How Hemp Seeds Can Benefit a Vegan Diet + Chocolate Hemp Granola Recipe (+ GIVEAWAY)

When looking into your diet, protein is probably one of those buzzwords that you come across first. I think, we all understand how vital protein is to our dietary health but there are still a lot of misconceptions around protein. Is difficult to get enough protein? And how much of it do I actually need? Putting all the guesswork aside, I would like to put some real facts on the table. But before I get into all the details, I am letting you know that there will be a kick-ass GIVEAWAY plus a protein-packed Chocolate Hemp Granola recipe waiting for you at the end of this post. Sounds good? Let’s dig right in!

• 

• 

How much protein do we really need? What about vegans?

Truth is, the human body needs doesn’t need as much protein as most people think. The general rule is, your body needs 0.8g of protein per kg bodyweight. Meaning that, if your bodyweight is 60kg, you will need 48g of protein per day. So what does that actually mean and how does it translate into food? I will answer exactly that in the next chapter.

If you are a vegan in particular, it’s one of those pinching questions that you might get asked quite frequently. Where do you get your protein from? Vegans, of course need as much protein as non-vegans. It is still a huge misconception that you cannot fulfill your daily protein requirements on a plant-based diet. Quite the opposite is true. Many plant-based foods contain much more protein than animal based foods.

• 

• 

How to add more protein to your plant-based diet with hemp products?

There are numerous ways you can add more protein to your vegan diet. Make sure to eat lots of beans, lentils, peas, tofu, soy milk, quinoa and pumpkin seeds! But one of my favorite foods that I have been including into my diet lately to increase my protein intake, are hemp seeds. They contain 26g protein/ per 100g. Some pure hemp proteins (= ground hemp seeds) can even contain up to 33g protein/ per 100g.

If you haven’t tried hemp seeds yet, they have a nutty taste and make a flavorful addition to sweet and savory dishes. They are great ingredient for mueslis, salads, soups, bread, cakes, smoothies or spreads.

* If you want to give hemp products a try too, scroll down for the giveaway!

Now let’s make things real clear and find a good example on how much we should eat to fulfill our dietary protein requirements with the help of hemp food. Let’s go back to the assumption that our bodyweight is 60kg and therefore we need 48g of protein daily. If we eat a bowl of oats (100g) in the morning which contains approximately 16g of protein, and we add 50g of hemp seeds (=15g protein) and 50g of walnuts (=7g protein) and have it with soy milk, we have already reached a protein intake of 40g. That means we only need to add 8g more protein to reach our daily goal. And we haven’t even reached lunch yet. If feel this example makes it pretty clear that getting your protein on a plant-based diet can be easy-breezy, right?

• 

What are the actual health benefits of hemp seeds for a vegan diet?

Now you know that hemp seeds contain a whole lot of protein. But it is essential to know that protein doesn’t equal protein. Hemp seeds are a complete source of protein which means that they provide all nine essential amino acids. These amino acids are the building blocks for the protein and they cannot be produced by the body. That means we must absorb them through diet. That is a BIG yesyes for hemp seeds as a healthy source of protein in a vegetarian or vegan diet!

But there are other great benefits of hemp seeds that any plant-based foodie will appreciate. Hemp seeds contain a good amount of antioxidants (detoxification in the body!) and some important vitamins like vitamins E and B. Hemp seeds, for example, contain much more Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) than animal products.

So we got the protein, the vitamins and antioxidants but what about healthy fats? Good to know that hemp seeds are also a good source for unsaturated fats especially the omega-3 fatty acids.

• 

• 

Any recommendations for high quality hemp products?

For years, I have been using the MEDIHEMP products that are great in taste and have a proven record of maximum health benefits. They are very meticulous about what goes into their products (every product comes with a specification pesticides, heavy metals and other residues. By all means, most hemp products do not come from Europe. As a conscious buyer, I love how MEDIHEMP looks into the whole supply chain to make sure hemp is grown organically in Austria with help of their local farmer cooperation.

+++GIVEAWAY+++ Are you looking into increasing your protein intake in a healthy way? Now is your chance! I have partnered up with MEDIHEMP and we are giving away a box of hemp products! The box includes hemp nuts, hemp seed oil, hemp tea, hemp protein, a berry hemp protein and a breakfast hemp drink.

–> In order to win, follow When Sweet Becomes Healthy and Deep Nature Project (the company behind MEDIHEMP) on Instagram and leave a comment under this blog post to let me know which product you are most keen to try.

• 

What to do with hemp seeds (make Chocolate Hemp Granola!)?

If you are struggling for inspiration on what to do with hemp seeds, I can help you out right here. To get a good head start into the day, I came up with a recipe for a Chocolate Hemp Granola that will take all your protein worries away (but you really shouldn’t have any in the first place!). It packs a great protein punch with hemp seeds, hemp chocolate protein powder, and even hemp seed oil as an additional source of healthy fat.

The granola is free from any refined sugars. The sweetness comes from the coconut blossom syrup and the chopped dates. It is chocolatey but definitely not overly sweet. If you have a real sweet tooth, you might want to drizzle an extra bit of maple syrup/honey/coconut blossom syrup onto your granola before eating.

• 

• 

• 

I love the Chocolate Hemp Granola with oat milk but soy milk is also a great choice as it adds even more protein to your breakfast. If you are gluten-free you will be happy to hear that if you choose gluten-free oats, the granola is fully safe for you to enjoy.

Loved this Chocolate Hemp Granola? For more plant-based and nutrient packed breakfast recipes:

Deluxe Chocolate Granola Bars

2 Ingredient Vegan Pancakes

Dessert Smoothie Bowls

Sugarfree Clean Cinnamon Matcha + Caffeine Free Alternative