I’ve been a bit busy lately, so busy that I completely didn’t notice that I had missed a hot topic blog posting two weeks ago. I lost track of my To-Do List in the chaos of my dietetic internship responsibilities, but also because dietetic internship class attended FNCE in Boston (just in case... FNCE stands for Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo). My DI program directors thought that it was important for us to attend and experience all that is FNCE and I am so thankful they did.
It was my first trip to FNCE and when I first saw the acronym on my rotation schedule... I had not idea what FNCE even was. I soon learned it is the ADA’s national conference that takes place once every year. The days are full of lectures, culinary demos, research posters, DPG/MIG information booths, and vendor exhibits. The lectures were great, but the vendor exhibits is what I couldn’t get enough of. Companies set up information booths to promote new products (salt substitutes, gluten free product lines, etc.), as well as reminder us of all of the health benefits of the foods we encounter on a regular basis (avocados, walnuts, green tea). Yes, it is a free sample heaven... turns out to be a hot topic bloggers heaven. I began to mentally note all the new products that I wanted to discuss with the bloggers... the list soon became too long for one blog post, so this might take a few posts, but I’m going to begin my product shout outs with Manitoba Harvest’s Heep Foods and Oils.
There is a common misconception that if one is to consume hemp based products, one will experience the psychoactive effects on the body, as if one smokes marijuana (the leaves of the hemp plant). In actuality, the hemp plant offers nutritious oils and seeds, that can then be made into milk alternatives, butters, and protein powders... all of which do not contain any TCH (the mechanism that creates the psychoactive effects) Also I would like to note... if you consume hemp products, you will not test positive in a drug test. With safety precautions out of the way... why consume food derived from hemp? Are their any health benefits? Hemp Oil is the ONLY oil that contains Omega-3 Fatty Acids (2%)... and contains only 11% saturated fat (less than olive oil), 57% monounsaturated fats, and 29% Omega-6. Hemp milk is lower in calories, cup for cup, when compared to dairy, rice and soy milks. Additionally, hemp milk offers Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, calcium, iron, and is only lower in protein when compared to soy milk. The seeds are nutrient and calorically dense, for 2 Tbsp of hemp seeds = 160 Calories, 10g fat (6.2g omega-6 and 2g omega-3), 1g fiber, and 11g protein. I was informed that a handful of hemp seeds will satiate you instantly and help keep your body going, whether on a hike or long bike ride.
Ok... I was sold on the nutritional stand point, but do hemp products have a pleasurable taste? As a self-diagnosed “vegetarian gastronaut,” I was interested to try their products... and I tried them all. My favorite product... definitely the hemp milk. It’s light and crisp, and since then... have been adding hemp milk to my morning cereal and even drinking it plain. The seeds, oil, and butter have a clean, yet sharp taste. It is a different taste at first (especially the hemp butter), but I think this is because it has a unique taste, one that I could not compare it to anything else. I have been adding the hemp seeds to everything (basically anywhere you could see yourself adding flax seeds). Last night, I snuck some into my guacamole... at breakfast I put in a spoonful in my yogurt... and the day before I sprinkled some on my spinach salad. The only downside... the cost. 12 oz of hemp oil is about $10. 10 oz of hemp butter is $10. 8 oz of the seeds is $9. I’ve been rationing my free samples and I’m not sure if I can constantly foot the bill when my stock depletes... but if interested, I encourage you to try hemp products. The companies website is http://www.manitobaharvest.com/
Very interesting. I'm a total fan of hemp seed, and all things hemp. One of the things I've been feeling is that the cost of hemp does need to be lowered significantly. I have found some suppliers where I can get 454g for $10-$12, though I would like to see that being brought down below the $10 line.
ReplyDeletePoint for point, hemp seed is a far heavier hitter than ANY meat product (calories and protein, PLUS the nutritional benefit.
With the changes coming to MB harvest hemp milk, it's going to slam soy milk down and out ;) And FURTHERMORE, the best part is that hemp seed is non-gmo, unlike most soy, which is genetically modified.
So with that being said, hemp rocks. Simple as that.
i agree with you Garrett.
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