoons ground flax meal
- 6 tablespoons water
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- A dash of cayenne
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Mix the ground flax meal and water in a small bowl. Set aside.
Pulse black beans in a food processor until smooth with a few chunks. Pour beans into a mixing bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Add in flax and water mixture.
Shape into four patties. Heat a medium skillet and spray liberally with cooking spray. Place patties in pan and cook about 5 minutes per side, until crisp on outside and heated through.
Serve on buns with favorite toppings.
Adapted from onegreenplanet.org
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