Why is hemp a superfood?
3 benefits you need to know in 2023
Is hemp a superfood? If it is a superfood, why is it a superfood? What are the benefits of hemp oil and hemp seeds? We’re going to look at the nutritional profile of hemp (more interesting than it sounds). We’re going to discover the celebrity chefs that use hemp (Jamie Oliver included). And we’re going to hear some outrageous ideas about the sorts of dishes you can add hemp to (hemp ice cream anyone?).
Let’s cut through the noise. The hemp as a superfood adventure is about to start. Want to jump on board?
What is a superfood?
We know what superstitions, superheroes, and superhighways are. So what about superfoods? A superfood is a food with exceptional nutritional density. Apparently the first time “superfood” was used was in a Canadian newspaper in 1949 when referring to the supposed nutritional qualities of a muffin. Muffins? …mmm tasty.
What is hemp?
Now we know what a superfood is, let’s do a quick run through of what we mean by hemp. Basically hemp is cannabis with very low levels of THC (legally less than 0.3%). Along with bamboo, it’s among the fastest growing plants on the planet.
Hemp is a versatile material that can be used for a wide variety of products including rope, textiles, clothing, shoes, paper, bioplastics, insulation, biofuel, and but what’s it like to eat?
What are the benefits of hemp as a superfood?
1. Hemp has high nutritional contents
You probably know you can cook with THC-rich cannabis. Canna-cookies anyone? But did you know that hemp can also be added to your plate?
Hemp contains lots of really nutritious ingredients. These include proteins, lipids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, insoluble fibers, carbs, and omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids. These are crucial organic compounds for our wellbeing and have been shown to have a number of potential health benefits.
As a culinary oil it has one of the lowest concentrations of saturated fat. It also has high levels of the healthier, polyunsaturated fat. Olive oil for example, has 40% more saturated fat than hemp oil.
2. Cook like a celebrity chef
Another benefit of consuming hemp as a superfood is that it means you can cook like a celebrity chef.
Lots of professional cooks are waxing lyrical about the benefits of the THC-light form of cannabis. For example, Chef Vicky Ratnani has been using hemp oil and hemp hearts (the inside of the seeds) to braise fish and lamb on his TV show. According to Vicky, “Hemp is one of the healthiest superfoods we have today.”
It’s not just chefs who have been talking up the benefits of hemp as a food. Other celebrities have been getting in on the act too. These include big names such as Oprah Winfrey whose website contains a recipe that mixes coconut, banana, oats, and hemp seeds.
3. Hemp goes with anything
One of the reasons why hemp has been picked up by so many leading chefs is because of its versatility. Chef Kunal—who has 1.7 million followers on Instagram—loves the chance to throw hemp everywhere. Hemp seeds can be toasted and added to salads, pancakes, breads and so much more. The hemp oil can be used for cooking as well as for salad dressings,” says the restaurateur, known for hosting and judging MasterChef India.
You can use hemp in the kitchen in tons of different ways. It can go on roast potatoes, in roast vegetables, in soup, on a stir fry, in quinoa, in pesto or in a bowl of granola. The British chef Jamie Oliver even squirted hemp oil over a bowl of ice cream. Hemp ice cream. You said what?
Oh, my goodness. Give me hemp!
So, why has hemp been in the headlines as a superfood? There are three reasons why it’s trending right now. Firstly, it’s got a great nutritional profile. Secondly, it’s become a top ingredient among celebrity chefs. And thirdly, it’s super versatile. You can use it in all sorts of dishes.
So, are you going to try hemp as a food? If Jamie Oliver sprinkled it on ice cream, where could you use it? Maybe you could throw some seeds on your baked beans or pour some oil on your bacon sandwich. The sky’s the limit.
Psst! If you’re a hemp-goes-with-everything sort of person, you’ll love our organic hemp rolling papers.