What is Hemp Used for in Food?

Hemp is a plant that we can use in many different ways. Hemp is used for textiles, clothing, paper, oil, bioplastics, shoes, and even food. However, people are not cutting up hemp and using it in their salads. But then, what is hemp used for in food?

What is hemp used for in food? Hemp has many different uses, from plastics to food, but it may not be used in the ways you think. We don’t run into hemp on any menu, even if that menu is filled with salads. But that’s because the plant itself isn’t really used for food. But that begs the question, what is hemp used for in food?

It isn’t so much the plant itself, though, that can be used in some ways. Instead, people use hemp seeds for their nutritional value. The plant has some nutritional value, but you need to break it down and extract the nutrients in specific ways. Hemp seeds are an entirely different story and are often used for food.

Hemp seeds have a lot of nutritional value that can be absorbed by the body with simple ingestion. For example, you could eat some hemp seeds and receive some protein. That protein alone is an excellent reason for vegans to adopt hemp seeds into their diets.

But there are plenty of other nutritional benefits that make hemp seeds a significant part of any nutrition plan.

Hemp Seeds Nutritional Value

Hemp seeds are packed with nutritional value. However, we must designate between the parts. Hemp seeds are similar to sunflower seeds because they have a shell and a kernel. The shells contain a lot of the same nutritional value as the kernels, but the kernels pack the most nutritional value between the two.

You will get omega-3 fatty acids, omega-6 fatty acids, protein, magnesium, fiber, calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, and folate. Some may say that you could count hemp seeds in with other power foods like quinoa or kale. Cooking with hemp seeds is a lot like cooking with sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, or even poppy seeds.

That fact alone opens us up to a world of possibilities.

Hemp Seeds as Food

What is hemp used for in food? The first answer is that it is used as-is and in different ways. For example, you can use the shells to create feed for animals. But the shells can also be ground up and used as a source of fiber in a smoothie or sprinkled on just about anything.

The kernels themselves are used in fantastic ways as well. The kernels can be ground down and used as a base in non-dairy milk or cheeses, bread, dips, sandwich spreads, and more. In fact, some people just add some of the seeds into their recipes to get the nutrition they provide.

You can eat the kernels raw as well or make a nut butter to go with your jelly sandwiches. A great idea is to roast the seeds whole and then use them to top salads or yogurt.

Hemp Seed Meal in Food

What is hemp used for in food? Hemp seed meal is an excellent option for food. However, some work will go into making hemp seed meals. You will need to crush the seeds and shells together to get the oil out of them. The goal is to get the seeds to be as dry and powdery as possible.

You will then need to let it dry out and what you’re left with is hemp seed meal. The meal will still have a lot of nutrients remaining, with protein being the most prevalent. In fact, hemp seed meal contains 25% protein by weight. That means you will have .25lbs of protein if you have one full pound of hemp seed meal.

You can then use the meal as flour, protein powder, or even for brewing hemp beer.

Hemp Seed Oil in Food

You just pressed hemp seeds to turn them into meal, but now you have hemp seed oil. What is hem used for in food? Hemp oil can come from a mixture of the seeds and the plant itself. However, most people prefer to use just the seeds so they can use the meal that’s leftover for other recipes.

Hemp seed oil is filled with the fatty acids that are part of the seeds. Hemp seed oil has all of the essential fatty acids that our bodies need in perfect amounts. That makes it nutritious and a great addition to your ingredients list, but how do you use it? Hemp seed oil is a lot like olive oil in its consistency, and the flavor is very subtle.

You can use the oil as a salad dressing or as a base in other recipes that call for oils. However, it is essential to note that you shouldn’t heat the oil up too much. The nutritional benefits of the essential fatty acids will be removed if 20-degree centigrade heat is used for longer than ten minutes.

That means cooking with hemp seed oil for nutritional benefits would be pointless. It is best to use the oils raw and sprinkled on salads, meats, or veggies.